Romanian and Hungarian Ethno-Pagan Organizations on the Net

Abstract

The comparative study of Romanian and Hungarian neopagan organizations with an ethnocentric or, “ethno-pagan,” ideology is an exploratory research aimed at mapping the similarities and the differences between these religious minorities, with a highlight on their level of institutionalization, their core values and degree of political mobilization. Zalmoxian groups and organizations promote the revival of Romanian spirituality through a process of reconnection to its ancient, supposedly Dacian and Thracian roots. By the same token, Hungarian Shamanist movements are aimed at recovering a supposedly lost spirituality, built in the deepest layers of Hungarian language and cultural practices. A web rhetoric analysis of these organizations is carried out in order to assess audience involvement, communication style and the use of multimedia tools to convey their messages.