Druidism, Tengrism, Taaraism: Current Reactivations of Ancient Spiritualities and Religions, From Identity to Politics
Druidism, Tengrism, Taaraism: Current Reactivations of Ancient Spiritualities and Religions, From Identity to Politics
Contributor(s): Samim Akgönül (Editor), Anne-Laure Zwilling (Editor)
Subject(s): History, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Psychology, Essay|Book Review |Scientific Life, General Reference Works, Geography, Regional studies, Library and Information Science, Sociology, Theology and Religion, Comparative Studies of Religion, Religion and science , Sociology of Religion, History of Religion, Psychology of Religion
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: International Relations; Religion and International Relations; druidism; international relations; neoreligion; religion, spirituality; taaraism; Tengrism
Summary/Abstract: “In this book, we have named the phenomena neoreligion and reactivation. Neoreligion does not mean a change inside institutionalised religion, it does not correspond to some kind of dogmatic creative crisis, which would bring established religious groups to claim to create something new while only dusting out ancient components of their religion. It is not to confuse, either, with some kind of religious nostalgia, a desire to return to the origins or foundations of a religion. Such a dynamic can be observed with the born-again phenomena – obvious in the spheres of monotheistic religions – that is individual religious revivalism of people who are often searching for a supposedly original orthodoxy.Neoreligion, on the contrary, is the phenomenon where, outside existing religions, new religions are created, but not from nothing: they are reactivated in a new form. They take their roots – or at least claim to do so – in traditional or ancient beliefs and adopt some of the imagined traditional behaviours. The movement, therefore, is one of transformation, since it is a takeover of the old. But this change does not simply follow the logic of the old: there is also a dimension of novelty, of creation.This volume is dedicated to studying these phenomena: describing and analysing their various appearances, uncovering their logic and dynamics, shedding light on the motivations of followers, and discussing their consequences.”
- E-ISBN-13: 978-1-80135-237-6
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-1-80135-236-9
- Page Count: 181
- Publication Year: 2024
- Language: English
A Pagan Eco-fascism? The Ecological Thinking of Aleksey ‘Dobroslav’ Dobrovolsky
A Pagan Eco-fascism? The Ecological Thinking of Aleksey ‘Dobroslav’ Dobrovolsky
(A Pagan Eco-fascism? The Ecological Thinking of Aleksey ‘Dobroslav’ Dobrovolsky)
- Author(s):Adrien Nonjon
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Anthropology, History of ideas, Theology and Religion, Environmental interactions, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), History of Communism, Post-Communist Transformation
- Page Range:19-38
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:Pagan; Eco-fascism; Ecological; Dobrovolsky; Druidism; Tengrism; Reactivations; Ancie; Spiritualities; Religions; Identity; Politics; Taaraism;
- Summary/Abstract:Established on a set of scientific and utopian principles reflecting the long path of master ideas of the 18th and 19th centuries such as Romanticism, ecology is the embodiment of an ideal that seeks to put nature back at the forefront of history and societies instead of dismissing it. Instead of an “inauthentic life” in which man has lost his own freedom due to the tragic and alienating grasp of modern civilisation and its hypocritical social conventions, nature is meant to be salvation. Millennial and immaculate, it would also constitute a base of absolute values and references for societies in search of meaning. While some idealists, like Henry Thoreau (1817–1862), have found in the oneiric and metaphysical contemplation of wide open spaces an escape from the “evil of the century”, others have taken refuge in a much more political and religious radical reading.
- Price: 5.00 €
Stereotyping Estonian Pagans: Right-Wing Extremists or Tree Huggers from the Forest?
Stereotyping Estonian Pagans: Right-Wing Extremists or Tree Huggers from the Forest?
(Stereotyping Estonian Pagans: Right-Wing Extremists or Tree Huggers from the Forest?)
- Author(s):Ringo Ringvee
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Governance, Theology and Religion, Politics of History/Memory, Politics and Identity
- Page Range:39-51
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Stereotyping; Estonian; Pagan; Right-Wing; Extremists; Tree Huggers; Forest; Druidism; Tengrism; Reactivations; Ancie; Spiritualities; Religions; Identity; Politics; Taaraism;
- Summary/Abstract:One of the stereotypes regarding contemporary pagans in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe, is that they adhere to right-wing extremist political views and are inherently racist. There is also the opposite stereotype of a hippie-style pagan who is profoundly spiritual and hugs trees to exchange power with Mother Earth. In the following, I will explore the ideological position of two pagan movements that emerged in Estonia during the 20th century. The main question is where do the native Estonian Taarausk and Maausk movements, stand on the ideological map, if they stand at all? Both ethnic religions emerged during the twentieth century when Estonians were establishing or reestablishing independent statehood, and both have had their roots in a broader intellectual and political movements. Both Taarausk and Maausk stressed the importance of Estonianness, resistance to cosmopolitanism and globalization, and finding the religious or spiritual dimension from the pre-Christian ‘golden age’ or from lived traditions of ancestors. Cosmopolitanism and globalization are seen as represented by the Christian Church and Christianity that was imposed on Estonians by Crusaders.
- Price: 5.00 €
Note on the Romuva Movement in Lithuania
Note on the Romuva Movement in Lithuania
(Note on the Romuva Movement in Lithuania)
- Author(s):Massimo Introvigne
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Ethnohistory, Theology and Religion, Ethnic Minorities Studies, Identity of Collectives
- Page Range:53-59
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:Note; Romuva; Movement; Lithuania; Druidism; Tengrism; Reactivations; Ancie; Spiritualities; Religions; Identity; Politics; Taaraism;
- Summary/Abstract:Romuva is the name of the largest European ‘ethnic religion’. The name is already a problem. Peter of Duisburg (14th century) mentions it in 1326 in his Chronicon Terrae Prussiae as the still existing mysterious centre of the ancient Baltic religion, whose leader, called Krivis, had as much authority in the region as the Pope in Rome (whose name, the chronicler assured, was ‘Romuva’, which thus came from ‘Rome’).
- Price: 5.00 €
Our Longest Memory.” Indo-European Paganism as the Foundation of the Ethnopolitics of the French “Identitarian Movement”
Our Longest Memory.” Indo-European Paganism as the Foundation of the Ethnopolitics of the French “Identitarian Movement”
(Our Longest Memory.” Indo-European Paganism as the Foundation of the Ethnopolitics of the French “Identitarian Movement”)
- Author(s):Stéphane François
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Ethnohistory, Sociology of Religion, Politics and Identity, Identity of Collectives
- Page Range:63-74
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Indo-European; Paganism; Ethnopolitics; Identitarian Movementt; Druidism; Tengrism; Reactivations; Ancie; Spiritualities; Religions; Identity; Politics; Taaraism;
- Summary/Abstract:The title’s Nietzschean phrase effectively sums up the “identitarian ideology”, which is frequently invoked by various groups. At the core of this ideology lies the issue of memory, which is fundamental to the concept of identity. In essence, the ideology demands that ethno-cultural groups safeguard their cultural, religious, and racial distinctiveness from mixing and homogenisation, a right to “identity.” Consequently, so-called identitarian groups seek the reconfiguration of Europe on ethnic, regionalist, federalist, and, on occasion, neo-pagan grounds. This is known as ethnopluralism. Furthermore, these groups repudiate the nationalism espoused by “classical” far-right parties. In this instance, our focus is on neopagan identitarian groups that emerge from the radical right.
- Price: 5.00 €
Atheism, Theism, and Reactivation in Turkey Irreligiosity in a Secular State Under an Islamist Conservative Regime
Atheism, Theism, and Reactivation in Turkey Irreligiosity in a Secular State Under an Islamist Conservative Regime
(Atheism, Theism, and Reactivation in Turkey Irreligiosity in a Secular State Under an Islamist Conservative Regime)
- Author(s):Samim Akgönül
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Theology and Religion, Islam studies, Politics and religion
- Page Range:75-86
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Atheism; Theism; Reactivation; Turkey; Irreligiosity; Secular State; Islamist Conservative Regime;
- Summary/Abstract:Meryem, a 19-year-old resident of a small and highly conservative town in Northern Turkey, comes from a family that strongly identifies with Turkish nationalism and Sunni Islam. For them, the combination of the two is the only legitimate way to define what it means to be Turkish. In 2019, she was declaring to Euronews that when she sees how religion is used by politics in Turkey, she gets confused as many of her friends, and she was on her way to becoming an atheist “but don’t tell it to (her) mom”. 1 After two decades of an increasing Islamist atmosphere, the main fear of the conservatives in Turkey is to witness more believers but a less practicing generation. Indeed, to the fear of Atheism has been added since 2010 the fear of Deism, i.e., people who believe in Allah, but who think that all the ceremony of Sunni Islam is a political show at worst, a folklore at best. In this chapter, I will try to describe and analyse different attitudes in the Turkish society, especially among youngsters, that can be seen as a reaction to the formal normative Sunni Islam as defended by the political elite
- Price: 5.00 €
Align the “Ancient One” with Our Lives: Analysing the Resurgence of An Ancient Cult to Shed Light on Contemporary Religiosity in Turkey
Align the “Ancient One” with Our Lives: Analysing the Resurgence of An Ancient Cult to Shed Light on Contemporary Religiosity in Turkey
(Align the “Ancient One” with Our Lives: Analysing the Resurgence of An Ancient Cult to Shed Light on Contemporary Religiosity in Turkey)
- Author(s):Kerem Görkem Arslan
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Theology and Religion, Politics and religion, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Sociology of Religion
- Page Range:87-109
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Align; Ancient One; Analysing; Resurgence; Religiosity; Turkey;
- Summary/Abstract:The reawakening of old national or local beliefs involving environmental, nationalist, or traditional concerns is increasingly observed in today’s societies. Of particular interest is the fact that the taking over of ancient religions and beliefs called ‘Neopaganism’ paves the way for new religious movements, and consequently new religious minorities, by affirming national or environmental identity.
- Price: 5.00 €
Comeback of Witchcraft: Thoughts from France
Comeback of Witchcraft: Thoughts from France
(Comeback of Witchcraft: Thoughts from France)
- Author(s):Damien Karbovnik
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Customs / Folklore, Culture and social structure
- Page Range:111-127
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:Comeback; Witchcraft; Thoughts; France;
- Summary/Abstract:In recent years, witches have been making a comeback in Western culture, particularly in France. In bookshops, books and bestsellers have been proliferating, such as Odile Chabrillac’s Âme de sorcières and its around 50,000 copies sold . On social networks, the phenomenon quickly structured itself around hashtags such as #witchesofinstagram or #witchtok, and dedicated YouTube channels were created. In the general buzz, the term “modern witch” gradually emerged, marking a difference with the notion of “regular witch”.
- Price: 5.00 €
The Search for Spirituality and Beauty: New Ways of Religiosity among Artists and Intellectuals from Dersim/Tunceli
The Search for Spirituality and Beauty: New Ways of Religiosity among Artists and Intellectuals from Dersim/Tunceli
(The Search for Spirituality and Beauty: New Ways of Religiosity among Artists and Intellectuals from Dersim/Tunceli)
- Author(s):Martin Greve
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Theology and Religion, Sociology of Culture
- Page Range:131-147
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:Spirituality; Religiosity; Artists; Intellectuals; Dersim; Tunceli; Druidism; Tengrism; Reactivations; Ancie; Spiritualities; Religions; Identity; Politics; Taaraism
- Summary/Abstract:The research for contemporary religiosity in Turkey’s province of Tunceli (the former region of Dersim in central eastern Anatolia) and among migrants of Dersim origin living abroad in Turkish or European cities will confront us with a case of reconstruction and aestheticisation of a declining religion as an ancient religion. The present article will briefly describe the development in four steps: First the decline of the traditional religion in Dersim and its replacement by a standardised Alevism. Second, this decline and change led to a growing loss of acceptance among the population of Tunceli and migrants from Dersim abroad. Consequently, a growing number of intellectuals began to search among other religions for a substitution for the lost spirituality and for what might be the “roots” of their lost religion. These newly added spiritual elements were imagined as being part of their “own” former religion, or at least being closely related to it. In particular, young artists and intellectuals developed individual syntheses composed of beliefs and religious practices of different origins. Third, music also became an issue for research and reconstruction. Many musicians from Dersim identified themselves with lost religious traditions and their re-imagination as an ancient religion, rejecting the contemporary standardised Turkish Alevism. Four, eventually, the music, which already was a central part of the religion in Dersim, became aesthetically sophisticated and developed into a kind of artistic music to be presented both on the music market or in serious concerts.
- Price: 5.00 €
Performance Art as a Ritual of Reviving Pagan Religions
Performance Art as a Ritual of Reviving Pagan Religions
(Performance Art as a Ritual of Reviving Pagan Religions)
- Author(s):Elif Dastarlı, İlkay Canan Okkalı
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Theology and Religion, Politics and religion, Sociology of Religion, Politics and Identity
- Page Range:149-160
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Performance; Art; Ritual; Reviving; Pagan; Religions; Druidism; Tengrism; Reactivations; Ancie; Spiritualities; Religions; Identity; Politics; Taaraism;
- Summary/Abstract:After the Second World War, the departure from modernity led to the emergence of various interpretations of paganism, a religion that regards and idolises the beings of nature as gods and demigods in art. This period reflects the rise of conceptual thought in art. Although its foundations are rooted in performing arts and in many examples of performance art as a medium of production in the field of visual arts by highlighting its spirit made of plants, trees, rocks, wind, and such, we can particularly see the resurrected traces of animistic shamanism.
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Conclusion
Conclusion
(Conclusion)
- Author(s):Samim Akgönül, Anne-Laure Zwilling
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Customs / Folklore, Theology and Religion, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Sociology of Religion
- Page Range:161-174
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Conclusion; Druidism; Tengrism; Reactivations; Ancie; Spiritualities; Religions; Identity; Politics; Taaraism;
- Summary/Abstract:The reactivation of Paganism in contemporary societies, as meticulously explored through the diverse contributions of the authors within the pages of this book, not only provides us with profound insights into the enduring human connection with spirituality, nature, and cultural heritage but also underscores its continuous process of reconstruction and even construction .
- Price: 2.00 €