List of Pagans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of historical individuals notable for their Pagan religion (as opposed to Abrahamic religions), and modern individuals who self-describe as adherents of some form of Paganism or Neopaganism.


Contents

[edit] Ancient

The original meaning of pagan is "rural" as opposed to "urban", and only came to refer to "non-Abrahamic" as opposed to Jewish or Christian in the 4th century, and it is therefore strictly an anachronism to apply the term to earlier times, although this is sometimes done (e.g. the three pagan "worthies" of William Caxton, Hector, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar). The list includes only individuals of the Common Era who were "pagan" in contrast to emerging Christianity.

[edit] Graeco-Roman

Christianization of the Greco-Roman cultural sphere took place in the 1st to 6th centuries.

Historic Graeco-Roman pagans:

[edit] Celtic

The Celtic peoples (Roman Gaul, Roman Britain, Ireland) were Christianized from the to the 4th to 8th centuries.

Historic Celtic pagans:

[edit] Germanic

The Christianization of the Germanic peoples spans the 4th to 12th centuries:

  • the Goths in the 4th century,
  • Anglo-Saxon England in the 7th century,
  • the Frankish Empire in the 6th to 8th centuries,
  • Scandinavia in the 8th to 12th centuries.

Historic Germanic pagans:

[edit] Slavic

Christianization of the Slavs took place in the 9th to 11th centuries, with a pagan reaction in Poland in the 1030s and conversion of the Polabian Slavs by the 1180s (see Wendish Crusade).

[edit] Finnic, Baltic

Christianization of Northeastern Europe (the Baltic region, Finland) took place in the High to Late Middle Ages (see Northern Crusades, Prussian Crusade). The Sami were Christianized form the 13th century, but Sami native religion was practiced into the 18th century.

Historic Baltic pagans:

Historic Finnic pagans:

  • Lalli - Legendary Finnish heathen and landowner who killed Christian bishop Henry in 1156.

[edit] Modern

[edit] Germanic Neopaganism

Self-described Germanic Neopagans include:

[edit] Neo-druidism

Further information: List of druids and neo-druids

Self-described Neo-druids include:

  • Bonewits, Isaac - author and scholar of several Druid and neopagan related books and articles
  • Carr-Gomm, Philip - current head of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids.
  • Hutton, Ronald - scholar of British history; professor at University of Bristol, and author of books on the history of Neopaganism.
  • Pendragon, Arthur - leader of the Loyal Arthurian Warband, self-declared reincarnation of King Arthur.
  • Nichols, Ross - founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids.
  • Restall Orr, Emma - Druid priestess, author, founder of the Druid Network.
  • Shallcrass, Philip - current head of the British Druid Order.

[edit] Wicca

Self-described Wiccans include:

[edit] Various or unspecified

Unspecified Neopagans include:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Vikernes, Varg (July 2005). A Burzum Story: Part VI - The Music. www.burzum.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-23.
  2. ^ Vikernes, Varg (July 2005). A Burzum Story: Part VII - The Nazi Ghost. www.burzum.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-23.