{"id":5710,"date":"2013-06-24T01:52:45","date_gmt":"2013-06-24T07:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=5710"},"modified":"2013-06-24T09:46:21","modified_gmt":"2013-06-24T15:46:21","slug":"polish-pagans-plan-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=5710","title":{"rendered":"Polish Pagans Hold Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scott Simpson, co-editor of Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe<\/em>, <\/em><\/a>is quoted in an article on Polish Paganism in a June 18, 2013 article in Rzeczpospolita,\u00a0<\/em>one of Poland’s largest daily newspapers.<\/a><\/p>\n

He offers this translation:<\/p>\n

Polish Pagans Combine Their Strength<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Three Polish Pagans (Rzeczpospolita newspaper).<\/p><\/div>\n

At their first congress in years, the followers of the old beliefs will try to overcome their theological differences.<\/p>\n

Making harvest offerings to the gods, jumping through bonfires and releasing wreathes [into running water] \u2014 that\u2019s how Rodzimowiercy, the followers of the old Pagan beliefs, will celebrate Kupala [Summer Solstice]. Poland’s largest celebration in a chram, the temple at Pruszkow in Mazowia, will begin on Thursday. The culmination falls on the shortest night of the year \u2014 from 21 to 22 June.<\/p>\n

Pre-Christian beliefs started to return in the 1980s, and the Pagans say that the followers of their religion is growing. In August, in Ł\u00f3dz the first National Convention of Rodzimowierczy <\/a>will be held. “From the point of view of this milieu, this is a breakthrough,” Scott Simpson, a scholar of religion from the Jagiellonian University tells Rzeczpospolita.<\/p>\n

Polish Pagans celebrate six major holidays, most of them related to dates marking changes in the length of the day. On the spring equinox they celebrate Jare Gody, Dozynki [harvest] marks the beginning of autumn, and Swięto God\u00f3w – the beginning of winter. Added to this Dziady [Forefathers’ Eve], in memory of the dead, which is celebrated twice,\u00a0 in spring and autumn.<\/p>\n

The most important role, however, is played by Święto Kupaly [Midsummer Night]. Pagan rites will be celebrated, among others in Warsaw, Szczecin, Wrocław, Opole, Poznan, Ł\u00f3dż and Sopot.<\/p>\n

Ratomir Wilkowski, who is a żerca<\/em>, that is, a Slavic priest of the Native Polish Church tells Rzeczpospolita that the biggest celebration near Pruszkow expects some [missing number] participants. “A similar turnout came last year. However, more and more people are asking about the celebration,” he adds.<\/p>\n

How many Rodzimowierc\u00f3w are there in Poland? Scott Simpson says that there are around two thousand committed followers.”But there is a much broader periphery of supporters. I think that the number is growing, although not as rapidly as it was in the 90s,\u2019”he says.<\/p>\n

However, recently the Pagans have done much to integrate their movement.<\/p>\n

They have managed to reactivate the Gniazdo periodical dedicated to their religion. The next step will be to organize the Congress for several communities in Ł\u00f3dż. One of the speakers will be author Witold Jablonski, who recently published a novel [Słowo i Miecz] about the Pagan uprising in the eleventh century in Poland.<\/p>\n

In the registry of the Ministry of Administration and Digitization there are currently four religious Rodzimowiersto organisations: the Polish Slavic Church, Native Faith, Slavic Faith and the Native Polish Church. They try to find the principles of the faith of their ancestors in historical sources. They believe in the gods, who are identified with the forces of nature. Mother Earth is Mokosh, the Sky \u2014 Swiatowid, the Sun \u2014 Svarog, and Lightning \u2014 Perun.<\/p>\n

However, there have arisen theological differences between the adherents. “Some Rodzimowiercy claim that their religion can be combined with other faiths. I think that is unacceptable. I am counting on the congress helping to dispel theological doubts,” says Stanislaw Potrzebowski of Native Faith.<\/p>\n

Why are Poles going back to pre-Christian beliefs? Religious Studies Professor Zbigniew Pasek argues that the reason is the desire to seek alternatives to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. “For these people, it is not credible today. The claim that we Slavs will never regain our identity if we do not go back to our roots, rejecting foreign gods, falls on fertile ground,” he explains.<\/p>\n

The scholar adds that many people get involved in the Neopagan movement, because they are drawn to participation in the reconstruction [re-enactment] of history. Ratomir Wilkowski argues that his faith is authentic.<\/p>\n

“We’re not a bunch of lunatics running around half-naked in the woods. If we did not believe in it we would not create religious organisations,” he assures.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To which he adds, “Again, the journalist (relatively harmlessly) made my vague hedging answer into something short and punchy that I didn\u2019t really say. ”\u00a0 So it goes!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scott Simpson, co-editor of Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe, is quoted in an article on Polish Paganism in a June 18, 2013 article in Rzeczpospolita,\u00a0one of Poland’s largest daily newspapers. He offers this translation: Polish Pagans Combine Their Strength At their first congress in years, the followers of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[131,5,218],"class_list":["post-5710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-europe","tag-paganism","tag-poland"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6xQTg-1u6","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3102,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=3102","url_meta":{"origin":5710,"position":0},"title":"Religion and Foodways","author":"Chas S. 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