In the beginning was the word. And the word was "goyim". In Hebrew, this word means "other nations." In the sense that they are not Jews.
This word is not abusive and not contemptuous, as can sometimes be read from various "experts". Just a statement of fact: those who are called that are not Jews.
Since in those distant years, three or four thousand years ago, the main difference between the Jews and other peoples was the belief in one God, the word "goyim" began to denote those who practiced polytheism, worshiped various idols or natural objects.
Once again, this does not mean that idolaters are bad and deserve to be destroyed. Judaism very early abandoned proselytism, that is, the conversion of other people to their faith, non-violently or by force. Moreover, admission to Judaism is always individual and rather difficult. The task of the rabbis is not to convince, but to dissuade the proselyte from accepting Judaism, to say that one can become a righteous person by observing only 7 commandments, the so-called commandments of the sons of Noah. These commandments include the belief in the existence of a single Creator and his veneration, the prohibition of murder, adultery and theft.
Christianity, like Judaism, accepts belief in one God and rejects polytheism. In the Greek language, peoples professing polytheism were called the word "ethnos". This word is familiar to us by the name of the science of "ethnography" (descriptions of peoples) or "ethnic" (folk). In Church Slavonic, the word "ethnos" corresponded to the word "languages". Therefore, in the Russian language, those who profess pre-Christian or non-Christian religions began to be called "pagans." Proceeding from this, many church authorities called pagans both Muslim monotheists, and polytheists-Cheremis (Mari), and followers of Hinduism.
From the point of view of scientists (the same ethnographers), "paganism" is too broad and vague concept. Other terms are used to describe polytheistic and ancient religions. In particular, the pre-Christian beliefs of various peoples (Slavs, Germans, Celts, Finno-Ugric peoples) are called "ethnic" or "traditional" religions. Did you pay attention to the fact that here, too, the word “ethnos” could not have been done?
Interestingly, in Latin the word "paganism" corresponds to the word "paganismus". In Latin, the word "paganus" means "village". This is due to the fact that Christianity in the Roman Empire was, so to speak, the religion of the townspeople. In the countryside, however, the original Roman polytheism with a whole brood of gods, both pretty and not so pretty, persisted longer. Therefore, until the 4th century, paganism in the territory of the Roman Empire was called "religia pagana" ("village faith"). By the way, this word has taken root in Greece and Palestine. In modern Greek and Hebrew, paganism is called "paganism". The Russian word "nasty" goes back to the same Latin root. Why? Think for yourself.
It has already been said that the word "paganism" is very broad and vague. Usually, when they talk about paganism, they mean one of the following meanings:
1. Polytheistic religions in general. In this sense, all the ancient peoples who professed polytheism are pagans: the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, Zoroastrians. The current Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Shinto are also pagan religions.
In this case, "pagan" does not mean "backward" at all. Polytheistic religions are spread over a vast territory from India to Mongolia, China and Japan. In Thailand, the state religion is Hinduism. In educational institutions, you can find figurines of the wise god Ganesha with the head of an elephant, and on the signs of military bases or military enterprises, the magical warrior bird Garuda is depicted.
In general, in the Christian understanding, paganism is the worship of creation, and not the Creator. And here "paganism" is a synonym for idolatry. Moreover, quite modern fetishes can act as an idol: a computer, rock stars, the Internet. Well, of course, fame and money.
2. Traditional religious beliefs, holidays and rituals of primitive peoples. For example, the cult of ancestors, animism (belief in the transmigration of souls), totemism and shamanism. This should also include the beliefs of the cultural peoples of the ancient world, as well as the Celts, Germans, Slavs, Scandinavians, and Turks. The Mari people living in the Volga region, along with Orthodoxy, profess the traditional folk pagan religion. Or, as one Russian proverb says, "they live in the forest, pray to the wheel." The wheel is not a wheel, but the veneration of trees in this traditional religion is very developed.
3. All religions except Abrahamic (Christianity, Islam and Judaism). In this sense, such modern religions as Hinduism, Brahminism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Taoism are considered pagan. Which, for example, does not prevent Japanese Shintoists and Buddhists from living well in Singapore and Hong Kong.
4. New religious movements that are trying to revive the pre-Christian beliefs and rituals of various peoples (for example, Rodnovery, an attempt to recreate the beliefs of the ancient Slavs).
5. Any other faith. In this sense, Christians consider monotheistic Islam to be paganism.
6. Folk religions.
In principle, if a person is a serious follower of one of the monotheistic religions, he should not be interested in pagan cults and legends. For him, for example, there will be no ancient Greek or Roman mythology. And with it - a large part of the art. On the other hand, competent scholars involved in the history of religion and religious studies can immediately name a lot of pagan survivals in any of the monotheistic religions. Here you have a Christmas tree, and Shrovetide (and for some, a carnival), and Ivan Kupala's Day. Sacred for Muslims, the Kaaba in Mecca has been an object of worship since pagan times.
What is the conclusion from this? One should not be too zealous about anything, even religion. Don't make an idol of your own faith. Smile, gentlemen! A smart face is not yet a sign of intelligence. After all, all the stupid things on earth are done with just such a facial expression.
We have a common word that unites us, which came from the depths of centuries. We are pagans. There is no other such word. Another name, for example, "Natural Faith" only refines this ancient word. Names such as "Vedic religion" or "pre-Christian faith" are invented today and do not have the proper strength in themselves. The direct bearers of the Vedic religion never called themselves that, and no one called them that at the time of their historical life. By the way, the first Christians also did not call themselves "Christians" - this is what the pagans of ancient times called them - after the name of the Messiah revered by them ("Christ worshipers").
The creators of new self-names do not want to soil themselves with the dirt that world mono-religions have inflicted on paganism. They are cunning or sincerely do not realize that if "do not get dirty", then this means "do not take it into your hands." And if you don’t “take it into your hands”, then all these new “Vedic orthodox believers” will be filled with content that is not related to our historical paganism. It will simply be Russian-Slavic rehashings of Indian religions, there will be a profanation of our national paganism, a remake sewn from patches of foreign traditions.
Among a certain part of modern pagans, there is an opinion that pagan ancestors called themselves Orthodox, because, they say, they "praised the rule." It is possible that somewhere there were "Orthodox" pagans, but, in fairness, it should be noted that not a single historical evidence of such a self-name of the ancient Slavic pagans has been preserved.
Let's analyze the essence of the word "right" in order to understand - should the pagans be called "Orthodox"? Rule is included in such our modern words as "truth", "right" (in the sense of fair), "rule", "rule" (country or boat), "ruler". So, the word "rule" refers mainly not to the conduct of the boat (for example, along the river of life), but to the ideological justification of government, to the justification of the power of the prince. To his "just judgment", which always had to be in accordance with the will of the gods.
But someone was satisfied with the power of the prince and his truth, but someone was not satisfied. A thousand years ago, in the very depths of the forests, the freedom-loving tribes of the Drevlyans, Vyatichi and Radimichi lived, they did not let anyone in, so that they would not know their land and the princes from Kiev or Novgorod would not go to them with armies. With the expansion of the range of princely power, the Vyatichi went to the northeast, and the independent land of the Drevlyans and Radimichi narrowed to Polesie. On this earth, free people were called by a word opposite to "princely truth." They were called "Krivichi" (by the way, Lithuanians to this day often call Russians "Krivi"). The Krivichi were a union of tribes, they were blood brothers, and a special place in their religious veneration was assigned to female deities and coastlines.
Let us remember that the title of the Baltic High Priest Krive-Kriveite is translated as Teacher of Teachers, and not at all as a teacher of untruth. The self-name "Krivichi" and the title of the high priest of the Balts become close, if you pay attention to the fact that a significant part of the population of the land of the Krivichi was of Baltic origin, and that a significant part of the territory of the present Baltic was inhabited by Slavic tribes. Over time, many Balts became Russified and began to classify themselves as Slavs, and many geographical names of rivers and villages remained of Baltic origin. The same should have been the case for sacred concepts, including such as "crooked". This approach naturally forces us to change the flat idea of the origin of the words truth and falsehood.
As you know, the Krivichi long and stubbornly resisted the introduction of Christianity, held on to the "old faith" and the "old gods". Perhaps this is also why the word "curve" has acquired a negative connotation. There were, of course, those Slavic tribes that did not actively oppose themselves to anyone - neither to the will of the prince, nor to his priests, who performed the task of their master in the mass baptism of the population. These tribes lived peacefully and quietly, but even they did not realize that they should somehow designate themselves by faith. But their language worked for them. In Old Russian, "tongues" means "peoples". Therefore, by the nature of the language, the pagan faith is the faith of the common people, who are naturally close to the earth.
As soon as the Christian priests realized that their task included not only the ideological suppression of the Krivichi (Krivi) who stubbornly held on to their faith, but also the general subordination of the "black people" (village residents) to the prince, then among the servants of the new Christian cult, the generalizing word already in the language could be remembered: "paganism". In general and initially - they did not put a negative meaning into it, as they did with the word "crooked", putting into it the meaning of falsehood - deceit. By "paganism" they understood beliefs, as well as spiritual and legal institutions that turned out to be outside the prince's truth, beyond his power. Therefore, the word "paganism" gradually acquired the spirit of something suspicious, but not yet received an accurate assessment. He was connected directly with "demons and demons" by later strengthened Christianity.
The very word "paganism" was not created or invented by priests - neither pagan nor Christian. It was already contained in the Slavic language before them as a generalizing concept (the word "paganism" comes from the root "language", which in Old Slavonic means "people, tribe"). It was supposed to sound when the princes approved any new official deity and carried out his cult to the people. So it should have been when Vladimir Perun was approved in Kyiv and Novgorod. So it happened later, with the introduction of Christianity. The fact that Christianity is not just a cult of a new god, but carries a qualitatively different spiritual content, was still little understood by the Russian people, in the time of Vladimir. The priests of the official cult called "pagans" the tribes that did not follow the princely cult with its new crucified god (Christianity), but believed in their own way, in the "old gods". They were considered "black people" if they were submissive to the prince, and they turned out to be "Krivichi" if they lived from the side of Lithuania and did not agree with the prince's policy.
As already noted, the very word "languages" means, firstly, "peoples". Secondly, it also meant a speaker, a person who conveys a message. So, in Afanasyev's fairy tale "Ivan the Fool", published in 1855, we find: "Ilya Muromets killed everyone, left only the pagans to the king." It follows that in addition to the concept of "people", the word "pagan" also contains another concept - "messenger", or one who speaks ("speaking", i.e. "knowing the word"). If we combine both of these ancient concepts, then we can easily see that in a religious sense, a pagan is one who carries news, knowledge, a word about the religion and faith of his people. And if today we say that we are pagans, it means that we are the messengers, we carry the message: "it's time for our people to remember their original beginnings."
In Latin countries, the synonym for paganism was the word "paganism", derived from the word "paganus" - "tiller" (more broadly - "rural, village dweller", "village"). For many modern Slavic pagans, it does not seem very decent to be called a pagan or filthy - here the language forms developed over a thousand years, clichés and patterns imposed by those who decried and destroyed the ancient Natural Faith are pressing. But Western European pagans freely call themselves "Paganists". For example, when the Lithuanian pagans learned that the Russians were embarrassed by their self-name (“pagans”), they were surprised: how can the Russian pagans renounce themselves? Indeed, to refuse such a high title as "pagans" - to humiliate themselves before the authorities and priests; in front of those who themselves (once upon a time) changed this word "in a crooked way" - just like many other words related to folk / natural faith. The same is true with other words, for example with the word "blasphemous." In pagan terms, this means - "perform pagan hymns, songs or tales about the deeds of the gods and the afterlife." In modern language, it means to say something that defiles some kind of holiness. This is also the result of thousands of years of work of Christianity on our language.
Historical truth will be restored. We must return to our everyday life such necessary words as "paganism" or "blasphemers", and not be ashamed of them only because mountains of lies have been piled on them. After all, we are not afraid of this lie. Therefore, let's be honest and consistent.
The problem of somehow naming their faith, and even more so of naming the type of their faith, could arise among the Slavs only with the beginning of the expansion of monotheistic religions. Prior to this, there was no need to give a name to your faith, the faith of your ancestors - it was called just that: "faith", "our faith", "faith of the ancestors" or "Slavic, Russian faith". Actually, faith was - in fact - one common to many peoples; the concept of faith was broader than the concept of the tribe. And the Slavs, and the Germans, and the Scandinavians - all were pagans and, in general terms, adhered to the same pantheon and belief system. Moreover, all sorts of more distant neighbors - all without exception were pagans.
The difference was only in the specific names of the same gods, or in which of them occupies the “main” place in the composition of a particular pantheon (and, consequently, the main, most noticeable from the outside, place in the cult), or in the very composition of the pantheon. Hence the variants of names for specific varieties of beliefs - either by the name of the tribe (the faith of the ancestors, the faith of the Slavs, the Busurman faith), or by the name of the "main" deity (fire-worshippers, Jesusists). There were simply no other names. Around there were not only "atheistic cults" (such as "scientific atheism"), but also "author's" religions (such as Mohammedanism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism), which claimed not to be one single tribe, but an alternative to the entire generally accepted system of beliefs (For example, Judaism among the Khazars was called by neighbors only as the "Khazar faith").
Thus, the Slavs (like all neighboring tribes and peoples) did not and could not have any special name for the faith of their ancestors, and even more so for the type of faith itself. Some conditionally generalizing names (for clarification in conversations with strangers) could be, but most often, of course, the name was used according to belonging to a tribe (depending on the context - more general or more particular) - Slavic faith, faith of the Polyans, faith of the Normans, etc.
The need to determine the type of one's faith in opposition to faith of a fundamentally different type arose only in theological disputes during the period of dual faith - when it was necessary to oppose the faiths of all peoples in aggregate with monotheistic religions. This is how the concepts of "paganism" and "paganism" arose. According to the most linguistically substantiated versions, both of these words come (in fact) from the concept of "people" (respectively, in Slavic "language" - the people, and in Latin "pagan" - rural, rural, soil - in terms of meaning, these are synonyms for the word "people").
These words mean "folk faith", as a type of traditional beliefs of all peoples. Therefore, in this context, it is more correct to speak not about paganism in general, but more specifically about Slavic paganism. There is no way to determine which side of the theological dispute put forward it - this term is equally acceptable to both sides. Considering it invented by Christians to humiliate pagans is as stupid as considering the word "monotheism" offensive to Christians. This is a completely neutral scientific term, which very clearly and correctly draws a line between natural (natural) beliefs and artificial monotheistic denominations such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
All the emotions [of some pagans who do not want to call themselves "pagans" and their faith "paganism"] about the name of our faith are absolutely understandable, but naturally one has to reckon with the surrounding reality. If there is a war going on between the "Whites" and the "Reds", between the "Points" and the "Dumbs" (the analogy, of course, does not apply to the essence of the process), then to say something like "I wear a green tunic and, therefore, that says it all" means not to say anything definite. In fact, you still have to explain in a roundabout way that in fact you are "White", "Red" or some other, but you do not want to talk about it directly. It is in this way that any explanation of abstract self-definitions will be perceived by everyone.
We repeat once again - the emotions are understandable: the word "pagan" is not the most successful, but it is a very specific neutral scientific term. In any reference book, article, encyclopedia, everyday conversation, criminal case - we will still be called "pagans". Up to our complete victory and even further - already as a result of the tradition that has arisen. Remember - the name "Bolsheviks" has remained with the Communists to this day. What can you do if monotheists (and Christians in particular) plowed up almost all the terms that belonged to the pagan religious sphere? But this does not mean that now it is impossible to use the words "requirement", "goblin", "witch", "naznik", "accomplice", "supervisor", "sorcerer", "blasphemy", "get out", etc. But, on the other hand, the reality of the consequences of [Christian] foreignness must also be taken into account - calling our faith "Orthodoxy" (as some "praise praising" pagans do *) is also not very reasonable in this situation.
Finally, to finally resolve the issue of the origin of the word "paganism", let's turn to an academic scientific publication. So, "Old Slavonic Dictionary (according to manuscripts of the 10th-11th centuries): About 10,000 words; Moscow; Russian language; 1994; - 842 p.". An article in Old Church Slavonic and Ancient Greek, the following is written (4 fixed values):
"LANGUAGE" -
1. language (organ) ...
2. language (speech) ...
3. people, tribe... For example, "tongue on tongue"; "Yes, one h (love) to die for the people, and not the whole language will perish"; "vskuyu shyatashya ezytsi"; "as if pr (oro) ka bo put thee in the tongue", etc. [characteristically, this word is used even in relation to Christians! ].
4. strangers, foreigners; pagans ... For example: "all of them are languages ishtut; idols of the language (s) to silver and gold" ...
Here you can clearly see the original, most ancient meaning of the word "language" - "people" (who owns a certain language). Also here one can clearly see the beginning of the opposition by Christians of the meanings of the word in question: "folk, natural" & "Christian, divine".
Thus, everyone can choose for himself in what sense to use the word "paganism" - either in the original 3rd meaning (that is, according to the ancient sense), or in the 4th later meaning (that is, changed under the influence of Christianity).
Also in the explanatory dictionary of V. Dahl you can find the meaning of the word "language": "a people, a land, with its same-tribe population, with the same speech." Thus, "paganism" for the Slavs is, first of all, a folk, primordial, Native Tradition. Accordingly, paganism is tribal beliefs, and in this sense it has long been used by our ancestors. So, pagans are people who belong to the same clan-tribe, who honor its customs, love and protect their land, keep tribal myths and reproduce these relationships in new generations. At the same time, the land, the tribe that inhabits it, other forms of life and the gods form a single tribal whole, which is reflected in tribal myths and rituals, in the way of life and management.
Do not be ashamed of the name "pagan". It is not necessary, if only for the reason that all Christians shudder at this one word: they are afraid of it like fire, like excommunication from the parish humanitarian trough; for them the word "pagan" is more terrible than "satanist". Have you ever seen the pitiful white frightened face of a Christian who accidentally wandered into the forest to the pagans and found out where he ended up? The phrase: "I am a pagan" sounds proud and militant; it strikes the enemy like lightning; it contains the power of a millennial spiritual confrontation with [Christian] foreignness.
There is nothing offensive in the word "paganism" for the pagans themselves.
The fact that such words as "paganism" = "paganism" today are almost swear words for some pagans speaks only of the results of Christian propaganda, and nothing more ("propaganda" in Latin - ideological "work" among the pagans). What can we say, many centuries have passed, the language has changed, many concepts have changed, and today almost all words related to paganism and the pagan worldview in one way or another have been turned into curse words (see examples above). On this basis, to engage in word-creation (and in fact verbiage) and invent some new words for everyone and everything is at least stupid and even one-god (monotheists) have too much honor. It is much more reasonable to direct the same efforts to ensure that completely different words that really deserve it become abusive.
It is also important that by the very fact of calling ourselves "pagans", we select the same Bogey, with the help of which some try to belittle those they do not like. We are not afraid to call ourselves "pagans" and even "pagans" - there is a Slavic pagan community in Belarus, whose representatives do not hesitate to call themselves just like that - but after that, any detractors simply have nothing to hide.
Analogy: at one time in the States, the word "cop" was abusive (as well as the word "cop" in our country), but time has passed, and now every American policeman can proudly say "yes, I'm a cop." This positive image, as well as the word it stands for, has been created for decades with the help of films and the daily work of the law enforcement agencies themselves; the same process has begun in our country too - books with the mention of the word "cop" are already being published, the television series "Cops" has been released, and after a couple of decades no one will remember that some word was once abusive or inelegant for someone. That's about the same thing can happen with the word "paganism" (as well as with any other word). Moreover, this has already happened in antiquity, when Christians took it into their arsenal and used it all as "chasing" - now it remains only to return it to our arsenal.
And, what can we say, when the word "symposium", commonly used even in high politics, comes from the Greek "drinking party"; and the word "pluralism" in the ancient Greeks meant multiple copulations during an orgy. And the word "pagan" against this background looks much more decent: just something like "soil, rural, rural." Simply, in later times this word was used by Christians, who contemptuously called adherents of the faith of their ancestors "hillbilly", considering them unenlightened and dark, when they stubbornly did not want to convert to the "true faith of Christ." And such a word as "paganism" in general has the root "people" ("language"), that is, "pagans" are essentially "populists" - such a translation is the most elegant, and therefore this particular version of the translation will continue to be used (whatever lovers of "originality" and other historical mothballs say, dreaming of "harmony of a stagnant swamp" and not understanding that everything changes and must change - for Movement is Life).
In all official papers - statutes, names of communities, etc. it is necessary to use the term "paganism" or the phrase "Slavic paganism". Otherwise, we are closed to the creation of an all-Russian confession and the recognition of modern Slavic paganism as the historical successor to the pre-Christian beliefs of the Slavs. For any religious expertise, appointed in such cases according to the current legislation, recognizes our entire movement as just a collection of small scattered sects belonging to various newly minted faiths that have nothing to do with the ancient Slavic faith (Slavic paganism) and, therefore, fundamentally cannot be considered as belonging to the confessions traditional for Russia. Accordingly, the official (registered in the authorities) name of the community as "pagan" should be considered the only acceptable one. The sooner we can achieve universal acceptance of this term, directly in line with the goals of our entire movement, the better.
In this regard, it should be especially noted that no one calls for calling themselves only "pagans" (or even, for example, "pagans"). On the contrary, any other identifiers can be used in parallel, such as "rodnovers", "rodnovers", "rodyans", "polytheists", "traditionalists", "pantheists", etc. It's just that one should not be afraid and should not be ashamed of strangers (and indeed of any kind) Labels and Bogeys used by motley detractors - only then will they cease to be such. We have already selected them and, if necessary, we will select them again. You just need to not be afraid of anything and calmly do your job.
[* To call paganism "Orthodoxy" ("Glorification of the Rule") is historically and linguistically illiterate. Nowhere and in no historical sources is it even hinted that the pagan Slavs, they say, "praised the Rule" (all the more, why praise it? Will it wither away without glorification, or what? Rule - these are the laws of the Universe, perfectly managing even without human participation). Being extremely honest, one has to reckon with the facts. And the fact is that "Orthodoxy" is a literal tracing-paper from the Greek "orthodoxis": from "orthos" - "correct" & "doxa" - "faith in", "opinion about" (someone), "good name", "glory", "(pro) glorification"; i.e., the word "Orthodoxy" has the meaning of "correctly glorify" (the Judeo-Christian God, respectively). The given etymology of the word "Orthodoxy" is officially scientific and is shared by all modern historians and linguists. Citizens who disagree with this can try to provide evidence of their point of view in strict accordance with scientific methodology: 1) facts, 2) sources, 3) references, 4) reasoned justifications. Before citing all of the above - any statement has no scientific value, but is only an opinion (which may well turn out to be erroneous; and that is why evidence and sufficient reasons are required).]
Priest John Pavlov
35. About not living as the pagans live
The Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Christians of the city of Ephesus commands and exhorts them not to live like pagans. Who are the pagans? Pagans are those who do not belong to the people of God, that is, to the Church - people whom the Lord has called and brought closer to Himself, to whom He has given His commandments, whom He calls into His Kingdom and shows them the path leading there. Before the coming of Christ to earth, all of God's people were concentrated within the confines of one single people - the Jewish people. All the other nations of the earth were pagans. Both semi-savage barbarians and highly developed Egypt, Greece and Rome - they were all equally pagans, equally alien to God's law and God's truth. In the Holy Scriptures, each such people was called by a special Hebrew word "goy", while God's people were called by a completely different word - "am".
So it was before the coming of Christ to earth. After His coming, the situation changed radically. The Jewish people, having not accepted Christ, ceased to be the people of God, and those who accepted Christ, that is, Christians, the Church of Christ, were called in their place. Christians became the new people of God, and this people was no longer limited to one ethnic group, but people from all the peoples of the earth entered into it.
So, Christians are the new people of God, and therefore they should not live like pagans who, being strangers to God's commandments, do not know the way of salvation, but are subject to the laws of this world, the instincts and inclinations of fallen human nature. The pagans live entirely by earthly interests: the pleasures of the flesh, the passion for enrichment, the desire for power, pride, vanity, enmity, and the like. With all this they feed their soul. There is a famous saying: a man is what he eats. This means that the human body consists of the food that he eats. This idea is also applicable to the human soul: the human soul consists, is woven and made up of what a person feeds it with. If a person gives her heavenly food - the Word of God, contemplation of God, prayer and Grace, then the soul will be God's and heavenly. If he feeds it with earthly food, then the soul will be earth and dust.
The Holy Fathers say that a person consists of spirit, soul and body. And each of these parts has its own special food that it feeds on. The Spirit is that highest part of human nature, which alone can ascend to God and unite with Him. Therefore, the spirit cannot be saturated with earthly food, but only with heavenly food - communion with God, Grace. This is what he aspires to, this is what he demands and seeks.
The human soul finds its food in the sphere of human culture. She, for example, wants to read a book, watch a movie, listen to music. What kind of book and music - Dostoevsky or a boulevard novel, Bach or a cheap song - depends on the cultural level of a person. However, in any case, all this refers to the sphere of the soul, but not the spirit. Both high art and primitive art equally belong to the soul, are its food. The soul also wants to watch football, play chess, go hunting or fishing, sometimes it is carried away by television news, computers, cars, a garden, beautiful clothes ...
What does the human body want? It wants to eat, drink, sleep, satisfy carnal lust, swim, sunbathe, take a steam bath, work hard, play sports. All this is food for the human body, it lives on all this.
Thus, for each part of human nature - spirit, soul and body - there is its own special food. And in accordance with what kind of food a person mainly feeds himself, we can divide all people into three categories: spiritual, spiritual and carnal. A spiritual person is one who nourishes himself with heavenly food - the Grace of the Holy Spirit. Grace is given from God through prayer and observance of the Gospel commandments. Therefore, a spiritual person lives by prayer, the Word of God, contemplation of God, keeping the commandments. This is how the saints lived, and only those who imitate them can be recognized as a spiritual person.
A soulful person is one who feeds himself mainly on the food peculiar to the human soul: culture, art and entertainment.
Finally, in the carnal state are people who feed themselves on carnal passions: gluttony, lust and all kinds of bodily pleasures.
Of course, of all these states, only the spiritual state is acceptable for Christians, in which a person becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit living in him. A spiritual state is an exclusive sign of the people of God; such a state is inaccessible to pagans. The pagans live in the realm of the flesh and the soul. However, neither the carnal nor the spiritual lead a person to God and do not lead him to heaven, but, on the contrary, bind him to the earth.
There are famous words of Scripture: flesh and blood will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov says that by "flesh" in these words one should understand the carnal state, and by "blood" - the state of the soul. From such an understanding it follows that not only a carnal person is incapable of entering the Kingdom of God, but also a spiritual one. The reason for this is clear: after all, the Spirit of God lives in neither one nor the other, Who alone brings a person to heaven and makes him a partaker of eternal life. “Every soul is alive with the Holy Spirit,” a well-known church hymn tells us. And without the Holy Spirit, the soul is unfit for the Kingdom of God, no matter how highly culturally developed it may be. Just as the dead is good for nothing, and they take him out of the city to be buried, so the soul that does not have Grace is not good for anything for the Heavenly City, says St. Macarius of Egypt.
All of the above, of course, does not mean that Christians should completely abandon the food that the human soul requires - that is, do not read books, do not listen to music, do not study languages, do not use a computer and other cultural achievements of mankind. All this, of course, should not be abandoned. Human culture helps a person to live on earth - this is its value and benefit. However, it helps only and exclusively on earth, in the present short-term life, while in eternity, where we are called, it is completely useless and will not be able to help in any way. Therefore, the correct attitude to worldly culture is not to become attached to it excessively, not to consider it as something main in one's life. The main thing for Christians is the spiritual life, that is, the knowledge of God and communion with God. And the true hierarchy of values here is as follows: first the spiritual, and then the spiritual and bodily - as far as it is necessary to live on earth.
Our era is the era of the triumphal march of paganism in the world. Entire countries, peoples and continents, once Christian, today live in a completely pagan way, just like the pagans in Ancient Rome, Babylon or Egypt. With such a life, they show that they do not need the heavenly truth brought to earth by the Savior of the world, that they do not want to follow the Gospel path, but want to live, as the pagans lived from time immemorial before Christ. Like those ancient pagans, they do not know anything spiritual, but are entirely in a state of flesh and soul. The modern world is literally flooded with a sea of pagan lack of spirituality. His ideals, ideas and values are pagan ideals and values, they are alien to the Spirit, alien to the Gospel truth, they are precisely those “flesh” and “blood” about which it is said that they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. In order to be convinced of this, it is enough just to watch TV, the Internet, leaf through a magazine, walk along the street, look at signs and shop windows.
There are very, very few Christians who have not forgotten the Gospel ideal in our time, who have not forgotten “what kind of spirit they are”. It's like some tiny islands barely visible on the map in the midst of a raging ocean of pagan lack of spirituality. This ratio was probably the same in the time of the apostle Paul, when a very small number of early Christians lived in the midst of a vast pagan world. Saint Paul addressed them with words calling for them not to live like pagans: “I say and conjure by the Lord that you no longer act as other nations act, in the vanity of your mind, being darkened in your understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of their ignorance and hardness of their hearts. They, having reached insensibility, indulged in debauchery so that they do all kinds of uncleanness with insatiability ... "
These words, brothers and sisters, have a direct bearing on us, because we live in very similar conditions. Let us listen to them and not succumb to the corrupting spirit of the times, which is trying to tear us away from Christ, turn us away from the path of salvation, deprive us of what the whole universe is not worth, that is, eternal life with God. Let us, like the apple of our eye, preserve that which leads us to this life - the Orthodox faith and the tradition of the saints of our Church. Although we are unworthy and sinful, and do not live the way we should live, yet we have not yet completely lost the treasure of true faith and piety entrusted to us. Everyone knows the words of the Lord from the book of the Apocalypse: “Behold, I am coming quickly, hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” Let us preserve, according to the word of our Lord, the priceless gift that we have - the true faith and spirituality of Orthodoxy. Amen.
There have always been different religions and beliefs in the world. Which, by the way, did not completely disappear anywhere, even if they became irrelevant. In this article I would like to talk about the pagans: their rituals, faith and various interesting nuances.
Main
First of all, we note that paganism is a very ancient religion that existed among the Slavs before the adoption of Christianity. It is safe to say that this is a whole universal system of views, which fully gave the general picture of the world to the inhabitants of those times. Our ancestors had their own pantheon of gods, which was hierarchical. And the people themselves were sure of the close connection between the inhabitants of the parallel world and the ordinary one. The pagans believed that spirits always and in everything control them, therefore, not only the spiritual, but also the material part of life was subordinate to them.
A bit of history
At the end of the first millennium of our era, at the time when Christianity was adopted in Rus', everything related to paganism was suppressed, eradicated. They burned and floated ancient idols on the water. We tried to completely get rid of these beliefs. However, it can be said with certainty that this was done very poorly. Indeed, to this day, elements of the rites of the pagans have been preserved in the Orthodox faith, creating an amazing symbiosis of Byzantine culture and paganism. It must also be said that the first memories of these beliefs appeared in medieval manuscripts, when the papal curia actively attracted people to Catholicism. The pagans also fell under this action (it is known who they are). The entries in the diaries of Catholics were mostly condemning. As for the Russian chroniclers, they did not want to talk about paganism at that time, emphasizing that it practically did not exist.
About the concept
Understanding the concept of "pagans" (who they are, what are the features of their faith and worldview), you need to find out what it means. If you understand the etymology, you must say that the root here is the word "language". However, it also meant "people, tribe." It can be concluded that the concept itself can be translated as “folk faith” or “tribal faith”. The Slavic term "paganism" can also be interpreted as a "fortress of bonds."
About faith
So, pagans: who are they, what did they believe? It is worth saying that the very system of their beliefs was almost perfect and completely inseparable from nature. She was revered, she was worshiped and presented with generous gifts. Mother Nature was the center of the entire Universe for the Slavs. It was understood as a kind of living organism that not only thinks, but also has a soul. Her forces and elements were deified and spiritualized. However, this is not surprising, because it is Nature that is so regular that special wisdom can be traced here without any problems. Moreover, the pagans (who we are, in principle, considered) considered themselves children of nature and could not imagine their life without it, because the Vedic system of knowledge and beliefs assumed close interaction and coexistence in harmony with the outside world. What was the faith of our ancestors? The Slavs had three main cults: the Sun, Mother Earth and the veneration of the elements.
Cult of the Earth
The pagans believed that the earth is the mother of everything. Everything is explained here quite simply, because it is she, according to the ancient Slavs, who is the center of fertility: the Earth gives life not only to plants, but also to all animals. Why she was called Mother is also not difficult to explain. Our ancestors believed that it was the earth that gave birth to them, it gives them strength, one has only to lean towards it. Note that many of the rites that exist today have come to us since those times. Let us recall at least the need to take a handful of our land to a foreign land or bow to the ground to young parents at a wedding.
Sun worship
The sun in the beliefs of the ancient Slavs acts as a symbol of all-conquering goodness. It must also be said that the pagans were often called sun-worshippers. People at that time lived according to the solar calendar, paying special attention to the dates of the winter and It was at this time that important holidays were celebrated, such as, for example, (end of June). It will also be interesting that the inhabitants of those times revered the sign of the swastika, which was called the solar kolovrat. However, this symbolism did not carry any negative then, but personified the victory of good over evil, light and purity. This sign of wisdom was also a talisman endowed with cleansing power. It has always been applied to clothing and weapons, household items.
Reverence of the Elements
With great respect, the pagan Slavs treated such elements as air, water and fire. The last two were considered purifying, as powerful and life-giving as the earth itself. As for fire, according to the Slavs, it is a powerful energy that establishes balance in the world and strives for justice. Fire cleansed not only the body, but also the soul (indicative in this regard are jumping over a blazing fire on Ivan Kupala). The flame was of great importance at the funeral. At that time, the bodies were burned, betraying to the purifying power of fire not only the earthly shell of a person, but also his soul, which, after this ceremony, easily went to the ancestors. In the times of the pagans, water was highly revered. People considered it the only source of strength and energy. At the same time, they respectfully treated not only rivers and other bodies of water, but also heavenly waters - rains, believing that in this way the gods bestow strength not only on the earth itself, but also on its inhabitants. They were purified with water, they were treated with it (“living” and “dead” water), with its help they even guessed and predicted the future.
Past
With great respect, Russian pagans also treated their past, or rather, their ancestors. They revered their grandfathers, great-grandfathers, often resorted to their help. It was believed that the souls of ancestors do not disappear anywhere, they protect their family, helping people from a parallel world. Twice a year, the Slavs celebrated the day when they honored their dead relatives. It was called Radonitsa. At this time, relatives communicated with their ancestors at their graves, asking for the safety and health of the whole family. It was necessary to leave a small gift (this rite still exists today - a commemoration at the cemetery, when people bring sweets and cookies with them).
pantheon of gods
First of all, I would like to say that the gods of the pagans represent one or another element or natural force. So, the most important gods were Rod (who created life on earth) and Rozhanitsy (goddesses of fertility, thanks to which, after winter, the earth was reborn to a new life; they also helped women produce children). One of the most important gods was also Svarog - the creator and ruler of the universe, the Father-Progenitor, who gave people not only earthly fire, but also heavenly (the Sun). Svarozhichs were such gods as Dazhdbog and Perun of lightning, thunder). The solar deities were Khors (a circle, hence the word "round dance") and Yarilo (the god of the hottest and brightest summer sun). The Slavs also revered Veles, the god who was the patron of cattle. He was also the god of wealth, because before it was possible to become rich only thanks to livestock, which brought good profits. Among the goddesses, the most significant were the Lada of youth, love, marriage and family), Makosh (the giver of life to the harvest) and Morana of cold, winter). Also, people in those days revered brownies, goblin, water - spirits that guarded everything that surrounded a person: home, water, forests, fields.
Rites
The various rites of the pagans were also important. As already mentioned, they could be cleansing for the body and soul (with the help of water and fire). There were also protective rites, which were carried out in order to protect a person or a house from evil spirits. Sacrifice was not alien to the Slavs. So, gifts to the gods could be both bloodless and blood. The first were brought as a gift to ancestors or shorelines. Blood sacrifices were needed, for example, by Perun and Yarila. At the same time, birds and livestock were brought as a gift. All rituals had a sacred meaning.
The word pagan is a translation of the Latin word and means literally: provincial, village dweller. In the beginning, when the gospel was accepted in the cities, the word paganus, i.e. village dweller, began to denote any person alien ... ... Dictionary of Biblical Names
pagans- Gentiles are all non-Jews, all worshiping untrue gods (Ps.105:35; Mat.18:17; 1 Pet.2:12). But God is also the God of the Gentiles (Rom. 3:29) and they are also granted salvation (Is. 11:10; Acts 28:28)... Complete and detailed Bible Dictionary for the Russian canonical Bible
pagans- see peoples ... Bible: Topical Dictionary
pagans, paganism- Under the name of pagans are meant peoples who do not believe in one God and adhere to polytheism. The word pagan, pagans, the Hebrew Goy, means, in fact, each individual people and all peoples. In the Holy In Scripture, it means: 1) sometimes ... ... Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary
Virgil. Fresco from the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Virtuous pagans are a representation in Christian theology, according to which some of the pagans who did not know ... Wikipedia
Gentiles who, after circumcision and a special washing (see Baptism, 1:1), were accepted into the community of Israel (Acts 2:10; 13:43). From later Hebrew letters. Two groups of proselytes are known from sources: gate proselytes, who observed only the so-called. seven laws... Brockhaus Bible Encyclopedia
Bible. Old and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Bible encyclopedia arch. Nicephorus.
The Gentiles, hearing [this], rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were ordained to eternal life believed... Bible. Old and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Bible encyclopedia arch. Nicephorus.
Bust of Germanicus with traces of Christian vandalism. Persecution of pagans in the Christian Roman Empire policy towards supporters of traditional polytheistic r ... Wikipedia
Books
- Pagans, Sergei Drugal. The capture of basilisks is announced ... as well as other rare animals, including deer, bears, lions, dragons. If an alien race shows hostility towards you, take your time to snatch ...
- The pagans answer, . Pamphlet #5, The Pagans Answer, appeared in 1999 as a collection of answers to the questions of the time. More than ten years have passed since then, but the relevance of the issues raised has only increased.…
