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I was just reading about how Christianity actually merged with "paganism" (a derogatory term) to some degree.
The Christians simply rebranded a lot of pagan deities as Christian saints,, and Mary merged with Artemis/Diana.
And these pagan deities were similar to Hindu gods. The ancient European religions were related to Hinduism.
BTW, I first started reading about this when I went to a Hindu temple in the East Bay with a Sri Lankan friend.
I was struck by the obvious similarity of the service to the Catholic services I grew up with: priest, alter boy, "saints" around the perimeter of the temple, chanting in unison, communion (honey and ash in this case), incense, etc.
The gods were very different, but the service was very similar to what I was familiar with.
There's a good line in the Old Testament, where God says "I am that I am."
I interpret this to mean that God is what is, ie nature, the universe, everything everywhere.
I don't actually think there is a conscious God, but it makes sense to me that you have to obey nature or it will kill you. It has commandments.
I was just reading about how Christianity actually merged with "paganism" (a derogatory term) to some degree.
The Christians simply rebranded a lot of pagan deities as Christian saints,, and Mary merged with Artemis/Diana.
And these pagan deities were similar to Hindu gods. The ancient European religions were related to Hinduism.
"pagan" religion (which lasted quite late in the Baltics).
Curonians also have the highest proportion of genetic ancestry from West European hunter gatherers (over 60%), who are the original inhabitants of Europe, before ME farmers and Indo Europeans
I was under the impression that the Basque people are a remnant of the original inhabitants of Europe.
I was under the impression that the Basque people are a remnant of the original inhabitants of Europe.
The rural Irish are still obviously pagan in a lot of ways in spite of being devoutly Catholic. They have holy wells, holy trees, etc, with adapted legends to Christianize them.
Midsummer festivals
At sunset on June 23rd, another of the ancient fire festivals begins. This midsummer festival was known as St. John's Eve, or Bonfire Night, and not that long ago, it was a wide-spread tradition throughout Ireland.
The following description is edited from a piece written in 1943 by an old schoolmaster who lived in West Limerick:
"...old people of thirty years ago and more remembered how the fire used to be lit exactly at sunset and had to be watched and tended until long after midnight. Prayers use to be said to obtain God's blessing on the crops, then at the peak-point of summer bloom.
At sunset on June 23rd, another of the ancient fire festivals begins. This midsummer festival was known as St. John's Eve, or Bonfire Night, and not that long ago, it was a wide-spread tradition throughout Ireland.
The most important and widespread Midsummer tradition is the lighting of huge bonfires.
Its a long video. But the presenter gave nice explanation how christians killed of rome and other pagans and muslims killed off christians and other pagans.
Also explains how India stayed hindu because hindus were a cash cow who paid more taxes rather than convert.