Germanic Pre-Christian Beliefs

**HIC SVNT LEONES** · September 25, 2009, 02:23 AM

Could someone perhaps give me a bit of an explanation of them, or specific areas of it? Like the Norse Ways, or Anglo-Saxon's.

I've been wanting to learn a bit about it, get in touch with my ancestry, and culture. Perhaps, even to become further acquainted with it.

**~~Exarch~~** · September 25, 2009, 03:07 AM

seems to me, germanic beliefs were influenced by norse religious beliefs, wotan for instance is the germanic equivalent of thor.

**MaximiIian** · September 25, 2009, 03:18 AM

Other way around, Exarch. Scandinavian religious beliefs, as far as we can tell, was a synthesis of Continental Germanic beliefs and similar, but different, beliefs already held by the Scandinavian tribes. Although much of what we know about Continental Germanic mythology is fragmentary and based on other local varieties, like Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian mythology.
Example being Odin (Woden's Norse equivalent; Thor is the Norse interpretation of Donar); originally a deity from a mixed Celtic and Germanic tribe in the Lower Rhine, his worship spread to Continental Germanic tribes, displacing Tiwaz as chief god, which was brought to Scandinavian Germanic tribes. By the time of major contact with Christians, this had been embedded for a good few hundred years.

Anywho. There's a lot of stuff on the web, particularly wiki. Google around for info.
My knowledge on it is, admittedly, not very extensive. Though I do know a bit about it; if you ask specific questions, I might be able to help.

**Ulyaoth** · September 27, 2009, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by MaximiIian

Other way around, Exarch. Scandinavian religious beliefs, as far as we can tell, was a synthesis of Continental Germanic beliefs and similar, but different, beliefs already held by the Scandinavian tribes. Although much of what we know about Continental Germanic mythology is fragmentary and based on other local varieties, like Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian mythology.
Example being Odin (Woden's Norse equivalent; Thor is the Norse interpretation of Donar); originally a deity from a mixed Celtic and Germanic tribe in the Lower Rhine, his worship spread to Continental Germanic tribes, displacing Tiwaz as chief god, which was brought to Scandinavian Germanic tribes. By the time of major contact with Christians, this had been embedded for a good few hundred years.

Anywho. There's a lot of stuff on the web, particularly wiki. Google around for info.
My knowledge on it is, admittedly, not very extensive. Though I do know a bit about it; if you ask specific questions, I might be able to help.

I'd always thought it was the Germans came down from Scandinavia, taking their beliefs with them of course, displacing the Celts who formerly inhabited the area.

**~~Exarch~~** · September 25, 2009, 10:49 AM

ah, my mistake

thanks

be keeping an eye on this thread, am always interested in pre christian european religions

**Phalanx300** · September 25, 2009, 11:58 AM

I always found the ancient religions more interesting, especially the Germanic and Greek ones.

I'd say google it for a bit

.

**IvanTheTerrible** · September 25, 2009, 02:31 PM

They believed in the holy text of the Kama Sutra.

Hehehehe

**Copperknickers II** · September 26, 2009, 04:41 AM

No, that's the Hindus, who fyi believed that the Kama Sutra was the manual of the god of love, and following it would lead to the divine as sure as Jews believe the Torah will.

**~~Arch-hereticK~~** · September 26, 2009, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Copperknickers

No, that's the Hindus, who fyi believed that the Kama Sutra was the manual of the god of love, and following it would lead to the divine as sure as Jews believe the Torah will.

Hinduism is the oldest surviving religion so they have to have something right.

**~~Exarch~~** · September 27, 2009, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Arch-hereticK

Hinduism is the oldest surviving religion so they have to have something right.

one of
dont forget taoism, confucianism, buddhism and zoroastrianism which is said to have influenced judaism and subsequently christianity

**HIC SVNT LEONES** · September 26, 2009, 12:43 PM

Ahahahaha.

**MaximiIian** · September 27, 2009, 03:03 PM

Jainism is, IIRC, the oldest continually-active religious denomination. Hinduism is a maybe, but only if you include Vedic religion as a branch of Hinduism. I don't, though; I think of it as more of a precursor.

**HIC SVNT LEONES** · September 27, 2009, 10:47 PM

I'd very much like to become apart of this sort of belief system. I just don't want to get caught up in some sort of racial system.

**~~Exarch~~** · September 27, 2009, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by HIC SVNT LEONES

I'd very much like to become apart of this sort of belief system. I just don't want to get caught up in some sort of racial system.

i dont believe the ancient germanics attributed race to their religion; it was simply their way of explaining their own world view-their own place in the world.

**HIC SVNT LEONES** · September 27, 2009, 11:24 PM

I know, but there are.. very dumb people in the world who misuse everything. This exact thing, is one of those things. lol.

I just feel, from a cultural standpoint that this all should preserved and that life be given to it again. If none do, it will be forgotten. I just.. have been researching, and a lot of the organizations based around it are very.. well, people acting like it is DnD. Or... have some sort of racial agenda.

**MaximiIian** · September 28, 2009, 06:32 AM

I had read it was kinda both ways. The original Germanic tribes originated in Scandinavia, but some migrated south into "Germany", displacing the Celts as you said. But they developed in slightly different directions. So, Continental Germanic influence came to Scandinavia later on, bringing it full-circle. That's what I understood from what I've read. I could be wrong; like I said, my knowledge on Germanic ethnography is not very extensive.