Do Runes make a Heathen?

Question

Open to All :)

I thought this may be an interesting question, based on a vid I saw last night...

Runes: Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, Elder / Younger... yadda yadda....

If there are Runes used in the Culture, rather than geographic location, would that categorize the Heathen from the Pagan?

Example: Ogham & SaxonRunes... same general locations, but, 2 different cultures.

Answer 1

Using the modern religious meanings of the words "Heathen" and "Pagan" I would suggest that the cultural groups that produced the Ogham and Runic character sets are distinct.  Runes would have been used on the North American continent during the Viking settlement but the indigenous faith would have that of the original tribal groups.  The rune users would have been Heathen but this does not mean that the other peoples of the geographic area were.  A Heathen grave has been found in Sweden with a horde of silver coins, some of which were from Babylon but that is no indication that the dead woman was an early Muslim, she was Heathen.

Runes were extensively used for Christian Rune Stones and other ecclesiastic monuments throughout Scandinavia so these users would not have been Heathen, (although descended from a Heathen culture).  Ogham was used by the Celts and the Picts (very distinct and seperate peoples) , these people were very much Pagan in modern terms.

The archaeological evidence points towards character sets being dependant on culture (and descendant cultures) not location as the written languages travelled with the culture during migrations.  However one piece of jewellery with a runic inscription in a grave should not automatically lead the investigator to believe that the grave contains a Heathen as our ancestor's trading travels were extensive with "chop silver" or jewellery being the main currency.  

It can be seen from the sagas that our polytheist ancestors were happy to live with and trade with any religion or culture quite unlike our monotheist ancestors who worked hard to destroy the cohabiting cultures.

Answer 2

Noddy answered it pretty well. I'll just add one more thing, concerning the etymology of "pagan" and "heathen":

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Linguistically, the word pagan derives from the Latin word "paganus", which means "a villager", or a "country dweller". Romans in the big cities, who had already accepted Christianity, used this derogatory term to described simple farmer folk who lived in the countryside and still practised the old polytheistic religion. Back then, anybody not Christian was considered a barbarian, a lesser being.

Historically, the different synonyms for a "pagan" were almost always used in the derogatory way, meaning an infidel, heretic or an unbeliever. Look for example at the term "heathen". Heathen is yet another word like pagan. Heathen means "people of the heath (hearth)", and nowadays it is used to signify pagans that follow one of the norse/germanic pagan paths.

The Latin word "Pagus" means a village, and while the majority of Pagans today live in towns, this term nowadays accurately describes the Pagan heritage, and the affinity which modern Pagans feel with the natural environment.

Reconstructionisms are original polytheistic religions of old that either survived or we are trying to restore them in the form as they were practised before Christianity came. Recons don't just study the gods, but also the culture of the people who practised the old religion, and often try to re-enact both.

Heathen reconstruist beliefs include (but not limited to):  Asatru, Odinism, Theodism, Anglo-Saxon Heathenry, Irminsweg - Germanic Heathenry, Finnish Heathenry, Lombard Heathenry... and I'm sure I forgot some.

Answer 3

i believe noddy-t summed it up

Answer 4

No.

Writing in runes means your people can write. That is a good thing.

Using runes (or anything else) in an attempt to cast spells or any other type of magick makes one a heathen. That is a bad thing.