[Teao the Cat]

Ooh, a masters(I presume!) in folklore sounds really interesting, Hylean! Now I don't feel quite so uneducated by not having more than a passing understanding of Norse lore, knowing that you make an academic study of it!

[Hylean]

(Original post by Teao the Cat)
Ooh, a masters(I presume!) in folklore sounds really interesting, Hylean! Now I don't feel quite so uneducated by not having more than a passing understanding of Norse lore, knowing that you make an academic study of it!

No, a second BA, due to taking the degree in Icelandic and having just moved I felt a BA would be a better way to make friends. MAs are traditionally more isolated degrees. I've been getting hints from lecturers that they feel I'm ready for an MA, though, which is always nice to hear.

[Etoile]

(Original post by Teao the Cat)
Ooh, a masters(I presume!) in folklore sounds really interesting, Hylean! Now I don't feel quite so uneducated by not having more than a passing understanding of Norse lore, knowing that you make an academic study of it!

I agree! I haven't had a history lesson since year 8

(Original post by Hylean)
Weirdo.

Thank you

No, but I come back every now and then to see my mum and dogs and I'm always in Waterstones. It's my favourite shop.

Oh, fair enough. I want to work there so I can get a discount

Nyah, he aggravated me when he wrote the Christians stole Easter from pagans and his basis was the fact Easter is based on a lunar calendar. He completely overlooked the Jews using a lunar calendar and Easter was always connected to Passover. That kind of sloppy work does not impress me.

But by some definitions, Judaism is also paganism? I would have thought better evidence would be the whole eggs + bunnies thing :L

Yea, they were an interesting group back then. It's no wonder that Wicca gets so lost in fluff.

I am currently studying Folkloristics and Ethnology at the University of Iceland. My first BA was in Icelandic.

That is so cool! What led you to choose Icelandic? & also, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of career are you looking at?

[Hylean]

(Original post by joanna-eve)
But by some definitions, Judaism is also paganism? I would have thought better evidence would be the whole eggs + bunnies thing :L

I've never really heard Judaism being called a pagan religion. The whole egg and bunny thing wasn't endorsed by Christianity, though. It wasn't even accepted as part of the celebration. The bunny thing is quite late, as even at the end of the 19th century, the British were talking about the Easter hare. The bunny is American. It's all a holdover from pagan beliefs which Christianity was never able to fully shake. Doesn't mean they stole Easter from pagans.

(Original post by joanna-eve)
That is so cool! What led you to choose Icelandic? & also, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of career are you looking at?

I love Iceland and wanted to move there, learning the language was the logical first step, really. I am looking at a career in academia, focussing on folklore, and being an author.

[Trigger]

I dabble but want to learn more really, there isnt anyone i can ask and i don't really want to join a group as i want to find my own way really.

[Enoch.]

so, you guys do rituals and stuff? Is there blood involved?

[Pandora.]

(Original post by ussumane)
so, you guys do rituals and stuff? Is there blood involved?

Yes, we sacrifice our pet cats to the gods every morning at 6am exactly.

Spoiler:

Show

[Etoile]

(Original post by Hylean)
I've never really heard Judaism being called a pagan religion. The whole egg and bunny thing wasn't endorsed by Christianity, though. It wasn't even accepted as part of the celebration. The bunny thing is quite late, as even at the end of the 19th century, the British were talking about the Easter hare. The bunny is American. It's all a holdover from pagan beliefs which Christianity was never able to fully shake. Doesn't mean they stole Easter from pagans.

I've heard Christians call everything apart from their own denomination pagan
Ahh but unless they are stood next to each other, could you tell the difference between a rabbit and a hare?
Absolutely. I've been to church at Easter and what they celebrate, whilst similar, is definitely not the same thing. Many cultures celebrate a resurrection at that time, to reflect nature (although I suppose in the southern hemisphere it must be during our autumn)

I love Iceland and wanted to move there, learning the language was the logical first step, really. I am looking at a career in academia, focussing on folklore, and being an author.

Sounds cool! (literally, I suppose, since Iceland is cold!)

(Original post by ussumane)
so, you guys do rituals and stuff? Is there blood involved?

Ritual, yes, but so does everyone! Church/mosque rituals, rituals when you get up in the morning, etc.
No blood. We do still have morals!

[Hravan]

(Original post by joanna-eve)


Ritual, yes, but so does everyone! Church/mosque rituals, rituals when you get up in the morning, etc.
No blood. We do still have morals!

Since when does using blood mean being immoral?

I use blood in some of my magic... (My own blood if that isn't obvious).

I also know of people (not me) who collect their menstrual blood and use it...

[Pandora.]

(Original post by Hravan)
Since when does using blood mean being immoral?

I use blood in some of my magic... (My own blood if that isn't obvious).

I also know of people (not me) who collect their menstrual blood and use it...

*faints*

[Etoile]

(Original post by Hravan)
Since when does using blood mean being immoral?

I use blood in some of my magic... (My own blood if that isn't obvious).

I also know of people (not me) who collect their menstrual blood and use it...

It doesn't to me, but I think it does to the person who asked me the question. Obviously using your own blood is fine & will strengthen your spell but the guy asked me about sacrifices, I mean seriously.
I've heard that too, on about.com ... a bit unhygenic isn't it?

[Trigger]

(Original post by joanna-eve)
I've heard Christians call everything apart from their own denomination pagan
Ahh but unless they are stood next to each other, could you tell the difference between a rabbit and a hare?
Absolutely. I've been to church at Easter and what they celebrate, whilst similar, is definitely not the same thing. Many cultures celebrate a resurrection at that time, to reflect nature (although I suppose in the southern hemisphere it must be during our autumn)




Sounds cool! (literally, I suppose, since Iceland is cold!)



Ritual, yes, but so does everyone! Church/mosque rituals, rituals when you get up in the morning, etc.
No blood. We do still have morals!

Yes, they look totally different

[Etoile]

(Original post by Trigger)
Yes, they look totally different

So if you saw the bottom one, you would immediately think 'oh look a hare!' ?

[Final Fantasy]

(Original post by Formica)
Does any of this justify supernatural beliefs though? I would agree that nature is beautiful. It's stunning, and enthralling. A snowflake isn't any less enchanting, the intricate mechanisms of the cell any less majestic, simply because there's no paranormal magic behind it.

Couldn't agree more.

[Enoch.]

(Original post by Pandora.)
Yes, we sacrifice our pet cats to the gods every morning at 6am exactly.

Spoiler:

Show

(Original post by joanna-eve)


Ritual, yes, but so does everyone! Church/mosque rituals, rituals when you get up in the morning, etc.
No blood. We do still have morals!

what kinda rituals do you guys have? What religion btw, wicca?

[Trigger]

(Original post by joanna-eve)
So if you saw the bottom one, you would immediately think 'oh look a hare!' ?

Yes i would unless it was far away or in heavy undergrowth. Seriously they act differently, they are about 3 times the size, the ears are freaking huge etc etc. Maybe its because i was brought up in the country and know a lot about wildlife but its not hard to distinguish between them.

[Etoile]

(Original post by ussumane)
what kinda rituals do you guys have? What religion btw, wicca?

Religion: eclectic paganism
Rituals: prayer every night (more of a thank you than a request), honouring the sun/moon/god/goddess, celebrating the wheel of the year, little things to make life more magical
Can't speak for everyone else though

[Etoile]

(Original post by Trigger)
Yes i would unless it was far away or in heavy undergrowth. Seriously they act differently, they are about 3 times the size, the ears are freaking huge etc etc. Maybe its because i was brought up in the country and know a lot about wildlife but its not hard to distinguish between them.

To be fair, I've never seen a hare in real life :L
I know they box and have longer ears, but that's about it.

[Pandora.]

(Original post by ussumane)
what kinda rituals do you guys have? What religion btw, wicca?

Paganism (Eclectic paganism if you want to be precise, same as joanna-eve )
I don't have particular rituals apart from celebrating the events of the Wheel of the Year. To be honest, I'm only just really finding my feet and beliefs, so I haven't got into the rhythm of it yet.

[AwsomePossum]

Mods err please change the thread title to is there any stark raving devil worshiping wierdos around?