The Maltese Pagan(s)
Proving that modern Paganism really is a global movement, a researcher is about to release a book dealing with modern Pagans on the island nation of Malta.
“The book’s working title ‘Between the Worlds: Witches and Pagans in Malta Today’ attempts to explore neo-paganism in the Maltese Catholic society…Dr Rountree observed that Maltese pagans and witches do not reciprocate the antipathy towards orthodox Christianity and that they maintain an affinity with Catholicism simply because they are so deeply imbued with it. The social Anthropologist believes that the book exposing the existence of a contemporary pagan culture may not be warmly welcomed in Malta however she insists that her true aim is to educate people about the true nature of neo-paganism.”
I’m fascinated by the notion of a modern Pagan community that wishes to hold on to its Catholic identity. Perhaps Wicca and other Pagan faiths there will evolve into something very much like Haitian Vodou with its syncretic mixture of Catholicism and pre-Christian religion?
2 responses so far
I have been always interested in Malta, particularly due to the Maltese language (which is considered by many Arabs as a divergent dialect of Arabic).
It would be quite interesting to know about modern Maltese pagans. Gives a different view of Malta, than what I am used to seeing. (The language and Catholicism)
Living in a 99% catholic country it is hard to give up to your environment and upbringing. You have to accept that most of the experience you share with other people belongs to your catholic upbringing and giving up or simply being only “against” means stating that you are against part of your own experiences too.
Paganism and catholicism always lived together and there are strong pagan influxes in most of the popular tradition.
Let it alone Aradia or stregheria (never heard about tanarri before reading it on the internet) many of use were brought up in environment where the catholicism was a thin veil.
I do not know if one day the latin country will develop something like voodo I suppose that one day we will be able to keep all what we are together: being pagan people living in a country with a strong cath tradition that is part of their own history.