Reformed Germanic Polytheism in the First Millenium

I think there was some references belief in Norse Mythology, in the Poetic Edda, about reincarnation. It was often dismissed as nonsense after the Christianization.
My understanding is that Norse /Germanic Reincarnation was a Family Affair.
Young 4 year old Billy looks and acts like 5 year deceased Uncle David, because he is Uncle David reincarnated.

Didn't whe have a TL based on this - Viking Lad captured by the Irish Monks and taught to read and write, Escapes Home and begins writing the Myths and Organizing a Priesthood.
 
Well, this is about a reformed branch of Germanic/Norse Polytheism, so the reincarnation is probably one of the aspects that could be expanded on.




Scenarios leading to a more resolute Germanic culture:

1) The Frankish warlord Merovech employs Roman scholars and scribes in his entourage as clerks and bureaucrats, which later gives way to an educated Frankish nobility, which allows one of their number to codify the lore of their people. This spreads to other Germanic tribes who haven't migrated south and west.

2) Arminius was not assassinated by jealous rivals, and unites the Germans into a powerful coalition.

3) Marcus Aurelius disinherits his son Commodus, or perhaps the his heir dies prematurely. And someone more willing to seethe northern campaign through to the the end is chosen as the next Emperor. Some of the remaining tribes around the Elbe region submit and become Roman clients, and the influence rubs off on the Germans, whom absorb the more useful literary and commercial aspects of Roman culture. Native settlements are expanded, to model themselves after the Roman cities, and infrastruture is fostered.

4) Gaius Julius Caesar dies earlier than OTL. No other Roman bigwig is eager to expand into Gaul. The shortlived Suebi state of Ariovistus becomes a dominant one, or it's the precursor to more migrant Germanic tribes.
 
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Let me put it like this: "if" a new and common ideology was to arise throughout the Germano-Norse ethno-cultural sphere from between the Fourth-Fifth Centuries, one based on the traditional spiritualism of the Germanic peoples that turned out to prove useful to the rulers of the different tribes, which would keep them all relatively unified against European Christendom and other forces, so that as they spread like they did OTL from Britain to Russia, how would this impact on European and possibly even Central Asian and Middle-Eastern geo-political history?



1) The Danelaw headed by a single dynasty, without falling into occasional infighting, and being overcome by the West Saxons of King Alfred?

2) The Kievan Rus maintaining a unique Norse-Slavic culture, are easily rivalling the Byzantines in military strengh, and launching expeditions as far as the Caspian Sea region?

3) Perhaps the Franks and the Lombards never adopt Catholicism, and the Roman Church in Italy and Gaul becomes marginalized into a political tool for controlling the native Latin population?

4) Would the Byzantines and the early Muslim Caliphates view them as a common enemy?

5) No eastern crusades, as the strategy of Christendom is a defensive one.

6) Unless the Visigoths adopted the new Asa creed of their northern cousins, they'd be wedged between Muslim encroachment, and and that of the Norse.
 
Well, this is a sidenote but perhaps still something to think about.

Vladimir Red Sun quite actively tried to reform and impose a single, Scandinavian-influenced paganism on the disparate East Slavic tribes. He selected a defined pantheon and put a sky-thunderer in charge instead of a traditional fertility/solar deity.

He also, possibly, introduced human sacrifice.

The new religion had a real tough time displacing the established local practices, and by the end of his life he had to choose a wholly different religion - Christianity in this case.

Naturally that could be because this happened so late in history when Christianity was already making inroads even into Russia and Scandinavia, but still, as I said, something to consider.
 
Seems that Vladimir had eventually gave in, and chosen a religion that ingratiated him with the powerful Byzantines. New cults take time and patience to develop. Plus, he wanted to marry into the Byzantine imperial family.

I never heard of Vladimir practicing human sacrifice, though I can't say its a very original thing to do.;)

Like I previously stated, it would have been safer for the creation of a stronger Pagan ideology before Christianity had a chane to extend beyond the limits of the former Roman Empire. I'd love to write that ideal TL one of these days.
 

Ice-Titan

Banned
I have a map for such an idea. Still working on the writing part though.

12th Century.

Red - Germanic/Slavic/Turkic Reformed/United Paganism
Purple - Christianity
Green - Buddhism or Hinduism or Islam

RLM.png

RLM.png
 
They should have a snappy name to go with them. For the Germanic/Norse, I always thought that the name "Asalaw" (Aesir=Law) would be an appropriate title.:)
 
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