Post by lorna on Jan 30, 2016 9:50:16 GMT -1
Hello,
Just wanted to share some thoughts going through my head following on from how tough it was to agree on a definition of Brythonic Polytheism and some of the issues raised around the word 'religion.'
I personally have no problems with the word religion itself. Whilst I see my personal devotional practice and service to the Brythonic gods as religious I'm not certain Brythonic Polytheism is a religion (yet). From conversations within TDN around the recognition of Druidry as a religion I recall a religion must be based on commonality of belief and practice.
So far I think Heron's definition quite nicely summarises a commonality of belief - 'Brythonic Polytheism is a religious tradition based on a devotional relationship with one or more of the gods worshipped by the Brythonic peoples inhabiting Britain and Gaul in the Ancient World. Brythonic polytheists recognise a range of goddesses and gods. Some of these gods and goddesses are attested from records or sites of worship in Roman Britain and Gaul, some survived in later stories and other writings, particularly in Welsh which were constructed from oral tales reflecting a continuity of reference from earlier times.'
Do we have a commonality of practice? I guess the sections on ritual and personal interactions cover the development of this. I think going back over the festivals will be very tricky as the majority of us celebrate them in different ways or some but not others.
A question I think we need to ask ourselves, particularly if we're thinking of not only developing the website but doing a primer, is whether our intention is to develop a joint, coherent system (which I get the impression the 2010 group was trying to) or simply sharing our individual research and experiences with the gods.
As a somewhat anarchic awenydd with a tendency toward deconstruction and reimagining rather than reconstruction I'm coming to realise I'd find reconstructing a system very difficult and within my own work am coming to value a more fragmentary approach where individual fragments come together more like a constellation than trying to fit things together coherently (I find my round pegs just don't go in square holes or whatever the metaphor is).
The conundrum, however, is that I feel we have some duty to give newcomers a simple concise introduction. I'm not too sure how to deal with this whilst doing justice to the complexity of the subject of Brythonic Polytheism.
How is everyone else feeling about our direction so far?
Just wanted to share some thoughts going through my head following on from how tough it was to agree on a definition of Brythonic Polytheism and some of the issues raised around the word 'religion.'
I personally have no problems with the word religion itself. Whilst I see my personal devotional practice and service to the Brythonic gods as religious I'm not certain Brythonic Polytheism is a religion (yet). From conversations within TDN around the recognition of Druidry as a religion I recall a religion must be based on commonality of belief and practice.
So far I think Heron's definition quite nicely summarises a commonality of belief - 'Brythonic Polytheism is a religious tradition based on a devotional relationship with one or more of the gods worshipped by the Brythonic peoples inhabiting Britain and Gaul in the Ancient World. Brythonic polytheists recognise a range of goddesses and gods. Some of these gods and goddesses are attested from records or sites of worship in Roman Britain and Gaul, some survived in later stories and other writings, particularly in Welsh which were constructed from oral tales reflecting a continuity of reference from earlier times.'
Do we have a commonality of practice? I guess the sections on ritual and personal interactions cover the development of this. I think going back over the festivals will be very tricky as the majority of us celebrate them in different ways or some but not others.
A question I think we need to ask ourselves, particularly if we're thinking of not only developing the website but doing a primer, is whether our intention is to develop a joint, coherent system (which I get the impression the 2010 group was trying to) or simply sharing our individual research and experiences with the gods.
As a somewhat anarchic awenydd with a tendency toward deconstruction and reimagining rather than reconstruction I'm coming to realise I'd find reconstructing a system very difficult and within my own work am coming to value a more fragmentary approach where individual fragments come together more like a constellation than trying to fit things together coherently (I find my round pegs just don't go in square holes or whatever the metaphor is).
The conundrum, however, is that I feel we have some duty to give newcomers a simple concise introduction. I'm not too sure how to deal with this whilst doing justice to the complexity of the subject of Brythonic Polytheism.
How is everyone else feeling about our direction so far?