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I looked it up just to be sure: > A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventio
by fogihujy 6y ago
I looked it up just to be sure:
> A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
Based on the article, this seems to have been the dominant religion in the area. Norse and Rus ship burials are fairly well-documented so I must agree with the grandparent: using the word cult seems quite derogative.
- eloisius 6y agoI don’t think the modern usage of the word cult is the only one though. In literature about polytheistic or shamanistic cultures you’ll often encounter the word “cult” without it being derogatory. Like “Cult of Dionysius” or Mazu cult. It’s just a word that has to be understood in context.
- naruvimama 6y agoA good test would be to use "Cult of Jesus" or "Cult of Mohammed" - either of which are actually historically/theologically accurate terms. I bet that would set few heads rolling, figuratively and perhaps literally.
- eloisius 6y agoThey make sense to me. Especially early or pre-establishment Christianity. They were a “cult of Jesus” within the context of both Judaism and Roman religious life.
- 52-6F-62 6y agoVery much so. They had to operate literally underground and use codified signals and emblems to avoid prosecution (social or otherwise).
- fogihujy 6y agoThere's nothing suggesting that this burial site was used by people who weren't Norse pagans like most other people in areas settled by the Norse at that time. Your point would have been accurate if this find had indicated a cult of Odin or something, and that those worshippers didn't have the same practices their surroundings had.
- colechristensen 6y agoPagan is another word that should be dropped even more certainly than cult. Pagan is the word Christians used for non Christian religions starting after the Roman state converted, not the word anyone used for themselves.
- fogihujy 6y agoFair enough. English isn't my first language, so I basically go with what the dictionary says, in this case "An adherent of a polytheistic religion in antiquity". :)
- lostlogin 6y agoMostly, but I don’t think a Christian would call a Muslim or a Jew ‘Pagan’. It’s more of a synonym for polytheism.
- eloisius 6y agoPagan is merely derived from the Latin word for “rural” or “rustic” because Christianity took hold in Roman cities first and non-Christian Roman gentry held out in the countryside.
- samstave 6y ago>authoritarian, charismatic leader. you mean like the pope?
- ARandomerDude 6y agoWelcome to Protestantism. :-)
- zaroth 6y agoSect would probably be the same noun without the derogatory connotation.
- smogcutter 6y agoI think sect implies a factionalism or mutual exclusivity that doesn’t generally fit for ancient polytheistic religions.
- the_af 6y agoI'm not sure... I've heard "sect" used in a derogatory sense in English, as in "sectarian".