Could Countries Today Restore the Religions They Had in Antiquity?

[rashore]

Quote

Most people have heard about the religions that were practiced in ancient times in places like Greece, Rome, Egypt, Persia, and Scandinavia. Some people have wondered things like, “What happened to those religions? Would it be possible to revive them today in the countries where they were once practiced? What would it be like if someone did?”

Not all ancient religions completely died out. Most notably, Zoroastrianism, the religion of ancient Iran, never completely died out and is still practiced by some people in Iran today. Other ancient religions, such as ancient Greek polytheism, did die out, but have been revived by small groups of worshippers in the modern age.

https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/05/07/could-countries-today-restore-the-religions-they-had-in-antiquity/

 

[Eldorado]

Why would we want to regress?

[rashore]

52 minutes ago, Eldorado said:

Why would we want to regress?

By the way the article reads, kind of depends on the country and the mainstream religion of that country as to why some folks are getting into revivals. 

[Orphalesion]

1 hour ago, Eldorado said:

Why would we want to regress?

Not necessarily regress, but offering people more choices to engage with their spirituality.

For example I've been worshipping the Greek Gods for a while now, especially Lord Pan and the various death-rebirth deities. It's just more attractive to me than the Abrahamic religions.
Greek, Roman and Egyptian Paganism also lends itself to revivals due to the treasure trove of information we have on how the gods were worshipped and what role they played in lives of people. I agree that a 1:1 revival is not desirable, but constructing a 21st century version of the Greek Pantheon, interpreting the god ideas into the modern age is definitely doable.

However I will also say that a similar revival of Norse Paganism is, in my opinion a lot more difficult or maybe impossible. We have basically no first-hand accounts of the way Norse Pagans saw their gods (due to them not writing it down until well after they were Christianized) and with several gods mentioned in the Edda, we have no idea what they were gods of (no matter what some New Agers claim) For example we do not know what Loki was god of, what the exact relationship between Frigg and Freyja was or what Baldr was the god of or in what way his death was seen while the worship of the Aesir was still alive (whether it was a ritualistic death, a cyclic seasonal. death-rebirth deity, or something else) Likewise the wives of Tyr and Niord are not named (the first wife of Niord, with whom he had Freyr and Freyja)
So a Norse Paganism revival has to engage in a lot more speculation than a Greek or Egyptian one.

Edited April 11, 2021 by Orphalesion

[+Hammerclaw]

The article pretty much answers it's own question with an unequivocal No.

[XenoFish]

Sacrifices, lots and lots of sacrifices.

[Piney]

2 hours ago, Orphalesion said:

So a Norse Paganism revival has to engage in a lot more speculation than a Greek or Egyptian one.

The Celtic revivalists are a hoot. They are missing the 2 H's. Human sacrifice and Horse meat dinners. 

[Hankenhunter]

Some people just have to be outliers. To have their own clique. Secret handshakes, anyone?

[Orphalesion]

16 minutes ago, Piney said:

The Celtic revivalists are a hoot. They are missing the 2 H's. Human sacrifice and Horse meat dinners. 

Well, to be fair, it's not like I'm offering burnt sacrifices, so... (I'm centring my ceremonies around the sacrifices of milk and honey, which, from what I read where traditional sacrifices to Nymphs)

But yeah, Norse revivalist face a similar problem considering that we know of at least one ceremony where the Norse sacrificed humans (the Great Blot)

[Piney]

4 hours ago, Xeno-Fish said:

Sacrifices, lots and lots of sacrifices.

Puppies, kittens, hedgehogs and babies. 

[XenoFish]

Just now, Piney said:

Puppies, kittens, hedgehogs and babies. 

Especially hedgehogs.

[Abramelin]

On 4/11/2021 at 10:08 PM, Piney said:

The Celtic revivalists are a hoot. They are missing the 2 H's. Human sacrifice and Horse meat dinners. 

Heh, Norse paganism isn't based on Celtic beliefs.

But Celtic revivalists are missing 3 H's : add Human Heads (so actually 4 H's).

[+Liquid Gardens]

On 4/11/2021 at 12:04 PM, Eldorado said:

Why would we want to regress?

Was there an advancement?

[Tatetopa]

When a religion transitions from comforting worshippers into  justifying rulers, it leaves a hole to be filled by something else.

[Abramelin]

3 hours ago, Scudbuster said:

More gods, damn straight, thats what we need, more gods!

You forgot the most important one:

 

[godnodog]

On 4/11/2021 at 5:04 PM, Eldorado said:

Why would we want to regress?

Why would it be a "regress" in comparison with some serious stupidity in religions today? You would be exchanging some stupidities with other stupidities.

Edited May 4, 2021 by godnodog

[theotherguy]

I notice there's no mention of Australian traditions, or anything in Africa outside of Egypt, or much of anything in Asia or the Americas.

 Hinduism: "[The Vedas] are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for Hindus.They got their present form between 1200-200 BCE and were introduced to India by the Aryans." https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/texts/texts.shtml

Australian Aborigine: "According to the 2001 census, 5,244 persons or less than 0.03 percent of respondents reported practising Aboriginal traditional religions. Aboriginal beliefs and spirituality, even among those Aborigines who identify themselves as members of a traditional organised religion, are intrinsically linked to the land generally and to certain sites of significance in particular." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Australia "Geological research dated the formative volcanic explosions described by Aboriginal myth tellers as having occurred more than 10,000 years ago. Pollen fossil sampling from the silt which had settled to the bottom of the craters confirmed the Aboriginal myth-tellers' story." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Aboriginal_religion_and_mythology

I know that these two in particular are usually considered a conglomeration of different traditions, beliefs, and practices, but that's as far as I go right now. Does anyone who knows more than me have anything to offer? It just strikes me as odd that Hinduism has a decent claim to the oldest widely-practiced extant religion, and nobody seems to think it needs a revival.

And in 2012, a lot of people thought they were following some Mayan religion.

 

[rashore]

10 hours ago, theotherguy said:

I notice there's no mention of Australian traditions, or anything in Africa outside of Egypt, or much of anything in Asia or the Americas.

 Hinduism: "[The Vedas] are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for Hindus.They got their present form between 1200-200 BCE and were introduced to India by the Aryans." https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/texts/texts.shtml

Australian Aborigine: "According to the 2001 census, 5,244 persons or less than 0.03 percent of respondents reported practising Aboriginal traditional religions. Aboriginal beliefs and spirituality, even among those Aborigines who identify themselves as members of a traditional organised religion, are intrinsically linked to the land generally and to certain sites of significance in particular." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Australia "Geological research dated the formative volcanic explosions described by Aboriginal myth tellers as having occurred more than 10,000 years ago. Pollen fossil sampling from the silt which had settled to the bottom of the craters confirmed the Aboriginal myth-tellers' story." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Aboriginal_religion_and_mythology

I know that these two in particular are usually considered a conglomeration of different traditions, beliefs, and practices, but that's as far as I go right now. Does anyone who knows more than me have anything to offer? It just strikes me as odd that Hinduism has a decent claim to the oldest widely-practiced extant religion, and nobody seems to think it needs a revival.

And in 2012, a lot of people thought they were following some Mayan religion.

 

Hinduisim is ranked amongst the top world religions, not really the dying/dead religions like in the OP article. 

[Raptor Witness]

Religions live and die.

Nations live and die.

Men live and die, save One. Survival is guaranteed through Him, and Him alone.

He will destroy all others .... easily.

[Abramelin]

6 hours ago, Raptor Witness said:

He will destroy all others .... easily.

That must be a vindictive nasty bstrd! Who is it?

[Raptor Witness]

41 minutes ago, Abramelin said:

That must be a vindictive nasty bstrd! Who is it?

Not at all. This Garden belongs to Him. 

The same is true for a garden that you plant on earth. The argument isn’t about religion per se, but ownership and control of the life contained therein.

The destruction is like burning the weeds, at the harvest, which compete for the desired food.

To place mankind above the Planter, is like plants imagining they are in control of the Garden. This is humanism and it’s associated religions.

If you cry for the weeds, you are blind to the simple order of things.

What plant tells the Owner what to do with His Garden?

Edited May 6, 2021 by Raptor Witness

[Rlyeh]

11 hours ago, Raptor Witness said:

Religions live and die.

Nations live and die.

Men live and die, save One. Survival is guaranteed through Him, and Him alone.

He will destroy all others .... easily.

Good thing we invented him.

[lightly]

I wonder if it's possible to restore religions of antiquity because religions, like any other shared human experience, evolve and change somewhat in time.  This is partially evidenced by the multitudes of subdivisions and sects which fragment all belief systems. ?  Considering our immensely long history , and pre-history, there are probably many more forgotten beliefs, than remembered ones. ?   

Edited May 6, 2021 by lightly

[Abramelin]

5 hours ago, Raptor Witness said:

Not at all. This Garden belongs to Him. 

The same is true for a garden that you plant on earth. The argument isn’t about religion per se, but ownership and control of the life contained therein.

The destruction is like burning the weeds, at the harvest, which compete for the desired food.

To place mankind above the Planter, is like plants imagining they are in control of the Garden. This is humanism and it’s associated religions.

If you cry for the weeds, you are blind to the simple order of things.

What plant tells the Owner what to do with His Garden?

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
"

Hmmm.... Osama?

[XenoFish]

11 hours ago, Raptor Witness said:

Not at all. This Garden belongs to Him. 

The same is true for a garden that you plant on earth. The argument isn’t about religion per se, but ownership and control of the life contained therein.

The destruction is like burning the weeds, at the harvest, which compete for the desired food.

To place mankind above the Planter, is like plants imagining they are in control of the Garden. This is humanism and it’s associated religions.

If you cry for the weeds, you are blind to the simple order of things.

What plant tells the Owner what to do with His Garden?

And this is what indoctrination looks like. Not surprising coming from our forums self proclaimed "prophet".