English

Proper noun

Heathenry

1. The old Germanic (Norse, Anglo-Saxon, etc.) religion(s).
2. Any modern reconstruction of one of these religions; Germanic neo-paganism.
   • 2005, Jenny Blain, Chapter Five: Heathenry, the Past, and Sacred Sites in Today's Britain, Michael Strmiska (editor), Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives, page 181,

     In Britain, Heathenry is the most common name used for an emergent religion based on the old gods, goddesses, and spirits (wights) that were part of everyday life in Northern Europe before the coming of the Christian era. Thus, Heathenry is, in some sense, a reconstructed religion. People often discover Heathenry through finding the mythology of Northern Europe and attempting to learn more about the culture and spirituality of this part of the world.

   • 2005, Galina Krasskova, Exploring the Northern Tradition, page 23,

     Comparatively, they are understanding, if not accepting, of Neo-Pagan influence; many Universalists even consider Heathenry to fall under the Neo-Pagan umbrella—a position most Folkish Heathens and Tribalists reject.

   • 2007, Melissa Harrington, Paganism and the New Age, Daren Kemp, James R. Lewis (editors), Handbook of New Age, page 436,

     Thus Paganism has come to be an umbrella term for a diverse spiritual network, which also includes modern Shamanism and Heathenry.

   • 2009, Mark Ludwig Stinson, Heathen Gods - Version 1.0, page 28,

     I've seen several Heathenry 101 booklets and articles that made a lot of comparisons between Heathenry and Christianity. And this brings to mind the question, "Isn't Heathenry rich enough and complete enough that we can describe it without having to compare and contrast it with Christianity?"

Coordinate terms

• (religions) religion; animism,‎ Asatru,‎ Bahá'í Faith,‎ Buddhism,‎ Cao Dai,‎ Christianity,‎ Confucianism,‎ deism,‎ Druidry,‎ Eckankar,‎ Heathenry,‎ Hinduism,‎ religious humanism,‎ Islam,‎ Jainism,‎ Judaism,‎ LaVeyanism,‎ Luciferianism,‎ New Age,‎ paganism,‎ Raëlism,‎ Rastafarianism,‎ santería,‎ Scientology,‎ shamanism,‎ Shinto,‎ Sikhism,‎ Spiritism,‎ Taoism,‎ Tengrism,‎ Tenrikyo,‎ Thelema,‎ Unitarian Universalism,‎ Wicca,‎ Yoruba,‎ Zoroastrianism ^{(Category: en:Religion) [edit]}

Translations

Related terms

• Heathen

See also

• Ásatrú, Asatru
• Germanic neopaganism
• neopaganism
• paganism
• theodism

English

Noun

heathenry ‎(usually uncountable, plural heathenries)

1. The state of being heathen.
   • 1921, James Branch Cabell, Chivalry:

     It was as though she were some tinted and lavishly adorned statue of barbaric heathenry, and he her postulant; and her large eyes appeared to judge an immeasurable path, beyond him.

   • 1917, G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England:

     In the simpler case of northern heathenry the civilization spread with a simplier progress.

   • 1909, James Branch Cabell, Chivalry:

     It was as though she were some tinted and lavishly adorned statue of barbaric heathenry, and he her postulant; and her large eyes appeared to judge an immeasurable path, beyond him.