Scripting

[kayapó]

No, really. There are only so many pagan religions left intact. I'm legitimately interested.

There aren't actually any pagan religions nowadays. If not only for the fact that "pagan" is a somewhat pejorative term used to group the "tribal" ways to look at "magical" cultural manifestations.

Since, more or less, the middle of the 20th century the way academics and researchers look at different cultures has changed radicaly. We left the positivism and pragmatism of the 19th century behind to experience a new era of cultural relativism. Every single science has been touched by these changes. From fisics to biology, from economy to history.

I study native South American tribes, and I come into contact with many (really a lot) of different forms of "religious" expressions. I also live in a country that has a strong african influence and in a particular city where this influence is everywhere. In music, in religion, in popular ways, in the society as a hole.

I don't believe in things being left intact though. Society to me is a living organism, it is in constant movement and forever recreating itself.
I have absolutly no evolutionistic regard to culture.

I don't think I really answered your question.
Here is a site I found with some explanation in english about what you could say is "my religion". Even if I think it is much more a philosophycal way to look at life than a "religion". http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Candombl%E9
I don't agree with everything that is said there, but it is mostly correct.

Hope that answers your question. If you have more indept interest on south american pre-colombian religion or african I can point you to some good reading.
If you are interested in knowing more about Candomblé I suggest these books as starters:
"Le Candomblé de Bahia : Brèsil", Roger Bastide
"African Civilisations In the New World", Roger Bastide
"Images du Nordeste mystique en noir et blanc", Roger Bastide
"Dieux D'Afrique", Pierre Fatumbi Verger

On that site I gave you there are some good links too.

kayapó

[GoreBag]

Well, I would say Hinduism and Shintoism are pagan religions.

Ah, I understand. I didn't know Macumba was a specific cult, though - not straight-cut paganism in an ethnocentric sense. Have you ever seen the music video for Sepultura's Ratamahatta? I've been intrigued by its imagery and references to folklore since I first saw it, but I don't know which culture or religion to which they many images refer. Is Candomblé that culture?

Personally, I've wanted to know more about the notion of zombies from a very young age. I have a rough idea of its etymological origins, and that Macumba and Vodoun both carry some belief in the idea. Does Candomblé?

I hope you don't mind my questions.

[kayapó]

I don't mind. But one could say we are driffitting way off-topic...

Macumba is the generic name given to the more "magical" part of some rituals. And it is the name by which "common sense" calls most religions with some form of african descendency in Brazil. Candomblé is called Macumba in some parts of the country.

As for any religion being "pagan":

"Within a European Christian context, paganism is a catch-all term which has come to connote a broad set of not necessarily compatible religious beliefs and practices (see Cult (religion)) of a natural religion (as opposed to a revealed religion of a text), which are usually, but not necessarily, characterized by polytheism and, less commonly, animism. There is little organized "-ism" in paganism." - http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Paganism

That is what I meant before. Pagan is a generic term used to describe non-"book religions". Hinduism is actually a book religion.

The liturgical trance, which is what I think you mean by zombie , is a big part of most of this religions that came from the Gold Coast of Africa. It varies from place to place. In Cuba, for example, there is no incorporation.
In Brazil there are many different forms of Candomblé. It varies a little from region to region. And the name changes a little too. Some of it's names are: Batuque, Macumba, Maracatu, Xango among others.

I haven't seen the images on Sepultura's video (not really my thing ) but if you would like to see images and read about liturgical trance try one of the many photographic books of Pierre Fatumbi Verger. They should be easy enough to find anywhere that has a good library or bookstore with imported books .

[GoreBag]

Well, yeah, we're off-topic. I don't mind.

I'm familiar with the liturgical trance, actually, and while zombification is similar, it's not the same. Zombification seems to be more of a folklore thing, but enough of it has been documented or witnessed to present some thought to the contrary. It deals usually with a form of resurrection or semi-paralysis.

Hinduism is pagan in the sense that it is the first religion produced by a culture, and therefore "natural", in the sense described by your citation. It's now a complex religion, but I would contest that that is a criterion. Etymologically, "pagan" refers to a Latin term that simply means "one who clings to the old ways".

Yeah, I thought that I was kind of stabbing in the dark with the Sepultura reference - I don't listen to Sepultura either. It's an interesting video, though, if you can manage to find a copy of it.

Thanks for answering my questions.