There's so much here to comment on, I'll to organise myself best as I can here......
"I don't think mythology is fairy-tales ...there is a whole philosophy and hidden meanings behind this"
Indeed there is Melancholia. Very much so.
"I think the mythologys are fairy-tales, unless you actually belive in all of it. What ive been tought of roman/greek mythology, its just taught as a story, theres no other real way to teach it"
There IS another way to teach it FV - in fact the only way it should be taught - as religion because that's exactly what it is. I was educated in USA as well and I'm not trying to be offensive, but USA has no handle whatsoever on culture.
"........adds to make the mythologies seem little realistic is, the way ppl seem to use christian definitions of things, either they are christian themselves or not. They have become so common that we don't even think about where they've come from"
Isn't THAT the truth Fjelltussa! But you know, it's only that way because people allow it to be.
"most mythology (nordic I mean) is anyway influenced by christianity in ways... it ever was since it's been written down. Those who wrote the Edda and Sagas down were christians, and I don't think they left things a bit unchanged"
You better believe they didn't! pretty much ALL written records of how the Norse people practised the old religion were destroyed by the Christians when they invaded. Virtually nothing is know FOR SURE of their methods of religious practise. Asatru is essentially based on the Edda and Sagas which were written by....Christians. The rest is easy to figure out. When I studied Asatru I knew early into it that it's not the path I was going to follow because it has too many Christian overtones. But I learned about it anyway. I work with some of their dieties at times but that's about it.
"there are no bigger opposites that paganism and nazism."
For sure! Somebody just needs to tell the rest of the world that.
"But I find it hard to belive there is a serpent going to circle the earth and there is a god who runs around with a hammer calling on thunder. Dont get me wrong, im not putting it down in anyway, but it goes the same for any religion. I look at religion as a belief system that gives people hope and foundation, something to belive in. Thats just my take on it, I think the mythological ideas of the greeks, romans, celts, and norse most likely had deeper meanings, in fact im sure they did, but I think thats what they were, a meaning behind a story."
It's all symbolic. Like Fleischwolf said there, symbolism for forces of Nature. Each diety has his/her own jurisdiction within their given pantheon over a specific aspect of Nature, this to include human nature too. What diety to call on for assistance depends on what one's intentions. Remember also that Christianity is a pantheon, but with only one diety.
"I think there lies incredibly much wisdom hidden in history. We like to think we've never known more than we do now - that we've never been smarter, but I think that's a very naive belief."
And I agree with you too Fjelltussa. With regards to practical wisdom such as technology etc, this is probably the most advanced mankind has been since the beginning of the Common Era, but with regards to abstract wisdom, mankind has never been more stupid or destructive than it is now.
" but when you take a walk in the forest you still feel the old heathen spirit!"
Yes indeed - and it'll always be there too. Christianity cannot take the spirit from Nature.
'Openminded maybe, but many of them also accepted christianity cause it was better for their profit from trades with the christian countries, I think. "
That's right, and money has been its ultimate agenda ever since.
"But anyway, the christians didn't leave them much choice at all"
No, and if ANYONE was nazis, it was the Crusaders. They did basically the same thing as hitler. Same shit, different epoch.
"that a dogmatic, patriarchal religion like Christianity, could give them lot more influence - or rather; power - than could the old ways."
oh yeah, a new, sexist religion. I really can't fathom why Christians and Muslims fight so much because they are basically the same. maybe that's why they fight. who knows......
"I don't think the people(s) fully understood what they were going for. Before, they had been free. Now there were some few high status persons who were telling them "the truth"; how to live; what to belive in; what was right; what was wrong. "
I'd be willing to BET they didn't know. I am very surprised that some of these peoples fell for it. But then again, they probably didn't have a choice. the Finns were the only ones able to hold out for the longest (had to be sisu) and even then didn't go quietly.
