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

[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.