Ancient Pagan Research Articles

Духовно-культурное наследие народов Северного Кавказа в условиях современной цивилизации: проблемы сохранения и изучения

The spiritual and cultural heritage of the peoples of the North Caucasus is considered, the study of which is a major theoretical and practical task in the current conditions of socio-cultural development of Russia. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the impact of global, civilizational processes occur-ring in the world on the country. The spiritual and cultural heritage of the region has its own characteristics due to various linguistic, ethnographic, spiritual, mental values. And they are multifaceted, including the very ethnic components, as well as the influence of spiritual and cultural values of Russian culture. In this regard, a broad cultural analysis and identification of appropriate models of socio-cultural representations are necessary. Researchers of cultural heritage pay considerable attention to the analysis of spiritual and cultural values that require new approaches, understanding, reconstruction, and counteraction to radical manifestations. The spiritual and cultural values of the Ingush, Ossetians, Kabardians, Karachays, and Chechens are specific; their worldview combines ancient pagan, religious, and modern values, forming a spiritual and cultural symbiosis of diverse heterogeneous components. Any attempts to unify the spiritual and cultural values of the peoples of the North Caucasus in the context of modern globalization are counterproductive; moreover, they can lead to ethnocultural degradation. It is important to preserve ethnocultural and region-al diversity in close connection with the values of Russian culture, forming an all-Russian identity.

Old Shrines, New Worshipers: Cultural Practices for Connection with Nature

There are many ancient cultural sites in Bulgaria that not only attract tourists but are also believed to facilitate a person’s connection with deities and natural forces. Today, cultural practices performed at these sacred places from the period of antiquity and the early Middle Ages are often associated with neopaganism and the New Age movement, while also incorporating elements of Bulgarian traditional culture. Through ‘mysterious’ rituals, the participants seek to connect with a higher spirituality, which they feel is missing in their everyday lives. Interest in ancient paganism is also one of the manifestations of contemporary nationalism. The feasts, reenactments and rituals presented serve to ‘re-establish’ man’s relationship with nature, with the aim of achieving health, well-being, and spiritual growth in an uncertain world. These practices often interweave esoteric and environmentalist ideas with strategies for the development of cultural tourism.

PHILOSOPHY IN DIO CHRYSOSTOM, ON ANACHÔRÊSIS (ORATION 20)

Abstract This article uncovers the intellectual traditions behind Dio Chrysostom's Oration 20: On Anachôrêsis. The examination reveals a variety of subtexts and traditions with which Dio engages, and shows that at its core the text inspects three types of lives promoted by three philosophical schools: Epicurean, Stoic and Peripatetic. They are never referred to directly, however, which raises questions concerning Dio's strategy of not acknowledging the sources of the ideas with which he engages. The article also develops our understanding of anachôrêsis and the controversies surrounding it in pagan antiquity.

Friedrich Hölderlin or Emanuele Severino? The Sacral Dimension of Nature in the Context of Modern Technology

The main purpose of inquiries undertaken in this study is to present a synthesis of the views of the German poet Friedrich Hölderlin and the Italian thinker Emanuel Severino on nature and technology, and to analyze the contemporary manifestations of the re-sacralization of nature in many ecological currents, as discussed in her studies by the French philosopher Chantal Delsol. For Hölderlin, nature is never limited to being an empirical object of scientific investigation. It is a divine reality that does not undergo change. It is a space inhabited by the sacred. Nature constitutes the sacred All, beyond which nothing else exists. Severino, in turn, analyzes the impact of modern technology on nature, man and the entire existing world. He believes science and modern technology have become an extremely effective tool of man’s dominion over the natural world. The Italian philosopher says that today the human will to power applied to nature leads to its objectification and desacralization. Delsol, on the other hand, points out that throughout Western culture we are now witnessing the birth of a new religion of nature, which is a modern form of ancient paganism. The analyses performed demonstrate that, on the one hand, nature is currently being subjected to profound changes due to science and technology, while on the other – its former sacral character is being restored, forming the foundation of a new form of religiosity.

Lithuanian Petronyms in the Mythological Context

The article examines the names of Lithuanian stones regarded as sacred and the legends associated with them. Researchers estimate that there are approximately 500 such stones in Lithuania. Popular beliefs link many of these stones with pagan deities and Christian saints, attributing to them the abilities to move, speak, teach, heal, advise, lend money, and even form families and have children. Evidence of stone worship during pagan times is reflected in their names, which often reference both chthonic figures and Christian saints, and may also be associated with the names of animals and people. The article systematically analyses these cases, considering legends about the stones’ origins, relevant historical evidence, and archaeological and folklore data. Lithuanian legends regarding the naming of stones suggest that those now bearing Christian names may have originally had pagan ones. The “baptism” of some stones by bestowing Christian names upon them not only alters some of their properties but is also believed to stop their growth and movement. The analysis leads to the conclusion that the mythological perception of stones has evolved over time. Historical data indicate that in pagan antiquity, stones were identified with deities, serving simultaneously as altars and idols. With the advent of Christianity, the focus shifted, and stones that were once venerated began to be associated with figures from lower mythology, such as the devil, witches, and Laumės (woodland spirits). Folklore traditions classify stones as “otherworldly” objects, emphasizing their connection with the chthonic realm, the world of the dead, and the “unclean”.

Satan’s Temptation of Jesus in the Gospels: A Critical study

The research examines the Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the Gospels by analyzing the places where this story is mentioned in the three Gospels: Matthew, Luke, and Mark. It also studies this phenomenon in some ancient religions and compares it with what is mentioned in the Gospels. The research then delves into the incident within the Gospels, comparing them with each other, highlighting their differences, and drawing parallels with what is found in ancient pagan religions. Additionally, it presents a critique of this story and demonstrates its invalidity through rational analysis. Lastly, it discusses the Islamic perspective on this matter.

Morality Tale or Attempt at Reportage? Yet Another Look at Peter von Dusburg’s Description of the Prussian Pagan Religion

The story by the Teutonic Order chronicler Peter von Dusburg about the Prussian pagan priest Criwe and his sanctuary Romowe has for centuries provoked historiographical arguments about the nature of the Baltic pagan religion and the interpretation of Medieval chronicle sources relating to the Balts. This article focuses on an interpretation of Dusburg’s text, without attempting to decide on the reality of ancient pagan religious practice. Through a ‘close reading’ approach to actual words and the contexts of sentences that are often extracted and used out of context, the article argues against either dismissing the passage as an invented moral exemplum or accepting it literally. A speculative explanation for Dusburg’s portrayal of the pagan priest Criwe as a pope is presented for consideration. Moreover, through a reminder of the often-neglected context of the Criwe passage in book III of the chronicle, this article suggests an overarching aim for Dusburg’s portrayal of the Old Prussians, which is not as the ‘avatar of evil’ often proposed in historiography, but rather as simple peoples who should be left to the Teutonic Order and not to the Franciscans favoured at that time by Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania. To aid readers, the article contains the whole Latin passage (rather than the extracts often quoted), and an English translation by Rasa Mažeika.

Christian discourse of the English series «Robin of Sherwood» (1984–1986) and its reflection in the modern literary internet space of Russia

The subject of the study is the Christian discourse of the English TV series «Robin of Sherwood» (1984–1986). As a methodological basis for the scientific work, a philosophical-hermeneutic approach is used, presented, in particular, in the works of W. Dilthey, H.-G. Gadamer and M.M. Bakhtin. The most important structure of understanding is the principle of the «hermeneutic circle», which assumes that the text as a whole is understood through each of its parts, and the part through the whole. In addition, understanding arises in the process of «dialogical cognition», a dialogue between the author, as well as the text as a subject, and the reader (viewer). The content of the series «Robin of Sherwood» is analyzed in the specific historical conditions of the 1980s. This is a period of growing social and cultural protest caused in Europe and the United States by the policy of neoconservatism and the reduction of social guarantees. Many phenomena previously classified as counterculture are becoming fashionable and becoming mainstream, including the legacy of paganism, pre-Christian mysticism and mythology. The article shows that the creators of the series intended to present Robin Hood not only as a leader of social or national resistance, but also as a defender of the ancient pagan religion against the new, Christian. An analysis is given of episodes from the first two seasons of the film, which trace criticism of the Christian church as an institution, as well as specific monks and clergy. In the third season, the critical pathos towards the church practically disappears. However, the author comes to the conclusion that it is the first two seasons that demonstrate the development of the moral consciousness of the characters from pagan to Christian, and Christian discourse is present in the film text, perhaps contrary to the original intention of its creators. There is also a reception of the Christian discourse of the series in the Russian and, more broadly, Russian-language literary Internet space, which is reflected in discussions on relevant literary and historical forums, as well as in works of fan literature

Diversity and Boundaries of Neopaganism in the Modern World

This paper analyzes diverse forms of modern neopaganism. The author provides defi nitions of paganism and neopaganism that are adjusted for the diachronic perspective. It has been argued that neopaganism as a distinct type of non-traditional religiosity that confronts traditional religions, including traditional paganism, appeared not in the 20th century. Instead, it dates back to the heyday of the world paganism in the centuries before the Current Era. The paper describes boundaries between neopaganism and its environment, including within the folk culture. It highlights the role of state programs for the revival of the folk culture and arts and crafts in the strengthening and development of neopaganism. To clarify its variable organizational boundaries, a typology of neopaganism is given according to the degree of the structural development of its variants. Its variable content specifi cs is catalogued within a classifi cation made on the basis of the analysis of pantheons features in 252 neopagan organizations. A sample of 201 groups from 22 countries shows the dynamics of the emergence of neopagan groups in the 20th and 21st centuries, peaking in the 1990s and subsequently decreasing. The impossibility of continuity between modern neopaganism and ancient paganism is examined in detail. The strategies of the work of neopagan communities against the background of the actual impossibility of establishing such continuity are revealed. The problem of the local specifi cs of neopagan communities is raised, including the infl uence of the cultural gap between the current inhabitants of countries and their predecessors who used to lived in the same territories (e.g. in the USA). The attention of neopagans to environmental problems is analyzed. The author provides examples of the variable attitude of neopagans to the Orthodox Church and illustrates the attitude of the Church to them with an extensive selection of passages from the Old and New Testaments.

Stage Concept of the Golden Calf Dance in Myroslav Skoryk Opera "Moses"

The authors of the article considered the peculiarities of the stage interpretation of the vocalchoreographic component in Myroslav Skoryk's opera "Moses", namely the scene of worship before the Golden Calf. Two productions of this opera, which took place in Kyiv and Lviv, were analyzed. The relevance of this plot is due to the appeal to works of a parable direction in the fateful period for mankind, times when one has to choose one's own path on the basis of the spiritual treasury of Christianity - the Bible. The essence of the dance before the Golden Calf is a kind of echo of ancient Egyptian honors performed before the sacred Apis bull and Assyro-Babylonian religious rites dedicated to the god Baal. The characteristic signs of the pagan ritual of worshiping the Golden Idol, their manifestation in an orgiastic, passionately seductive dance with the excitement of the winefueled imagination of the crowd, driving it to frenzy and immoral acts, are proven. In order to create an artistic and holistic performance, it is necessary to synthesize oratorical features (the leading function of the choir, symbolic-generalized interpretations of events with their static-slow-motion unfolding) with operatic specifics (dynamic directing, bright scenography, expressive musical dramaturgy). The article notes the logic of the dance mise-en-scene with the ballet appearance from the choristers who are opponents of Moses, the ballet dancers gradually shed their clothes, and the audience watches the transformation of a religious ceremony into an orgy in the Lviv opera version. The Lviv version differs from the Kyiv version in that the latter has an interpretation of the idolatry scene with a weakly expressed conflict between the two ideological camps due to a simplified miseen-scène of introducing the ballet into the dance action without delineating its affiliation with Moses' opponents. The conformity of the stage solution of the dance of the Golden Calf in the Lviv and Kyiv versions of the opera to the creatively reinterpreted ancient pagan cult of fetishization of wealth and power is proven. Attention is focused on the logic of mise-en-scène in the Lviv version of the play, and on the psychologization and personification of the characters' images in the Kyiv version. The need for complex integrated studies of the use of ancient cult rituals in opera performances with the synthesis of historical, cultural, theological, ethical-aesthetic, socio-psychological, art-based foundations of the existence of a certain ethnic group in the conditions of the development of civilizational processes is predicted.

D.S. Merezhkovsky’s Philosophy of Decadence in the Assessments of M.O. Menshikov

In the article the authors analyze the assessments of the ideological foundations and ethical and aesthetic directives of the Russian decadence art, found in the articles of Mikhail Osipovich Menshikov of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The emphasis is placed on Menshikov’s criticism of the ideas of one of the main theorists of the art of decadence in Russia, Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky. Menshikov’s position is considered in the context of the paradigm of the internal relationship between modernity and post-modernity, refl ecting the consistent evolution of European, Russian including, society in the direction from Christianity to neo-Paganism. The article shows that neopaganism, according to Menshikov, adopted the worst aspects of ancient paganism, which marked the degeneration of Greek culture. On the basis of this analogy, Menshikov comes to the conclusion regarding the possibility of nation mental degeneration, the fi rst sign of which is cultural decadence.

The manifestation of Christian attitudes in the anthropology of Marcus Aurelius

Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of the anthropological attitudes of Marcus Aurelius, formed as a result of the mutual influence of Roman Stoicism and early Christianity. The purpose of this work is to conduct a comparative analysis of the late Stoic and Christian axiology, ethics and demonstrate their relevance in the modern era of postmodernist value disorientation.Materials and Methods. The material of the study is the writings of Marcus Aurelius, the New Testament canonical epistles, the works of Christian apologists of the first centuries, as well as the works of contemporary domestic and foreign authors devoted to the spiritual situation in the Roman Empire during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the moral foundations of Roman stoicism; anthropological, ethical ideas of the ancient philosopher associated with Christian thought; the views of early Christian authors on the worldview of the emperor and Roman stoicism. The author relied on civilizational and dialectical approaches, used methods: hermeneutic, analytical, synthesis, generalization, reconstruction of philosophical views, comparative historical.Results. As a result of the work done, it was found that the essentially Christian anthropological, axiological ideas of Marcus Aurelius (the essence of man, his path in history and posthumous fate, ethical constants) were formed as a result of a bilateral influence: stoicism on the formation of Christian doctrine in the I-II centuries, Christianity - on the worldview of the thinker. Being a persecutor of Christians, the philosopher on the throne unconsciously embodied the goals pursued by the young religion.Discussion and Conclusions. The author managed to carry out a comparative analysis of the anthropology, ethics and axiology of Marcus Aurelius and early Christianity. The study convincingly showed that the demarcation between ancient pagan antiquity and medieval Christianity accepted in philosophical science is conditional. The chronological definition of these historical periods is also conditional. This interpenetration of eras is confirmed by the enormous influence of Roman stoicism on the formation of Christian apologetics, as well as the anthropological, ethical and axiological attitudes of the Roman Stoic Marcus Aurelius congenial to Christianity.

Finding Bede in the “Lindisfarne” Gospels: Aldred the Scribe and “beda ðe broema boecere”

Finding Bede in the “Lindisfarne” Gospels: Aldred the Scribe and “beda ðe broema boecere”

Ecology, Anti-Christianity, and the Far Right

Ecology, Anti-Christianity, and the Far Right

Civil society, “civil theology” and Augustine’s political morality: a comparative analysis with ancient teachings

The study is devoted to a comparative analysis of the concepts of “civil society”, “civil theology” in relation to the political morality of Blessed Augustine Aurelius with ancient teachings. The article attempts a hermeneutic analysis of the concept of civil society often used in the theory of state-legal doctrines. The differences are established between the pagan Roman understanding of justice and the proposed by Blessed Augustine, based on Holy Scripture as the basis of state-legal relations in ancient society: according to Augustine, the real reason why classical philosophy makes it impossible to raise virtuous people and leads to self-destruction is not because it is irreligious, but because it expresses itself in a wrong and wrong conception of a deity. And this is most evident in pagan polytheism. It is therefore clear that Augustine, in his attempt to define civil society, follows the classical tradition, emphasizing its essential agreement with Scripture. His main opposition to the ancient pagan philosophers concerns not so much their teaching about the natural ideals of civil society and the need for the existence of justice within it, but their inability to achieve a single just society.

Музыкально-фольклорные жанры свадьбы луговых мари

The traditional weddings of the Meadow Maris, known as süàn is a multiphase ritualistic complex consisting of various ritual actions extended in time and carried out in a definite succession of events. Many aspects of the Mari spiritual culture accumulated in them: the sacred-magical ritual elements, the symbolism of traditional clothes, food, poetry, music, and dance, as well as the semantics of ancient pagan thinking. The present article examines the folk music genres of the weddings of the Meadow Maris concisely specified in the wedding ritual and being a part of the acoustic code. The acoustic code of the Meadow Mari wedding is characterized by an unfolded system of intonational behavior of the participants of the ritual and includes verbal genres — prayers and expressions of good will pronounced by the kart(the priest); musical genres — the wedding songs süàn múro and pochésh múro, performed by the participants of the wedding procession, from the directions of the bridegroom and the bride, folk tunes played on ritual instruments — the shúvyr (bagpipe) and the túmyr (drum) strictly established in the structure of the ritual; and musical-choreographic genres presented by solo dances of the main characters of the ritual and mass dances of the participants of the wedding procession. The musical code of the traditional wedding of the Meadow Maris organically includes “corpora music”: sounding pendants on the wedding costumes of the female participants of the wedding processions, stamping in rhythm, clapping hands, exclamations, interjections, and whistling all carried out by the participants of the weddings. The peculiarities of conducting rituals with their musical components make it possible to classify the weddings of the Meadow Maris to the type of “merry weddings” characteristic to the cultures of the peoples of the Volga embankments.

The Heavenly Field: A Reconsideration of Mother Earth in the Æcerbot Rite

The Heavenly Field: A Reconsideration of Mother Earth in the <i>Æcerbot</i> Rite

Funerary Art of Ptolemaic Alexandria as a Model for an Early Christian Iconographic Cliché

The subject of the study – the phenomenon of cultural appropriation of Ancient pagan iconography by Early Christian art – is approached through the funerary art of Ptolemaic Egypt. The study aims at tracing back the origin of an important Early Christian scene – Jonah under the Gourd Vine – by methods of semiotic analysis and historical contextualization. In the 3rd–4th centuries AD it used to be the most popular Biblical subject throughout the Roman Empire. Some scholars argue that a mythological scene of Endimion’s dream, often carved on Late Antique sarcophagi, served as a model for visualization of the story of the prophet. However, this hypothesis does not explain the origin of the gourd vine motif, which is yet another iconographic sine qua non detail of the Jonah resting scene. Before the ‘birth’ of Early Christian art the motif had appeared just once – in Wardian necropolis of Alexandria. The gourd was first mentioned in Septuagint – the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible made by Alexandrian Jews in the 3rd century BC. It substituted another plant originally mentioned in the Hebrew text. Both the Bible translators and Alexandrian painters had been well familiar with the gourd that was seemingly largely cultivated in Alexandrian suburbs. At some point of the city history Alexandrian painters adopted the pagan visual cliché for visualization of the Old Testament episode, and the new iconographic cliché was lately imported by Roman and provincial Christian milieu.

THE ANCIENT SLAVS SMALL FAMILY APPEARANCE AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FAMILY UPBRINGING

Based on the analysis of written documents of the Ancient Rus, ethnographic and folklore works, the article reveals the process of becoming of an ancient Slavs small family, its functioning and the related to this settling of family upbringing. The ancient Slavs small family, which appeared in the 7–9th centuries, consisted of parents and their unmarried children living in a separate dwelling and having their own household. There usually were 5–7 children with boys according to folklore prevailing. The small family as the basic economic unit had its duties and rights, which in the times of the Ancient Rus were regulated by custom and state law and the church. In the middle of the 11thcentury as the result of the interaction between the ancient pagan norms and newly introduced Christian ones there began the formation of Ancient Rus family and marriage law framework which was recorded in the Volodymyr Svyatoslavovych and Yaroslav the Wise church Statutes. In the 11–13th centuries a number of the family and marriage law norms were included in princely codes of Rus’ka Pravda, chronicles, parchment charters and birch bark manuscripts.The married couple had the obligation of mutual allowance. The main source of the family wellbeing was the husband’s labour. Neither the husband nor the wife had a right to walk out on one another if any of them was seriously ill. Rus’ka Pravda of Yaroslav the Wise provided for the liability of children material support and their future settlement. The husband and father was accountable for his wife’s and children’s actions to the out-of-family public authority while the family was equally accountable for his actions. Parents settled their children marriage. In the presence of son-heirs, daughters were ruled out any inheritance, however brothers took care of their sister. Public authority and the community provided no allowance for the elderly, as it was purely their children’s duty. Therefore, parents taught their children to respect the elder, which was supported by the cult of ancestors. Gradually, in small families there appeared such evaluative categories as the parental responsibility for the children upbringing, parents’ authority, and family virtue. With the rise of family upbringing, there appear new family customs, rituals and holidays. Such ancient rituals included naming, introducing to the family (wrapping in father’s shirt), cooking ceremonial dishes to honour Rozhanyts (Great-Mothers of the World) for the holiday of the family, first bathing, first putting in the cradle, first step etc., which were held in the family circle. These are purely family holidays connected with the child’s birth and first months of their life. There also come into being family notions and terms.

Plant Conservation vs. Folk Traditions: The Case of Ophrys scolopax Cav. (Orchidaceae) in Central Western Spain.

In central western Spain, the bee orchid Ophrys scolopax Cav. is limited to a few localities of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, reaching the municipality of Villarino de los Aires (Salamanca) to the north. Due to its restricted distribution, this plant is hardly known in this territory, with the exception of this village, where it is very popular. Although most of its inhabitants are unaware of various aspects of the biology of this orchid, for example its pollination strategy, the place where the only local population grows is well-known: the Teso de San Cristóbal ("St. Christopher's Hill"), a place of ancient pagan rituals Christianised through the construction of a hermitage. The villagers also know that its flowering period coincides with the Easter celebration, and they have traditionally looked for and collected it there during Easter Monday. This ritual has evolved over time based on the needs and interests of the community. From a religious celebration aimed at blessing the fields, it became a game among young men to obtain prestige within the community, and from the end of the 20th century to the present, it has become a festival to revitalise cultural identity. In this article, we analyse how the aforementioned traditional practices affected this orchid species in the recent past, and we describe the educational actions (conferences, workshops, courses, etc.) carried out during the last ten years so that, while maintaining the cultural practices of the village, its population should be respected and conserved at the same time.