Ancient Religions in a Lost and Forgotten World Part I
1. Pagan
A polytheistic religion without a name, Finnish paganism was the original religion of Finland until Christianity came . Developed from shamanism, including ancestor worship. In this religion there is an assumption that inanimate objects have a soul and animate . The main deity in this religion is Ukko , the god of the sky and the god of thunder . Meanwhile, her feast day, held on April 4th, is one of the most important dates in their calendar.
A Painting Depicting Pagan Celebrations
2. Canaanite religion
Also unnamed, this is the religion of the Canaanites, natives of the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River . For thousands of years, the only evidence that existed was that this religion was a mixture of the Torah and the Bible, which were the constant enemies of Israel . However, between 1927 and 1937, a number of Canaanite tablets were found on the north coast of Syria. This religion was polytheistic with a number of gods, the most prominent among them being El, the supreme god, Baal and his son , the god of thunder and the god of rain . one of the most popular myth is that of a fight between Baal and Mot ( god of death ). Baal challenges Mot to cause a drought. In this battle Baal was defeated and captured. All the other gods , led by El, unite to free Baal. Anat, the virgin goddess of war , eventually went into the underworld to kill Mot and free Baal. The influence of a number of neighboring sects, the Israeli conquest and other religious pressures made this religion disappear completely.
A Symbol In Pagan Religion
3. Athens m
Introduced by Pharaoh Akhenaten who is also known as A menhotep IV of Egypt . Atenism was the monotheistic religion which was designated as the official religion of Egypt during his reign (after Amenhotep's death, old beliefs gradually returned ). Aten is an Egyptian god
mso-ansi-language: IN;">sera the traditional name for the sun . At first, Atenism had one other Egyptian god but over time this god disappeared . In this belief only Akhenaten could speak to Aten .In fact, during Akhenaten's reign in Egypt , some of the old beliefs still existed . Therefore, when Akhenaten died, the transition of the Egyptian people's beliefs could take place easily. An Ancient Tablet found in the early 20th century states that Akhenaten was obsessed with his new religion especially after the death of his beloved wife, Queen Nefertiti . Akhenaten was the father of Tutankhamun, or Tutankhaten . A number of hymns were composed during Akhenaten's reign .
4. Minoan religion
It is a polytheistic religion without a name and is the religion of the Minoan people - Island of Crete . This religion has a lot to do with nature, as bull skins and horns have been found during various excavations. There is even evidence to suggest the ancient Minoans may have had contests resembling modern rodeos , in which they attempted to chase a bull and ride it . Like many ancient religions, there are no text guides and much of the information is derived from cave paintings and archaeological discoveries. Main deity in religionMinoan is actually a nature goddess who takes the form of a woman . This makes the Minoan religion one of several matriarchal religions ( actually there are several male gods but their role is usually less than that of the female gods ). Besides the bull , snakes and double-headed axes play an integral part in the rituals. During recent excavations, evidence has been found which seems to imply that human sacrifices were made.
5. Mithraisme
Mithraism was brought to Europe from its Persian roots after the conquests of Alexander the Great . This flow was very popular among Roman soldiers and even became one of the ancient Roman mystery cults and this religious sect was restricted to the public and secret. Mithras as known to the Romans, was the Persian sun god of the sun. Not many texts have survived on Mithraism. Most of what can be known about this religion comes from the ruins of the temples. Most of the sect's temples were located underground and were built at low cost. Some devotees prefer to create a new shrine whenever an old one is discovered. One of the most important dates in their calendar was December 25 which was recognized as Mithras' birthday. Because of this some people believe that Christianity is an evolution of this religion, although there is not enough evidence.
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