Ireland's OWN: Myths & Magic A brief definition of the word 'Pagan' The word 'pagan' is often used pejoratively to mean 'uncivilised' in the same way that 'heathen' is used, usually by Christians. Its literal meaning is 'rural,' i.e., 'from the countryside' (pagus). The Roman soldiers used 'paganus'  contemptuously to mean civilians or non-combatants. The early Christians, thinking themselves the 'soldiers of Christ,' adopted the word 'pagani'  to mean non-Christians and non-Jewish religions, and 'barbarians.' By the fourth century, however, 'Pagan' came to mean 'those who worshipped the spirit of a given locality or pagus.' The name stuck, but developed further to where at one time Pagan was synonymous with the great Classical civilisations of Greece, Rome, Persia, etc. When Classical literature resurfaced during the European Renaissance, the literati of the time composed essays on Pagan philosophy and it came to mean anything Classical. Neo-paganism, or simply Paganism as it is known today, is a broad form of Nature Mysticism for which much is drawn from Europe's indigenous traditions. Modern Paganism seeks to reclaim the indigenous population's sacred sites, deities and festivals as well. Followers of specific paths, such as Druidry, Wicca and Asatru, seek to live a contemporary form of the older religions. Source: Jones, P and Pennick, N. A History of Pagan Europe, Routledge Group, London, 1995. Page last updated 28 Aug  2008 Website Design and Myths & Magic logo by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2008 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.