When did paganism begin?

Question

Also, was it the main religion in Europe or just in Great Britain

Anything you can tell me about the history of paganism would be great b/c I'm writing an essay about how pagan tales were changed to be more Christian

thanks

Answer 1

answer: from the days of the cave

modern paganism has roots predating contact with Christianity and each region of the world had its unique form of paganism.  Many of which are being revived/expanded today.

For example - paganism originating in Europe you'll find: Heathenism, Asatru, Theodism, Baltic paganism, Slavic paganism, Wicca, Strega witchcraft, Shamanism, Lapplander paganism, Finnish paganism, Celtic paganism, Druidism, Welsh paganism, Pictish paganism, etc.  The trick is finding the original paganism without the outside influence.

For an example of pagan tales being heavily influenced by Christianity - check out the myth of Baldur from the Norse myths.  You'll see the comparison immediately.

Answer 2

When man first started to evolve, he used religion to understand the earth and the elements, the weather, the seasons etc.  The planet was female because she "gave" life to man. Having this "knowledge" also gave man a sort of power over his environment.

As the human race expanded, and migrated, those basic ideas grew and developed. All races had their own variation.

Paganism is not only linked to Europe or Great Britain. Australian Aboriginals have many deities, as do the American Indians, Asia, Indians etc. All cultures/races in the world started off as pagans.

Answer 3

Long before Chrisitanity.

In fact, at one time all people were Pagan. The monotheistic religions began about 3500 years ago, first in Egypt (during the reign of Akhenaten) and then spread to Israel about 100 years later, before spreading over most  of the world  in the following millennia

Answer 4

"Paganism" began when ancient men & women looked around them and began to ask "WHY?".  It is a term that today means a religion that is not Christian, Jewish or Islamic, and includes many of the "Old Ways" of Europe, such as those of the Celtic & Norse peoples.  However, there are articles out that folks are finding goddess statues from ancient Arabic peoples as well, so in some ways "Pagan" refers to ALL of the ancient tribes who worshiped the DIVINE when they split it into gods & goddesses, spirits, good & evil, etc.  The modern form of "Paganism" has it's roots from many places, most of which pre-date the Bible.

Answer 5

Thousands of years before Christianity, or Judaeism.

Answer 6

With Cain in  Eden... God gave a set way of worshiping him... he went and did his own thing!    Tada - Paganism!!!

Answer 7

Paganism is not a single religion but a kind of religion, the earliest and most-widespread religion on earth. although its numbers today, except for Hinduism, are not huge.  The Celts were a civilized tribal group that occupied all of northern Europe during the time of the Roman Empire.  Shamanism has been practiced by the many tribes of native Americans, the Australian Aborigines, and countless tribes and backwoods Siberian communities even today.  Today, primitive pagan practices continue across the world even as what we call neo-paganism is beginning to grow as the religion of the earth and her children.  But neo-paganism also is a category of religions that includes modern revivals of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Celtic, and Nordic religions from early western history, as well as wicca (witchcraft) and new religions like the Church of All Worlds, which is inspired by a science fiction novel.

As everyone has been telling you, paganism is as old as humanity... and in my pagan heart, it is as old as the earth herself.  Blessed Be!

Bran th' Blessed

Answer 8

you can  sum up the beginning of paganism as being the beginning of man's asking questions about the world around him. It's been here since time began and is still going strong today. many of the christian traditions are taken directly from pagan rituals and celebrations as a means to assimilate pagan peoples into christian societies. the celebrations of easter and of christmas in particular coincide with the pagan celebrations of the solstices and other also fall onto the celebrations of the equinoxes.

paganism has had many faces over the years and was found anywhere man was found. it wasn't called paganism by the practitioners butt rather by their christian counterparts. so the name paganism is relatively new historically speaking. from my own studies i have found that many of the druidic celebrations were adapted into christian celebrations as a way of winning over the celtic nations but that would be a very narrow view.

hit the books and dig deep and i truly wish you the best in your research. it won't be easy but then again, nothing worth doing ever is, is it?

blessed be.

Answer 9

Paganism is from the Latin word Paganus. Paganus also gives us the modern word Peasant.

Paganism is what people believe out in the country - what the Farmers believe, what the hicks believe. Religion is what people believe in the city.

Since farmers always come before cities paganism was the original religion.

But paganism was never a single religion - all the farmers believed different sorts of stuff.

Answer 10

Paganism is not a single religion, it is an umbrella term for all non Jude-Christian and Muslim beliefs. Paganism began before recorded history, and was a dominant religion everywhere at one point. Greece, Rome, Great Britain, etc.

For an example of Pagan tales turned Christian, try comparing the goddess Brigid with St. Brigid, (sometimes spelled Brighid) one of the patron saints of Ireland.  

Answer 11

It has always been.

Answer 12

There is a book called "The Source" by James Michener, it is about a fictional archaeological dig in Israel where artifacts going back to the dawn of religion are unearthed, and a story is told relating with each artifact--about the people of the time and how they lived and how they worshiped.  It is an incredibly good book.  Although the title on the surface refers to a source of water, it more truthfully relates to the source of religion itself--and that includes paganism, Judiaism, Christianity, and Islam.  It is a rather long book, it is time consuming to read but if you are looking for a history of religion that is a truly compelling story, this is definitely a book you need to read.  

Answer 13

Back in the days of the cavemen, way before Christians were even thought of. Thank Goddess for that

Answer 14

Paganism began when men asked the first question : " What a Beautiful World , who made it ? "  

Answer 15

Paganism began in prehistory. It was world wide.  

Answer 16

Paganism is what Christians called any religion that was not theirs. That covers a lot of different religions. Now if you are talking about pre christian religions, you best look them up in books because the answers you get here will be both right and wrong, and are mostly unreliable and confusing. I do wish you luck on your report though.

Answer 17

At the same time that humanity began.

Answer 18

Paganism includes all the non-Abrahamic religions.

So, it began the very first time that somebody wondered how something came to be/how something worked/why we're here and decided to blame it all on a divine creator.