Greek mythology?

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Jelena L.

Paganism, the term refers not just to greek mythology but to all other folk mythologies, and includes some practices and believes related to it.
Neopaganism - adopting of ancient cultures, mythologies, etc. into beliefs and practices of modern people, and so you have, among other, Neodruid, Wicca, and ancient greek paganism - people who actually call themselves pagans and practice those rituals depending on which mythology, e.g. which polytheistic religion they choose.

The Stainless Steel Rat

Oh but the Greeks did have a name for it they called it the "Î”Ï‰Î´ÎµÎºÎ¬Î¸ÎµÎ¿" Literally the "Twelve-gods" There are still followers of this religion in Greece, very few but still around.

Interestingly, there are those who still practice the worship of Zeus and there is a "high priestess" of the group. Attaching info taken from a BBC writeup in January:

Worshippers who believe in the 12 gods of ancient Greece have held a ceremony at the Temple of Zeus in Athens.

This is a landmark event to celebrate official recognition of their religion by a court last year.

The Greek Orthodox Church has said they are miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion.

But the ceremony went ahead, with crowds watching priests and priestesses, who said the event was a symbol of their civic rights.

In 2003, white-clad worshippers performed an illicit ceremony at the Temple of Hephaestus, just below the Acropolis.

At that time they were chased off the site by ministry of culture staff.

Despite vigorous opposition from the highly conservative Greek Orthodox Church, a court last year officially recognised the revived ancient Greek religion.

The worshippers are loyal to Zeus and the other Olympians
One of its leaders, Doretta Peppa, a writer who calls herself a high priestess, told the BBC the temples were built to respect the gods and now they were going to be put to their proper use.

Ms Peppa said she had been given official permission to use the temple, but there were fears that the culture ministry, which administers the site, might give way to pressure from the church.

The president of the Association of Greek Clergymen, Father Efstathios Kollas, has described the followers of the Olympic gods as a handful of miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion who wish to return to the monstrous dark delusions of the past.

Ms Peppa and her followers aspire to have the rights afforded to Britain's druids who worship at Stonehenge, and Danish believers in Thor and the Nordic gods who are allowed to perform marriages, baptisms and funerals.

emiliosailez

All religions are in reality a series of myths and allegories intented to guide one's life. (and to control it and that of the masses). To believe in any supreme abstract beings called god or gods requires a leap of faith rather than rational, orthological thinking. All the Myths are extremely important in the ethos and development of a society, being ancient Mythologies or modern ones like Christianity.
The ancient Greek Myths are vital in understanding the greatest civilization developed on earth and indicate the freedom of the human spirit, unimpeded by dogmas.
Perhaps the greatest contribution of the Greeks was that they were able to seperate that which they observed (science) to that which they believed, unlike the Christian Myths that have traditionally severely impeded scientific observation and development. (The Catholic church "forgave" Galileo Galilei....6 years ago)
Inspired by the ancient Mythology, Greek Christian Orthodoxy has been far more "tolerant" than other Christianities, untill recent years. The rebirth of the ancient gods is a reaction to the insanities of the current church and an attempt to revive the ancient spirit of curiosity about our world.
Do keep in mind that all religions do serve a purpose but beware not to miss the poetry for the prose.

Good Deeds

The Olympians lived on Mount Olympus and no they haven't practise this for over 2 Milena.

steelerspride24

The Greeks didn't have a term for their religion but they reffered to it as "ta theia" meaning things having to do with the gods. I don't think they are still practised because of the influx of christianity.

eviot44

well to all of you 7-8 only one is correct so far today's dodekatheon called ypaton synedrion ellinon ethinikon. go to ysee.gr to find out what the christian religion has brought to Europeans and to the world they are more then 10.000 in Greece Australia Europe and Canada and they nothing to do with witches or wiccans or magic they just try to resurrect the magic that was Greece thru the years Christianity kill the most of old Greeks but they were in Peloponnese and south of Sparta..

j12

They are Greek Orthodox, but there are also Muslims & Jews in Greece.

needing help

no it's not practiced any more, the majority of greeks are orthodox. there was no name for the religion of the 12 Gods

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