Crypto-Paganism
Encyclopedia
Crypto-Pagans are pagan
and neoplatonic
groups that have had to pretend to be members of a mandated or mainstream religion while secretly practicing their true religion.
, many American neopagans conceal their practices in daily life to avoid being ostracized or persecuted. Traditionally, the Wiccan Laws
suggested hiding symbols, ceremonies and altars in plain sight, suggesting innocuous replacements for traditional magical tools. Among modern guides, City Magick, an urban pagan's manual published in 2001, gives examples of how to hide a pagan altar at your home or at work, using items such as letter openers, paper weights, and coffee cups and relaxation candles in the place of the traditional sword, stone, goblet and candle.
; they have gone underground to avoid persecution from the dominant Muslim
s. This can perhaps be seen in opposition to Europe, wherein pagan groups have simply been eliminated (short of recent revivals, such as the Ásatrú
, and in Neo-druidism
and Neopaganism
), while some pagan traditions (e.g. New Year's Day
) have been absorbed into mainstream Christianity. In many cases, Pagan customs and traditions have simply syncretized
in mainstream Christianity, such as into cults of various saint
s – the old deities have been identified with the various saints. In South America, with the aggressive evangelizing of state sponsored Christianity and the suppression of native religions, there have also, arguably, been some crypto-pagan groups.
Generally crypto-pagans in the Middle East have adopted Arabic
and Islamic terminology as part of their cover. Equally often, the laity knows little about the religion, which is kept as a mystery for priests and people who have undergone initiation
.
The precise theology of many of these religions is still kept a closely guarded secret to this day, and the groups themselves will provide disinformation
to further their secrecy. Additionally, as with Crypto-Judaism
, all the members of the group might not recognize their traditions as being pre-Islamic. The secret traditions can become so tightly guarded, the traditions so aggrandized or altered via oral transmission, that not even the practicers can recognize the origin.
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and neoplatonic
Neoplatonism
Neoplatonism , is the modern term for a school of religious and mystical philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonists, with its earliest contributor believed to be Plotinus, and his teacher Ammonius Saccas...
groups that have had to pretend to be members of a mandated or mainstream religion while secretly practicing their true religion.
Neopaganism
Given the high Christian religiosity of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, many American neopagans conceal their practices in daily life to avoid being ostracized or persecuted. Traditionally, the Wiccan Laws
Wiccan Laws
The Wiccan Laws, also called the Craft Laws, the Old Laws, the Ardanes or simply The Laws are the traditional laws of Wicca from the Book of Shadows...
suggested hiding symbols, ceremonies and altars in plain sight, suggesting innocuous replacements for traditional magical tools. Among modern guides, City Magick, an urban pagan's manual published in 2001, gives examples of how to hide a pagan altar at your home or at work, using items such as letter openers, paper weights, and coffee cups and relaxation candles in the place of the traditional sword, stone, goblet and candle.
Practices
Many crypto-pagan sects exist in the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
; they have gone underground to avoid persecution from the dominant Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. This can perhaps be seen in opposition to Europe, wherein pagan groups have simply been eliminated (short of recent revivals, such as the Ásatrú
Ásatrú
is a form of Germanic neopaganism which developed in the United States from the 1970s....
, and in Neo-druidism
Neo-Druidism
Neo-Druidism or Neo-Druidry, commonly referred to as Druidism or Druidry by its adherents, is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment...
and Neopaganism
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
), while some pagan traditions (e.g. New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
) have been absorbed into mainstream Christianity. In many cases, Pagan customs and traditions have simply syncretized
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
in mainstream Christianity, such as into cults of various saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s – the old deities have been identified with the various saints. In South America, with the aggressive evangelizing of state sponsored Christianity and the suppression of native religions, there have also, arguably, been some crypto-pagan groups.
Generally crypto-pagans in the Middle East have adopted Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and Islamic terminology as part of their cover. Equally often, the laity knows little about the religion, which is kept as a mystery for priests and people who have undergone initiation
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
.
The precise theology of many of these religions is still kept a closely guarded secret to this day, and the groups themselves will provide disinformation
Disinformation
Disinformation is intentionally false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. For this reason, it is synonymous with and sometimes called black propaganda. It is an act of deception and false statements to convince someone of untruth...
to further their secrecy. Additionally, as with Crypto-Judaism
Crypto-Judaism
Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; practitioners are referred to as "crypto-Jews"...
, all the members of the group might not recognize their traditions as being pre-Islamic. The secret traditions can become so tightly guarded, the traditions so aggrandized or altered via oral transmission, that not even the practicers can recognize the origin.
See also
- AlawiteAlawiteThe Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group centred in Syria who are a branch of Shia Islam.-Etymology:...
- Crypto-ChristianityCrypto-ChristianityCrypto-Christianity commonly refers to the secret practice of the Christian religion, usually while attempting to camouflage it as another faith or observing the rituals of another religion publicly...
- Crypto-IslamCrypto-IslamCrypto-Islam is the secret adherence to Islam while publicly professing to be of another faith; people who practice crypto-Islam are referred to as "crypto-Muslims"...
- Forced conversionForced conversionA forced conversion is the religious conversion or acceptance of a philosophy against the will of the subject, often with the threatened consequence of earthly penalties or harm. These consequences range from job loss and social isolation to incarceration, torture or death...
- YazdânismYazdânismYazdânism is a neologism introduced by Mehrdad Izady in 1992 to denote a group of native Kurdish monotheistic religions: Alevism, Yarsan and Yazidism....
External links
- Jones "The Roman Economy" – Section with crypto-pagans and neo-platonic faiths