Open Post on Folkish, Universalist, and Tribal Paganisms

[causticus]

On yesterday's Magic Monday post, there was a rather interesting discussion on the several "feuding" branches of today's Germanic pagan/polytheist community. Particularly the question on the merits of the frequent "racism" allegations flung at Folkish Heathens.

Here's the whole thread:
https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/237888.html?thread=41766464#cmt41766464

My lengthily response here, with some follow-up replies:
https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/237888.html?thread=41778240#cmt41778240

I figure I'll use this as an open post to continue the discussion, if anyone so desires to do so. I think there's three interesting sub-topics to be expanded on from that thread:

1. Inclusionary vs. Exclusionary approaches to contemporary polytheism/paganism.
2. The third "tribal" (Theodish) option that's an alternative to the Folkist/Universalist binary.
3. The very fascinating (IMHO) concept of a "Holy Guild" being a new way of terming a religious fellowship.

Of course, any other ideas tangentially related to the above thread is more than welcome! Thank you for not using profanity, namecalling/ad-homs, bad faith arguments, or other cheap troll behaviors.

Comments

[k_a_nitz]

To me the LARPiness is on a par with the foundation myths of druidism or wicca. Everyone knows it is bollocks, but nobody really cares about that. Consistency is nowhere near as important as many people think (just read the Bible literally). The great value comes from establishing rituals and enacting them repeatedly, greasing the groove, as some would say, or making tracks in the ether, as others might say.

[jprussell]

Agreed on the value in establishing and repeating rituals and that known-to-be-made-up foundation myths can do just fine.

What I was referring to with Theodism specifically is that for their first ~20 years of existence, they organized themselves as a migration-era männerbund, with thralls, churls, and so forth. They also for a long time placed great stock not just on saying "we are the inheritors of Anglo-Saxon religion," but instead on trying to literally do as much ritual and other practice as exactly like the Heathen Anglo-Saxons as they could possibly manage - speaking in Old English, dressing in clothes based on archaeology/old tapestries, using the titles from their warband structure, and so forth. To me, that's a little LARPier than at least modern Druidry and Wicca, but maybe the early days of both were just as LARPy, I dunno.

At the end of the day, I can't really fault folks for LARPing, it just doesn't especially appeal to me in spiritual practices.