Inventions To Thank Pagans For

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Pagan used to mean "country folk", as in those uneducated or unsophisticated. It was a pejorative and as such was used to make fun of country folk who still believed in earth-based gods goddesses or other spiritual beliefs. This was , of course, after many of the areas that considered themselves civilized had begun wholesale conversion to monotheism.

Overlooking Zorastrianism, of course, but that discussion is for another day.

Later, many holidays that the people were accustomed to celebrating, the Catholic church altered slightly to give them a meaning more aligned with church doctrine. They had tried to eliminate the celebrations but people hate to give up a good excuse to party so the church bowed to the inevitable and tried to convert the holidays instead of eradicate them. (The same reason they went around Ireland and Scotland and put veils over the statures of the goddesses and called them the virgin mary......)

These days Pagan is to Wicca as Christian is to Methodist. Pagan is a generic version of a category of earthbased, usually polytheistic or pantheistic religions or spiritual philosophies; while Wicca is a specific belief system and dogma within that larger category.

So, technically all of the country folk on here are pagans..... Try explaining that at the local church social!

 

[joebryant]

Thanks, I knew we Pagans were good for something.

 

[schellie69]

The "pagan" of older time was the midwife, and since there where not a lot doctors around most of the neighbors would take their sick family members to them for "medicine", my grandma used to make this mustard thing to be put on the throat to help with a sore throat and chamomile (sp) to help some one sleep, there were a lot of things she did when family members were sick. and they really work so I guess they knew what they were doing. I use herbal remedies when I can Aspirin come from willow bark. and grandma always said got a headache go get some willow bark she would make a tea and poof headache gone. so I guess even pharmacist know what works.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Quote:
Some Pagans ARE Witches.

I resemble that remark!

Hey thats MY line... I love this thread.. Its about time we could talk Paganism without the nastiness...

 

[deb1]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

Pagan used to mean "country folk", as in those uneducated or unsophisticated. It was a pejorative and as such was used to make fun of country folk who still believed in earth-based gods goddesses or other spiritual beliefs. This was , of course, after many of the areas that considered themselves civilized had begun wholesale conversion to monotheism.

Overlooking Zorastrianism, of course, but that discussion is for another day.

Later, many holidays that the people were accustomed to celebrating, the Catholic church altered slightly to give them a meaning more aligned with church doctrine. They had tried to eliminate the celebrations but people hate to give up a good excuse to party so the church bowed to the inevitable and tried to convert the holidays instead of eradicate them. (The same reason they went around Ireland and Scotland and put veils over the statures of the goddesses and called them the virgin mary......)

These days Pagan is to Wicca as Christian is to Methodist. Pagan is a generic version of a category of earthbased, usually polytheistic or pantheistic religions or spiritual philosophies; while Wicca is a specific belief system and dogma within that larger category.

So, technically all of the country folk on here are pagans..... Try explaining that at the local church social!

I have heard(never seen it myself) that on some reservations the priest will burn certain herbs(sage??) for smoke instead of incense out of respect for Native American traditions. I have always thought that was sort of cool.

 

[schellie69]

Quote:
I have heard(never seen it myself) that on some reservations the priest will burn certain herbs(sage??) for smoke instead of incense out of respect for Native American traditions. I have always thought that was sort of cool.

I think you mean Holy man (priest) they also had a woman that was the midwife and the woman would go to the birthing hut or tepee to have the baby where she would stay for a couple of days then went back to her tepee, the holy man was called on for helping with healing and in celebrations, (like the sun dance or some form of this) also at weddings he was called on to bless the couple and yes sage is the most common herb used but there are many others.

 

[deb1]

Quote:
I have heard(never seen it myself) that on some reservations the priest will burn certain herbs(sage??) for smoke instead of incense out of respect for Native American traditions. I have always thought that was sort of cool.

I think you mean Holy man (priest) they also had a woman that was the midwife and the woman would go to the birthing hut or tepee to have the baby where she would stay for a couple of days then went back to her tepee, the holy man was called on for helping with healing and in celebrations, (like the sun dance or some form of this) also at weddings he was called on to bless the couple and yes sage is the most common herb used but there are many others.

I was talking about a Catholic priest. Sorry. That was why I thought it was cool. I forgot that you can't all read my mind. LOL

The burning of sage was done during a Catholic Mass. I read about it on the forum for Catholic answers a few years back, so I don't have the link. I just thought that it was nice that older traditions could be honored in that fashion without anyone getting upset as to whether it was pagan or Christian.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Debi is correct about some

Catholic priests trying to incorporate some local beliefs into their traditions at mass and other events. IMHO catholocism is the most pagan of the modern versions of christianity. Lots of mysticism and ritual......



The midwife issue is a completely different issue . The issue of midwives is more closely related to the persecution of women who were called witches. Many were herbalists who were the primary healers and midwives of communities. There are many many tales and explanations. I credit those with the most secondary analysis of letters and documents from the time, rather than heresay and doctrine of bodies with a vested interest in how the time is remembered.



What else can we credit pagans with? A good deal of the modern ecological movement.....

 

[Goose and Fig]

What else can we credit pagans with? A good deal of the modern ecological movement.....

Or more like a "rebirth" of it. The Native Americans (and lots of others) were very in tune with the earth.
We get alot of lumber for our business from a Cherokee decendant that still uses sustainable harvesting practices that his grandfather taught him.

As for Catholicism- there are alot of traditions that overlap/infused with native ones, especially in the Southwest and Central and South America.

ETA: speaking of Redhen's question about "heathens", I THINK that term was used to describe the American Indians by the European settlers.​

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Quote:
Or more like a "rebirth" of it. The Native Americans (and lots of others) were very in tune with the earth.
We get alot of lumber for our business from a Cherokee decendant that still uses sustainable harvesting practices that his grandfather taught him.

As for Catholicism- there are alot of traditions that overlap/infused with native ones, especially in the Southwest and Central and South America.

ETA: speaking of Redhen's question about "heathens", I THINK that term was used to describe the American Indians by the European settlers.

True, true, but while they used the term heathens - weren't they also technically pagans??