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What is it? - Paganism is a religion that is polytheistic, meaning that there are many gods. Unlike many religions who believe gods reside in the sky, or down below, pagan gods are usually nature itself.

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What does it mean? -

Paganism is the name that Christians gave to people who followed other religions thousands of years ago. The name comes from the Latin paganus, which means “of the countryside.”

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Romans - It was the Romans who decided to call these people who worshipped many gods, as opposed to their one god, pagans. People who were 'pagans' did not call themselves so until the 20th century.

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Where? - The people “of the countryside” were probably what the Romans regarded as the Celts. Although there was no strict pagan religion, Celtic tribes shared similar rituals and beliefs. At first, the Celts were spread all over Europe.

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Movement - When the Roman Empire expanded across the continent, the many Celtic tribes fled to modern-day UK and Ireland. This is why there is a strong Celtic and pagan legacy there.

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Pagans -

Before the Roman Empire assimilated many of the Celtic civilizations, the people who lived in these tribes were at the complete mercy of nature.

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Pagans - It is a natural human instinct to want to control the things around us in order to keep us safe. Some historians have hypothesized that Celtic people started to believe in animal and plant spirits in order to feel a sense of control.

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Worship - Archaeological findings suggest that pagans used to sacrifice things to the gods of nature to stay in their good graces. If they did not have a good relationship with the gods, then they believed Mother Nature would punish them.

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Battersea Shield - An example of what they might have sacrificed is the Battersea Shield. It was found in the River Thames, and so historians think pagans might have sent it down the river as a sacrifice to the river god.

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Lindow Man - Pagans also sacrificed humans, and it was not a clean affair. In 1984, a body was discovered near Manchester. He is named the Lindow Man. His body revealed how gruesome the sacrificial ritual could be.

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Lindow Man - The body was found in a peat bog, the ideal place for a body to be preserved. Scientists used carbon dating to place his year of death between 2 BCE and 119 CE. The man was hit on the head, strangled, and had his throat cut.

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Why? - According to Professor Miranda Aldhouse Green, the sacrifice would have taken place if there was a crisis such as a crop failure. The person sacrificed was usually someone closely related to the crisis In this case, he might have been a farmer.

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The violence - The pagans thought that the more violent the ritual was, the more it would please the gods. They used different torture techniques to please a variety of gods.

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The wicker man - When there was a true crisis, such as an enemy invasion, the pagans believed multiple sacrifices were required. They would build a large statue of a man from hay and wood. Inside, they would place animals and humans, and then set it alight.

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Druids - Some believe that within the pagan religion there was a higher class of educated priests called Druids. Evidence from Roman literature suggests their existence, however, it is likely that they are not the power-wielding warlocks that medieval myths make them out to be.

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Romanization - By the 1st century CE, the Roman Empire had conquered many Celtic tribes. However, instead of imposing their own religion onto the Celts, they incorporated paganism into their own culture. This is how the Roman Empire expanded so fast. They gave the conquered regions relative autonomy as long as they paid taxes.

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Roman deities - The Romans took the gods of the Celts and matched them with their own gods in a human form. For example, instead of just Mars, the Celtic Roman god was called Lenus Mars. Mars is the Roman god of war, and Lenus is the Celtic god of healing.

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Cults - Within this new pagan Roman religion, citizens could also choose to be close to one specific god. To do this, they would join a “mystery cult.” In order to join a cult, the person had to participate in some ritual practices.

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The cult of Cybele - In order to join the cult of Cybele, for example, men would have to castrate themselves with a large clamp. In exchange, they would receive eternal salvation.

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Christianity - It is important to bear in mind that paganism differed from tribe to tribe, and each had its own gods. It all began to change when Christianity came about. Christianity’s monotheism was in direct opposition to the polytheistic beliefs of the Celts.

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Christianity - By the 4th century CE, Jesus (c. 4 BCE–30/33 CE) had lived and died and his influence was spreading. In the 4th century BCE, Emperor Constantine (c. 280-337 CE) defeated his rival Maxentius. The night after the battle, Constantine dreamt of a fiery cross and believed it to be a sign from the Christian God.

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Christianity -

Constantine then passed the Edict of Milan in 313 CE. It essentially legalized Christian worship. Under Theodosius I (347-395) in 380 CE, Christianity became the Roman state religion.

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Changes -

From this moment on, Christianity was the dominant religion all over Europe. Pagan practices had been phased out or completely integrated into new Christian rituals. However, soon another set of pagans were about to spread their natural religion.

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Vikings - There was a slight resurgence in pagan activity when the Vikings expanded their territory in the 8th century CE. Although their presence was not overwhelming, they brought pagan gods back to Europe.

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Vikings - You may also be familiar with Viking paganism as Norse mythology. People in conquered towns began to worship Odin, Thor, Brunhilde, and the like. However, paganism never became the dominant religion again.

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Where did it go? - Paganism seemed to disappear a little. It was not until the 18th century that people showed interest in paganism again. However, it was not religious interest, but instead cultural curiosity. Writers were particularly interested in pagan mythology as inspiration for their stories. For example, the Brothers Grimm.

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Wicca - People during the Romantic Era (1800-1850) were particularly interested in the occult. Consequently, they borrowed some of the magical practices that supposedly came from pagan culture. From this, a new religion focusing on magic developed in the 20th century called Wicca.

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Modern paganism - All over Europe, but mostly in the UK, there are modern pagans. They worship ancient gods and carry out the rituals that are recorded by the Romans. Luckily, they leave out the human sacrifice!

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Heathenry - Some people are part of the Heathenry movement. Heathenry is a new religion, established in the 20th century, that is directly inspired by pagan practices before the Romans influenced them. They strive to worship animals and spirits in the modern world.

Sources: (Pagan Federation International) (Britannica) (BBC)

See also: The Celtic Tradition: Europe before the Roman Empire

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