Category: philosophy/religion topics
This is the best introduction to Hellenic Polytheism that I have ever read. It covers the various branches of the faith, from reconstructionist, to middle of the road, to eclectic/syncretic, to mystery, to Neoplatonic. Note that it doesn't explore each one, but does mention them, as this is only meant to serve as a general introduction. It also covers several important issues relating to the community at large, including how to properly worship foreign deities should you feel called to do so, the relationship between Hellenic Polytheism and Religio Romana, where to find statues, and more resources on the religion. As a sidenote, I've never heard anyone else refer to us as neophytes.
http://neosalexandria.org/syncretism/a-neophytes-crash-course-in-hellenic-polytheism/
I myself try to avoid the newage, eclectic, and Wiccan branches. I don't practise any forms of magic or mysticism, don't mix pantheons, and although I'm not as recon as I'd like to be, I'm working on it. Unlike many others, I also don't include philosophy or Hellenistic thought in my worship and/or opinions on The Gods. Still, I'm not so rigid that I refuse to accept adaptations or new ideas for worship if they are respectful and if The Gods seem to agree with them. Hellenion.org, theoi.com, and Neo Koroi, were all mentioned in the above link. But Here are a few of my favourite resources from the reconstructionist point of view.
http://labrys.gr/index-en.php
At the time of my posting this, the English part of this site is still under construction. But it already has several interesting essays on some basic topics for beginners.
http://www.elaion.org/FAQ.htm
This is a very recon site. Most Hellenic Polytheists aren't as rigid in their practice, but I really like the approach of this group. The above link actually points to their Frequently Asked Question section, which explains their philosophy and thoughts on the faith in general.
http://home.pon.net/rhinoceroslodge/thiasos.htm
Here's another very recon group. Unlike Elaion, this one doesn't have much of an online presence, and is mostly local, which is why I was never able to join them.
http://www.ecauldron.net/recongreek.php
This section of The Cauldron site is devoted to Hellenic Reconstructionism. Here, you'll find reading lists, the ancient calendar which many of us use, called HMEPA (Hellenic Month Established Per Athens), as well as several tips for worship, some purely recon and some a bit more modern.
Facebook also has several groups for Hellenic Polytheists. If you type in Neos Olympos, you'll find several groups, all connected under a single one, but for various interests and belief systems within the faith, including interfaith work. Hellenic Polytheistic Community is another active group, with many members and various viewpoints and interests, including Neoplatonism, Orphism, Mysticism, Hellenistic Age etc.
I have no intention of converting to any denominations of this or similar religions, but I have read some of the first link to develop my understanding of the religion. I think the first question is very responsible. Some people approach a religion without knowing what it involves and then change course because they can't commit. It's good to give people a good understanding of what is required or expected at the start.
The first question I thought of when reading the first 4 questions is as the religion is supposed to be a way of life, how does one decide that a god is more important or better than the rest? People choosing their favourite gods seems to be like girls choosing their favourite boy bands. If the gods aren't against each other, then what is the point of having a patron? Putting one god above the rest will surely not be advantageous.
Onto question five, I don't understand the concept of foreign gods. If gods share the same nationalities as people, then as people made nations, surely the gods are invented by people. If they are the invention of people, how can they be more powerful than people? For the gods to be more powerful, surely they have to be above our concept of nations. Is a lot of this purely down to imagination - people imagining that the gods have power they don't really have?
I admit I haven't yet read these links. But one thing I always found interesting about Greek, Roman and Norce beliefs is how ... human the Gods seem. Where Christian, Buddhist Muslim Jew - all of those religions generally establish the concept of "God" as a perfect all-knowing, infowelable diety, the polytheistic religions mentioned above do not appear to take that approach. Whether all religion is a creation of Man, or whether we as humans are creating understandable avitars for a divine existence we can simply not understand, I have always been very curious of the origins of each of the world's religions.
Senior, I'm sorry for not responding to this. I got caught up in various other threads on here. It's important to note that not all Hellenic Polytheists have patrons. Those who do don't usually "choose" Them, but feel chosen. Let's say, for instance, that someone feels drawn the music, healing, or divination. He may then discover that he is being called by Apollon. Maybe, he'll become a musician or a doctor, or maybe he'll just appreciate these things more. Another person might feel an attraction to gardening, and think she has been called by Demeter, and so on. Sometimes, these can change. When I first started following The Gods, I felt a strong connection with Athena, particularly as She rules over writing and wisdom. But over the last few years, I've been drawn more by Hermes. It doesn't mean that Athena is no longer in my life. She's just not as prominent. I've also purposefully tried to gain a connection with Hestia, as She rules over the hearth and the home. She's a fairly aloof goddess, and not as approachable as some, but very gentle and caring in Her ways.
There are differing views of The Gods. Some of us believe that They're really all the same, but are seen differently by different races/peoples. Others believe that They are symbols, and don't really exist as individual beings at all, but worshiping Them helps us connect with the divine. I'm in the first camp, though I don't state that The Gods are one or even aspects of "the one". I think that, as mortals, we cannot truly understand Their true nature. So They appear to us in ways that we can understand. I have never felt any reason to worship outside the Hellenic pantheon. But I suppose those who truly do are called by the other deities.
The_Blind_Guardian, I think you made an excellent point about The Gods being more human. This is one of the main things which drew me to Them. I can't really relate to a god who is all-knowing, perfect in every way, and who can't really understand what it is to be human. Even if He created us, He's so far from us that His experiences are never going to match our's. It reminds me of someone giving birth versus someone creating a robot. The woman who gives birth will understand her creation far more intimately. Even the man who helped her, though he didn't carry the baby to term and birth him/her, will understand most things, being that he's human. But the creator of a robot can never truly understand what it's like to be one, even if he gives it as many human trates and characteristics as possible. That said, many followers of The Gods believe that They are perfect and don't ever change. I, in contrast, think They can grow and change, just in ways and at rates which we can't comprehend.
Tiff, that's a very interesting thought about birth versus artificial life. I think there's a story in there somewhere. I do really understand what you mean about not really being able to relate to the gods. Though I do have faith in my god, he is a little difficult to relate to. My comfort is in knowing that one day, far into the future of my existence, I will at least be able to relate to a point. I don't know how much.
I think it's also interesting how you talked about all the Gods being the same, just seen differently by different peoples and races. That's one thing I've always believed in my own way. I even think it's highly possible that there's a lot more to Gods other than my own than just fictional creations, though of course I have no idea what. But I believe all mythology is inspired by something more than mere immagination. Hopefully it doesn't need to be said, but I don't mean to undermine your beliefs by speaking of mythology. Your Gods are just as real to you as mine are to me.
Well, I can relate to The Gods of Hellenic Polytheism far more than to the monotheistic god. But certainly, we can't relate to Them as well as to our fellow mortal beings or even animals, since The Gods (or the divine if you will) are on a different plane of existence. This may be real or metaphorical, but whatever They are, They're beyond ordinary comprehention. Still, I find Them to be more personal, some more than others.
I actually find your tone extremely respectful, and appreciate the fact that you're using the word mythology in its' original sense of story, without the negative conotations. I'm also quite surprised and gladdend to find a Christian who says such things. You are truly open-minded and a scholar in your own right. It's people like you, I believe, who have their hearts led to the divine.
having just read the Euthyphro this week, this is quite an interesting topic. so thanks for posting.
hi guys. I am enjoying this post topic. I beleave in the gods. in diffearnt. ways. i have a little part of them in me. i enjoy music. and growing flowers. so i have a sort of mixed parts of them. smile. but that's all right.
One thing that always fascinated me about the Greek gods as as been pointed out beforewas how human they seemed, in particular how petulant they could be when offended even inadvertently. Some of their punishments could be wildly out of proportion to whatever the victim might have done to begin with. Hera in particular was known for taking some pretty extreme revenges against Zeus' lovers, even when said lovers had no idea they'd just been bonked by Zeus.
Not much different from the anger of the god of the old testament.
Agree with the last post: most deities express the worst of our baser characteristics: petulant, jealous, controlling, quick to flash out in anger, quick to make up excuses for monstrous behavior. And, yes, the punishment rarely if ever fits the crime, all veiled in some fluffy vaguery about divine justice or some such.
Would you trust any of these gods for a night with your daughter?
If we are made up in the image of a god, then consider how quickly we can come up with wild and torturous punishments, even in thought, for a criminal we don't even know. Ever see those talk shows after Susan Smith was found out and convicted? Where they asked what should we do with someone like this? Everyone expressed their god image beautifully and monstrously. A drowning would be an eye for an eye, but people had quite outlandish and crazed responses, just like deities do.
This is true whether it's Prometheus's torments in the underworld for the terrible "crime" of bringing fire to mankind, or the Christian hell with smoke rising forever and ever and worms that don't die, just for being born the descendant of one who ate a forbidden fruit in a garden.
We create these tortures all the time: look at the Abu Ghraib incident of a few years ago, study the Viet Kong's tortures of that era, or what the Japanese or Germans did to prisoners of war in World War II. We are base, and so are they, only we can choose to negate excuses for it, do better, and hold our heads high as a consequence.
I'll say this for emphasis:
This goes for any god I've personally read about. Their punishments for the slightest of offenses always exceed the gruesome acts of the Manson followers in the 1960s. If deities or their counterparts were ever in prison, would we ever parole them? I doubt even the mushiest bleeding heart could.