Polytheism is the belief in multiple gods and goddesses. It was widely practiced in Europe in ancient times, and much is known about the Roman and Greek beliefs in many gods, as well as Norse, Druid and other cultural systems. These beliefs were widespread throughout Europe prior to the coming of Judaism and Christianity as major religions. Because the Roman Empire became spread throughout the lands, the Roman gods and goddesses also became widely known and were sometimes combined with the stories of local deities.
Polytheism also served many purposes for individuals, communities, and political leaders. It was the basis of religion, culture, power and shared understanding and it was taken fairly seriously by the people at the time. It could be a fairly powerful force in people’s lives by providing them with hope, a shared story and a reason to take action.
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"Polytheism In Ancient Europe".
For individuals the various gods and goddesses provided a spiritual belief system that served religious purposes. There was a god for war, a god for harvests and a god for love. In this way they knew what ceremonies to practice or what gods to pray to in order to achieve their desire. Different objects and needs were understand to be animated with different spirits or gods, and for people involved in different activities there would be a focus on the gods and goddesses that were more important to that area. Dairy farmers would have different needs from the gods than a military group, although they might have similar beliefs in the various gods and the stories about them. These stories also provided a way of understanding the world. For Ancient Greeks there was a common understanding that Zeus, the most powerful of the gods, was responsible for storms and events in the sky. The legends of the gods were very widespread, and so they formed a common basis for culture and understanding among the people.
Polytheism provided a common understanding for communities, as they shared these beliefs in the numerous deities. At different times of the year they would celebrate or worship different gods together, and these sometimes included feasts and other events. Polytheism was therefore a part of the community, and it provided an organized way of practicing religion and spirituality. Basically it was part of the folklore which guided the understanding of the world and the way that it worked. For that reason it was a powerful influence on culture.
For political leaders the various gods served as a means of explaining the world and its events to the people, including getting those people to do what the political leaders wanted them to. It was a way of making peasants pay their taxes or contribute to a kingdom and it was also a means of making sure that people served in the military or in the communities. Some political leaders claimed to have a direct relationship to the gods. These leaders would have a special ability to control the people, and to make determinations. Some of the Roman emperors, for example, were actually thought to be gods in human form, or to be related to the gods.
Polytheism in Ancient Europe served much the same purpose that science and marketing do today. It provided the information that people used in everyday life and it was used by persons in power to try to convince people to do more of one thing and less of another. It was used by people to make decisions, to give them hope, and to give people a shared view of the way things worked. The belief in the gods and goddesses was very powerful, and it formed the basis of common sense in the same way that our shared cultural knowledge serves that purpose today.
