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A place for Aryan (European) Folkish Pagans
In ordinary speech accordingly one normally spoke of ‘the divine’ or ‘the gods’ or an unspecified ‘god/the god/some god’, not of named Olympians.
But the distinction between these vaguely described powers and the plastic figures familiar from art and myth is not a simple distinction between real religion and an artificial variant confected by artists and poets; for in cult too gods have names and shapes and histories. Myth was integral to Greek religion because it was through myth that the gods of cult were revealed.
R.Parker
The gods were, in a sense, literally present in their sanctuaries. Greeks constantly, in documents and contexts of very different kinds, referred to what we would call a statue of a particular god simply by that god’s name; in representations on vases of scenes set in temples, it is often unclear whether we are looking at a statue or at an actual god. To be sure, they knew that statues were made by craftsmen from physical materials; and plain statements that statues are gods, or that gods are statues, are not to be found.
R.Parker
Another thing to consider is the fact that a 19th century poet would have commissioned a drastically different depiction of Slavic Gods considering how artists interpreted the descriptions e.g. dressing them in anachronistic late medieval clothes and making the statues look anatomically realistic just like Greek and Roman ones which was most likely not the case with real ancient Slavic idols.
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On the topic of iconography of the idol we can see that it sharer plenty of elements with other, much less-known ones found throughout Eastern, Central and even part of the Western Europe where Slavic tribes (used to) live. The hat, the position of the arms, the cornucopia and the ring of the Goddesses and the sword of one of the male ones are widespread too.
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Zbruch idol’s warrior God by Brother Bjorn
https://x.com/bjorn_brother
Plutarch notes in his Life of Agesilaus that the Spartans customarily brought their dead kings’ bodies back to Sparta, preserved in wax or honey, and that this was the treatment given to Agesilaus upon his death. The Spartans sought to bring back the body of the king in good shape, at which point the lavish burial ceremonies would take place. Presumably the king’s body would need to be preserved for the purpose of being carried out on a couch with fair coverings.
Nicholas R. Granitz
Peasant is superstitious, but apathetic towards religion…To clear his conscience he follows all the rituals with superficial precision; he goes to the church on Sundays just to not think about it for the next six days. He despises priests and considers them greedy loafers who live off him. The heroes of all obscene folklore and songs, the butts of all jokes and objects of scorn are always a priests and his wife.
Alexander Herzen XIXth century writer
Illustrations by Leonid W.Bencel
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A cossack and a Scythian idol by Grigory Kovpanenko
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The association between oath-taking and the gods continued into the Viking Age, as indicated by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which records that in 876 a Viking army in England swore peace with King Ælfred of Wessex on a “sacred ring”.
A passage in Eyrbyggja saga, for instance, has been interpreted as describing a great oath-ring that was kept inside the temple of Þórr at Hofstaðir, Iceland. Víga-Glúms Saga also suggests that oaths were sworn on oath-rings in temples.
B.Raffield, N.Price & M.Collard
Talking about my christian experience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmUlRUx2T0k
Will try making some videos on YouTube. Minimal editing, just narration. Will probably sound bad too, but it’s a start. Uploaded my friend’s interview there already.
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The view that it mattered not at all what one said about the gods or was believed to think about them, provided one paid them cult, is too extreme: prosecution of an individual for impiety could occur, as could (probably) legislation against a group such as astronomers or Epicureans.
R.Parker
One way of mediating between those for whom Greek religion is a matter of things done at or near an altar, and those for whom it is rather the sum of the stories…is to argue that, though beliefs were held, only acts were subject to control. That mediating proposal, however, calls for two footnotes or riders: philosophers laid claim not to mere belief but to sure knowledge about the divine, on the basis of a priori postulates as to what a god should be like; and a few incidents, chief among them the prosecution of Socrates, may bring into doubt the notion that thought was free and only action policed.
R.Parker
^ I’ve recently read a good article on the topic. Will quote soon.
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Nonetheless, they constantly behaved and spoke as if their statues were gods: when a statue of Dionysus was brought in procession to the theater at the start of the Athenian Dionysia, this was not a “representation of the bringing in of Dionysus” but quite simply “the bringing in of Dionysus”; and so on in numerous other cases.
R.Parker
Art by Olena Kulchytska
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Regarding the above-mentioned sword, the supporters of the hoax theory have claimed that the saber copies the coronation saber of the holy Roman empire called the Sabre of charlemagne. But Zbruch idol’s blade is straight, while charlemagne’s is bent. Their cross-guards are also visibly different.
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There’s a theory that Zbruch idol is a modern fake made by a 19th c. Polish poet who supposedly based its iconography on Romantic imagery of medieval Europe. The idol’s surprisingly well-preserved condition is another argument. This theory, as interesting as it is, doesn’t take into account what we know about ancient Slavic idols. Yes, Zbruch idol is relatively unique because it’s one of the last Pagan idols created. In fact, it wasn’t even finished by the time the conversion happened and the idol was hidden to keep it safe. This is part of the reason why it was preserved so well. The other is the fact that it wasn’t submerged underwater for that long which counters the second argument.
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Even when the Spartans could not immediately regain the body, they still went to great lengths to obtain the remains, as shown by the return of Leonidas’ body forty years after the battle of Thermopylae, recounted by Pausanias.
Nicholas R. Granitz
If you are messaged by the channel keep in mind that it’s a bot shilling some bitcoin or whatever. I only message people from my personal account.
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This is our most recent interview doing a deep-dive into Germanic Cosmology!
This is a sequel and companion interview to the Who are the Gods of Germania returning with author & researcher William P. Reaves and the scholars at The Norrœna Society, Mark Puryear and Kyle Davis.
Sometimes the most profound findings of Theology are found by asking basic questions. Previously we discussed the 'Who' of Germanic Faith and in this interview we discuss the 'Where.'
I want to thank our guests for sharing their research, thoughts and theories. Stay tuned to t.me/Pagan_Revivalism for more shows and interviews going deep into ancient faiths and ways!
Gods Love You!
Chapter 1
0:00:00 - 0:07:38
Introductions and origins of Germanic Cosmology
Chapter 2
0:07:39 - 1:47:35
Elements of Germanic Cosmology
Chapter 3
1:47:36 - 1:55:27
Putting it all Together
Chapter 4
1:55:28 - 2:10:00
Final Statments
A young cossack and a Scythian idol by Valentin Yakubich
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Pagan Revivalism presents,
Germanic Cosmology
On 03/25/25 at 4pm Eastern Standard Time, join us for a deep-dive into the complex theological mystery that is Germanic Cosmology!
From the overwhelming success of our interview, 'Who are the Gods of Germania' in January, we have the same scholars returning for a part two.
Featuring:
author and researcher, William P. Reaves as well as scholars from the Norrœna Society
Together we will unravel the mystery of Germanic Cosmology and answer your questions in a live Q&A after the interview. Can't wait to see you all there!
Gods Love You
It has been argued that, during the Migration Period, the god Ullr was associated with the use of so-called “oath-rings”. This suggestion is supported by the Eddic poem Atlakviða, which recounts an oath being sworn “by Ull’s ring,” as well as by archaeological evidence in the form of dozens of miniature ring amulets that were recovered during excavations at Lilla Ullevi (“little cult site of Ullr”) in Sweden.
B.Raffield, N.Price & M.Collard
The first video. Nothing new for those who’ve been following my channel, but may be informative for a newcomer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB_Jrfgj0yU&lc=UgwAxvCFft1zHjVZmCt4AaABAg
^ If anything ancient Greeks were too kind to philosophers/atheists and tolerated too much for too long. Guess it’s understandable why though. Hard to execute some naive kids led astray by an impious crook. Same issue with leftists today. History repeats itself all the time.
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Public action against philosophers deemed atheistical is occasionally reported…In a general way, there are occasional allusions to philosophers declining to discuss religious matters “in the street.”
Epicurus taught that gods existed and should be honored in traditional ways, but simply as a mark of respect: cult made no difference. Their philosophical enemies charged Epicureans with being closet atheists. Two cities (Messene; Lyttos in Crete) are said to have expelled them...
R.Parker
The simple but basic truth about the relation of myth to ritual in Greek religion is that, without myth, the rituals would be addressed to powers without histories or attributes and even at the extreme without names.
On Greek Religion
by R.Parker
Atheistic pagans don’t want a religion. What they are trying to build is a subculture. Something one can boil down to clothes and gatherings with no real belief behind those. That’s why they insist on Paganism having no orthodoxy, which is wrong. Paganism was and still is a religion which serves as a fundament of practice. The atheistic side tries to subvert this order starting with practice and ignoring belief.
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