Comments on: The Enduring Strength of Paganism

By: Hrafnkell

Hrafnkell — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:46:19 +0000

I agree entirely. That is the entire purpose of religion, as I see it. Z. Zevit (2001) says that “religions are the varied, symbolic expressions of, and appropriate responses to the deities and powers that groups or communities deliberately affirm as being of unrestricted value to them within their world view.” And as William G. Dever puts it, “Religion…had first of all to deal with the problem of survival, in the most brutal, elementary sense.” So in the end, it’s what gets you through the day. True Religion is religion that works…for you. The idea of a universal religion applicable to everyone is a fantasy. One we can do without.

By: fromthediagonal

fromthediagonal — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:38:21 +0000

Hraf… got carried away with my own heritage instead of addressing your post directly. So… here it is in a nutshell, as far as I am concerned:
Damn/bless the God Gene… it seems we all have this innate need to address some higher power… to sacrifice to it… to bring rituals to it…
in order to cope with both the joys and the vicissitudes of our communal (tribal) existences.
Feel free to disagree.

By: fromthediagonal

fromthediagonal — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:27:30 +0000

I am a “freya fresena”… “ein Freier Friese”..a Free Fresian… in the widest sense of the term, having been birthed to that heritage on the edge of the North Sea in Bremerhaven. Not sure it is a compliment.
I am connected to Nature in a visceral way which can, at tmes, be disconcerting. I accept and heed Her teachings.
Of the Tribes inhabiting the southern rim of the North Sea, the West Fresians in Holland and the East Fresians of today’s Germany considered themselves distinct from the North Fresians, who were more closely aligned with the Danes. All of their ancient dialects, spoken to this day, are quite different from each other, differing from the various “low country” farmers’ dialects of the region, as well as from the official
contemporay dutch, german and dansk languages. Then there is the language of the Isle of Helgoland, which is different yet again, speaking to the isolation of the tribes over many centuries. Yet overall, even the Icelandic language traditions are, in many ways, comprehesible to one familiar with the ancient anglo-saxon heritage.
I am no scholar, merely one who has grew up with the ancient traditions.. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

That said, all tribes were warriors against the implacable forces of Nature, intent upon wresting land from the Nordsee/Mordsee (North Sea/Murder Sea). Not that in today’s understandings that is a good undertaking, for so much “reclaimed” land is below far sea level and subject to inundation at any given storm.
Born to this heritage, I know the mythologies, the horrendous sacrifices made to placate Mother Nature… including those of entombment of innocents into the dikes which were to hold back the furies of storms. I shall always shudder at the thought for it seems we never learn. To this day there are “Halligen” in Schleswig-Holstein which prove that the Ancients were very successful “dominionists” of Nature. Yet, in the final analysis, we are mere motes of dusk trying to influence That Which Cannot Be Coerced… the Universe… Ing