Uralic neopaganism
Uralic neopaganism encompasses
Among the Finnic peoples of the
Religions
Estonian native religion
The Estonian native religion (Estonian: Maausk, literally "Native Religion" or "Land's Faith"),[3] or Estonian Neopaganism, is the name, in English, for a grouping of contemporary revivals (often called "Neopagan", although adherents of Estonian native religion generally don't use the term[4]) of the indigenous Pagan religion of the Estonian people.
It encompasses "Taaraism" (Estonian: Taarausk literally "Taara Faith"),[5] a monistic religion centered on god Tharapita founded in 1928 by intellectuals as a national religion; and Maausk[5] as a much broader definition of "Native Faith", encompassing grassroots movements of local gods worship, nature worship and earth worship.[4] Both the kinds of the movement are administered by the Maavalla Koda organisation. According to a 2002 survey, 11% of the population of Estonia claim that "out of all the religions they have the warmest feelings towards Taaraism and Maausk".[6]
Finnish native religion
The Finnish native religion (
There are two main organisations of the religion, the "Association of Finnish Native Religion" (Suomalaisen kansanuskon yhdistys ry) based in
Hungarian native religion
The Hungarian Native Faith (
The boundaries between Hungarian Native Faith groups are often traced along their differing ideas about the
and other cultures.Mari native religion
The Mari native religion (
The Mari religion is based on the worship of the forces of nature, which man must honour and respect. Before the spread of monotheistic teachings amongst the Mari, they worshipped many gods (the jumo, a word cognate to the Finnish Jumala), while recognising the primacy of a "Great God", Kugu Jumo. In the 19th century, influenced by monotheism, the Pagan beliefs altered and the image of a Osh Kugu Jumo, literally "Great God of Light", was strengthened.
Subject to persecution in the Soviet Union, the faith has been granted official status since the 1990s by the government of Mari El, where it is recognized as one of the three traditional faiths along with Orthodox Christianity and Islam. Some activists claim that the Mari native religion believers are subject to pressure by Russian authorities as part of a wider campaign to Russify Mari culture. Vitaly Tanakov, an adherent of the faith, was charged with inciting religious, national, social and linguistic hatred after publishing the book The Priest Speaks.[17]
Mordvin native religion
The Mordvin native religion, also called Erzyan native religion, or Mordvin-Erzyan Neopaganism, is the modern revival of the ethnic religion of the
The
According to scholar Victor Schnirelmann 2% of the Mordvins adhere to the Mordvin native faith.[20] Adherents of the Erzyan Mastor organisation organise the Ras'ken' Ozks (Mordvin for: "Native Prayer"), a national Mordvin worship service held yearly, with participation also of members of the Mastorava organisation and other ones.[21][22][23]
Udmurt Vosh
Udmurt Vosh (Udmurt: Удмурт Вось, literally "Udmurt Faith") is the ethnic religious revival of the Udmurts, a Volga Finnic ethnic group mostly inhabiting their republic within Russia, that is Udmurtia. Amongst the Udmurts, as in other Finnic republics in the Volga region, the revival of Paganism is inextricably intertwined with the revival of national-ethnic culture and awareness.[24]
The Udmurtian Pagan revival circles sprang out of the Demen (Udmurt for "Society") movement which was established in December 1989 for the protection and restoration of the Udmurt ethnic culture.[19] Udmurt Vos as an institution was founded in 1994.[25]
According to 2012 statistics, 2% of the population of Udmurtia adheres to forms of Paganism. Victor Schnirelmann reported an adherence of 4% for the Udmurts alone.
The Uralic Communion
The Uralic Communion was founded in 2001 with the aim of facilitating joint work among adherents of the Uralic native religions. Founding members of the Communion include:
- the Estonian Native Religions;
- the Mari native religion organisation Oshmari – Chimari;
- Mari native religion;
- Erzya native religion celebration Ras'ken' Ozks;
- the Association of Finnish Native Religion.[26]
See also
- Baltic Neopaganism
- Caucasian Neopaganism
- Sámi shamanism
- Slavic Neopaganism
- Tengrism
- Zalmoxianism
References
- ^ Schnirelmann, pp. 199-209
- ^ Schnirelmann, p. 202
- ^ Maavalla Koda. The Estonian Native Religion.
- ^ a b Jüri Toomepuu. Maausk, the belief system of indigenous Estonians. Presentation at KLENK 2011, published on January 7, 2012. St. Petersburg, Florida.
- ^ New York Times. Some Estonians return to pre-Christian animist traditions. Quote: «Craving an authentic national faith, Estonians have been drawn to the animistic religions that preceded Christianity: Taarausk, or Taaraism, whose god was worshiped in forest groves, and Maausk, which translates as "faith of the earth".»
- ^ Ahto Kaasik. Old Estonian Religion Archived 2011-08-11 at the Wayback Machine. Maavalla Koda.
- ^ Arola 2010, p. 26
- ^ a b Uskonnot Suomessa. Suomalaisen kansanuskon yhdistys ry.
- ^ Uskonnot Suomessa. Taivaannaula ry.
- ^ Maavalla Koda, "Uralic Communion" section. Quote: «In 10214 (2001) Maavalla Koda together with the representatives of Finnish (Suomen kansanuskon yhdistus ry.), Mari (Osh mari Chi mari and Sorta) and Erzya indigenous religions founded the Uralic Communion. The aim of the Uralic Communion is to establish contacts between different indigenous religions and to contribute to the maintenance and strengthening of these religions.»
- ^ Szilárdi 2013, pp. 230–231.
- ^ Kolozsi 2012, pp. 36–62.
- ^ Kolozsi 2012, p. 66.
- ^ Kolozsi 2012, pp. 37–38.
- ^ Kolozsi 2012, pp. 43–47.
- ^ Vladimir Napolskikh. Notes at the Margins: Neopaganism in Eurasia. // Eurasian Journal / Acta Eurasica. Number 1. Moscow, 2002.
- ^ Alexander Verkhovsky. Anti-Extremist Legislation and Its Enforcement. SOVA, 2007.
- ^ Filatov, Sergei; Shchipkov, Aleksandr. p. 234
- ^ a b Schnirelmann, p. 206
- ^ Schnirelmann, p. 208
- ^ Republic of Mordovia. В селе Чукалы прошел эрзянский праздник "Раськень Озкс".
- ^ Uralistica News. Мордовские СМИ молчат о празднике «Эрзянь Раськень Озкс».
- ^ 2013-це иень «Раськень озкс». vaigel.ru.
- ^ Filatov-Shchipkov, 1997, p. 177
- ^ Taagepera p. 279
- ^ Declaration of the Uralic Communion
Bibliography
- Arola, Iiro: "Ni sit mä tajusin, et on muitakin kuin minä” – Suomenuskoisten sosiaalinen identiteetti. pro gradu -opinnäytetyö. Helsingin yliopisto/ Teologinen tiedekunta, 2010. Teoksen verkkoversio.
- Arola, Iiro: Suomenuskoiset erottautuvat muista uuspakanoista. Teologia.fi. 21.1.2011.
- Filatov, Sergei; Shchipkov, Aleksandr. Religious Developments among the Volga Nations as a Model for the Russian Federation. Religion, State & Society, Vol. 23, No. 3, 1995.
- Filatov, Sergei; Shchipkov Alexander. Udmurtia: Orthodoxy, Paganism, Authority. Religion, State & Society, Vol. 25, No. 2, 1997.
- Napolskikh, Vladimir: Заметки на полях книги «Неоязычество на просторах Евразии» // Acta Eurasica. 2002. № 1.
- Rein Taagepera. The Finno-Ugric Republics and the Russian State. C. Hurst & Co, UK, 1999.
- Schnirelmann, Victor: “Christians! Go home”: A Revival of Neo-Paganism between the Baltic Sea and Transcaucasia. Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2002.
External links
- Maavalla Koda (Estonia)
- Mari Native Religion (Mari-El)
- Erzyan Mastor (Mordovia)
- Taivaannaula (Finland)
- Udmurt Vos (Udmurtia)