this is a topic that’s been interesting me a while. ive been practicing hellenic polytheism for a little over a year, and id like to incorporate more of my own culture into my spirituality.
im ethiopian (mixed between 2 tribes) a country which converted to orthodox christianity much earlier than most of black africa. as what happened with pretty much all pre-christian religions, the texts surrounding the old gods are pitiful in number and quality. but there’s enough. roughly five deities, whose names and minimal descriptions make the pre-islamic arab influences clear. some medieval orthodox texts describing how they were worshipped (albeit condemning it) there’s enough of it to be properly reconstructed, is what im saying.
but whenever i see black and middle eastern honor those ancestral deities, they arent treated with nearly as much dignity as their european counterparts.
my question is: what does an ancient religion need in order for it to be reconstructed? is it a defined pantheon of beings with specified domains? is it worship, and well-preserved places of worship? would it be… idk, WEIRD if i actually prayed to them?
this is such a niche thing and the sun is beating my ass while im typing this lmao
but i would really appreciate an answer. the way christianity and colonization entered sub-saharan africa is really unique compared to other cultures, and id love to see this talked about in witch spaces beyond vudou and hoodoo
IKR!? i follow a tiktoker who honors arab deities and the slander they get is so sad i just wish people treated them with the same intellectual reverence they do the greek pantheon
No, it’s not weird to prey to them. I used to prey to the Gods & Goddesses before meeting the ones I speak to on a daily. Whether it’s considered preyer or not is up to ypu, I consider it conversations at this point.
I’d say what they need to flourish is respect to the pantheon. It doesn’t have to be fixed to a single domain for the Gods to br worshiped, just have faith & be respectful.
Reconstructionist Neopaganism is what you’re going to want to look into. People have “reconstructed” practices with very little - but obviously the more material you have, the better.
Most ancient religions prioritized worshipping ancestors over deities, and their “prayers” looked different - more often they’d perform sacrifices/offerings for different major outcomes in their lives (like a good harvest, fertility, health, prosperity, victory over adversity, etc.) to the deities, and then turn to their ancestors for the daily stuff. In some cases deities were feared more than revered, but you’re free to practice in whatever way you like.
I find it hard to believe that any “reconstruction” of any religion is accurate. Honestly, look at Wicca and any Pagan tradition. Even with direct connections to the past (such as the Romani and Gypsies) a true reconstruction of any sort of ritual will not be the same. Remember the game as a child, say one secret, repeat it around the circle and when it comes back to you, it is not even the same. I believe that we take what we know and reconstruct how it suits us best for our place and time.
I agree with you Littlefield…
As all we do in our craft, it is more about intent rather than how many times you walk around in a circle and jump up and down.
ty so much! i just watched the video and read some other replies. it was very informative and has given me a much better grasp of how I should be doing this
I am aware that absolute reconstructionism is not possible, but the term reconstruction among hellenic polytheists refers to a person who recreates the ancient way as closely as possible. Most reconstructionists have careers in academia, which makes research more accessible to them and not to the average practitioner. It’s that or they actually live in Greece, where some temples have been built and they carry out festivals. that was not my intention to mean a complete rebirth of ancient Greece, and i didn’t mean for that interpretation.
i just wish people treated them with the same intellectual reverence they do the greek pantheon
