What is Animism

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Animism is often reductively understood as the belief that everything is animate. In modern scholarship, animism is seen as a recognition that not all entities in the material world are equally personal or possess spirit. It involves relating to other-than-human persons and respecting their presence. Animism is not a simplistic or primitive belief, but rather a complex system of knowledge and technologies for mediating and communicating with these persons. Nordic animism, specific to Northern Europe, has distinct features such as the importance of alcohol and beer sharing, mask rituals, and specific sacred landscapes and trees. Understanding Nordic animism can provide new insights into cultural history and traditional ecological knowledge.
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[@francisfischer7620]

After 40 years as a poverty striken academic and 10 years in retirement, I can tell you, as you know, you'll never get rich, but it's a beautiful, creative life. You'll have enough to eat, a home of some kind, love, and that's all that matters. Bless you for sharing your wonder. Francis

[@ClayBurt]

I love that this video goes into respect for all cultures, and shows that we are different, not bettter or worse.

[@Ok-bk5xx]

You must call it "cultural relativism"

[@Ok-bk5xx]

@meow mama There is no universal truth in culture

[@TameraMcGee]

I wish I was rich. I would hire you to be my teacher 😊

[@DireWolf-my6mj]

I came here from The Nordic Mythology podcast, now both you and them really help me with discovering my own beliefs! Thank you!

[@NordicAnimism]

You are very welcome :-) and welcome to the channel !

[@mwva13]

As a Heathen Animist I am excited to hear more from you.

[@sedgecircle]

I found it so interesting you said Animism is a way of "relating". Spirituality and its dimension of our lives though often confused with religion, is in fact how we relate ourselves to the natural world. And contrary to some beliefs, it is not mutually exclusive to other dimensions of our lives (as you've mentioned with things like Eco-activism, etc), and cannot be so easily separated from how we conduct ourselves and understand existence itself. That is why I chose Animism to be such a large part of how I promote wellness holistically. And the Gods as archetypes (or composites as you said) of natural happenings? I couldn't agree more. I truly appreciate you sharing your academic knowledge; I know it is hard-won and valuable.

[@Ghoulwood]

animism is literally relating to everything and not just human or animal then communicating and its fringe but maybe gifting helpful knowledge we wouldnt otherwise know i dont understand why this was left in the dust its just reverence for all life thank you for the video this blew my brain apart

[@Ashley-tz2ww]

I adore all of your work and thank you so much for all that you do! Much much love from Tennessee ❤

[@TameraMcGee]

I might have watched this before. I probably should watch again

[@bekkibearheart7939]

Excellent material, as usual. Thank you.

[@alinearttherapie9099]

I'm glad to discover your work, and to finally find a vision that exactly fits with my own experience of religion. Thanks!

[@doro5419]

Thank for presenting the topic the way you did. Highly appreciated!

[@philosophicalbarbarian6969]

Holly ship. You made the Calendar? 😆 I totally bought it from Grimfrost! I love it. Are you going to do another one? It’s 2022 already. If I might make a suggestion… more Nordic ladies. Otherwise it was perfect. Extremely informative information. Fascinating. And the tattoos were epic. I subscribed. Great work, man.

[@jameswistman7479]

late to this party. fascinating parallels you've made in our ancestor's explorations of Spirituality... a very mundane question: what us make and model of your woodburning stove? (I need one) ... the contained flames make a great backdrop for exploration of this kind.

[@sympathiea]

Great breakdown. One of my associate degrees is in sociolobehavioral stufies (socio/anthro), but even then there wasn't too much on the anachronistic legacies still embeddef from earlier in the field. Also since Animism is half the channel name, it helps to know what you mean when you use the word. ^^

[@artemis12061966]

love the calendar...

[@Ivanowich]

Hello Rune... Love your videos... Where does the "Krampus" idea come into light in modern Scandinavian context ?... I see it is more and more being integrated like "black friday" and "HollowEen" into daily life... My understanding is that Krampus is/was celtic and come from west central Europe (Austria, Swizerland, Bawaria), if so where do we draw the line regarding importing cultural aspects that does not originally belong uphere ?... I am in no way trying to be "racist" and beleive everybody should do what they like, but I do not like when we begin to "bend" history for som fun for a few days

[@NordicAnimism]

Hey Ivan. I personally don't believe that Krampus is particularly Celtic, but I would like to see some scholarshipo on the idea if you have some references. I think the tradition has very high level of similarity with Nordic traditions such as the Yulegoat, Knuts-gængere, Lussefärd and possibly others. Also I don't think we necessarily should focus on distinction. There might be several Celtic traditions that also look like this, because these traditions don't generally comply with linguistic borders. They are more like... regional things. The finns for instance also have them, and you find these wild hunt enactments througout the Slavic areas too. I made a small video on Krampus here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3OwZXmChr9onaM

[@driver55]

This is a great channel. I'm grateful norse magic and beliefs recommended this. Thank you for your work on this channel Rune. 🙏

[@NordicAnimism]

Cool. Thanks!! Where exactly is this recommendation - just our of interest

[@driver55]

@@NordicAnimism my pleasure. And the recommend came from the great KZbin channel called Norse Magic & Beliefs in the video called The Sun Wheel/Cross. Love both of you guys channels. I'm in America and got my dna test results a couple of years back and was amazed to see how many peoples run through my blood. I'm Very proud. I love all cultures and seeing my results made me very happy. Again thank you for your incredibly educational work. 👍

[@NordicAnimism]

@@driver55 thanks man. I'll try to check that

[@driver55]

@@NordicAnimism 🙏🤜🤛

[@thedruiddiaries6378]

I'm an artist. I understand, but I am poor too. Excellent video. I have subscribed.

[@bethwilton8075]

Thank you,Rune❤️☮️🦉🌻

[@blackwater4707]

To me, animism is that slow and profound understanding of how you are connecting to everything, free of dogma. The recognition of other peoples is a natural part of that understanding. Being respectful of people's cultures and rituals is one thing, but it is not something that I would like to be seen as part of animism. Ritual and dogma is just that. It is a separate thing that satisfies some human needs but it isn't animism. Often it is about control and power and I'm pretty much done with that shit.

[@SarenthDricten]

The problem with defining out the rituals and dogmas from animism is that produces active harm for whom those are part and parcel of working with the Gods, Ancestors, and spirits. A ritual is "n. A ceremony in which the actions and wording follow a prescribed form and order. n. The body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship or by an organization." and a dogma is "n. A doctrine or a corpus of doctrines relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth in an authoritative manner by a religion. n. A principle or statement of ideas, or a group of such principles or statements, especially when considered to be authoritative or accepted uncritically. n. A settled opinion; a principle, maxim, or tenet held as being firmly established." Some Beings may only respond to a prescribed ritual that they have given to a group, culture, etc. Rituals and dogmas are not just to satisfy a human need, and to ignore this is to ignore the reality that Gods, Ancestors, and spirits have individuality, drives, goals, and requirements to be in relationship with Them. To say otherwise is to deny the very real agency a Being has, and to deny Their ability to design the parameters in which They allow us to have in relationship with Them.

[@bekkibearheart7939]

@@SarenthDricten And denial can be risky...

[@SarenthDricten]

@@bekkibearheart7939 Absolutely.

[@bekkibearheart7939]

@@SarenthDricten

[@tugalic3979]

Thanks so much for this knowledge, I didn't know about most of things on animism untol this video

[@jazminebellx11]

Fascinating, thank you.

[@TheCossak]

Very nice explanation of animism. I would love to see you do a collaboration with Arith Härger. You both seem to be the rational and sane islands in the sea of ignorance and bigotry when it comes to this topic.

[@satyrsak]

@J. Smith Sorry, anyone using the term "virtue signal" is a bigot at best or a racist at worst. There is nothing racialist about Rune's or Arith's work. Stop being so close-minded!

[@odinstrom3989]

Dr. Runey man what are 'hill persons'? Like... for example a rock person... would that be a dwarf? A 'tree person' and elf? An 'avalanche that destroys your town' person a frost jotun?

[@NordicAnimism]

People often make the mistake of assuming that these beings can be unambiguously classified - hence the term "hill person". The distinctions between these beings are really rather fluid. There may be tendencies that elves have to do with sickness in one area or perhaps that they are seen as little people in a different area. They also change by human interaction with them - like a "subterranean" style Huldu-folk or little people may become a "nisse"/"tomte" style house patron saint as a consequence of a man starting to relate with it - and it can return to the subterraneans if the relation breaks down (this is a concrete story) The persons inhabiting hills or mounts can be of different sorts. The reason that I fell on that example is that the Israeli animist scholar Nurit Bird-David uses that in her description of the South Indian Nayaka. But from the top of my head, the people living in mounts and hils can be both elves, trolls, ancestors and sometimes guardian spirits for farmsteads - Norwegian: "haugbo" "haugbonde", i.e. mountdweller.

[@odinstrom3989]

@@NordicAnimism cheers

[@HollyOak]

A hill person is the hill itself being seen as a living being. Not an actual human looking creature.

[@Luke-qv6uf]

Were you thinking of a specific example(s) for horse sacrifices to st Erik? I'm familiar with st Erik and norse horse sacrifice, but if there is historical records of those sacrifices being made to Eric, that would be really interesting to know.

[@NordicAnimism]

It's a specific example. Don't have reference on me right now. Check ending chapter of Oluf Sundqvist big book on Freyr in Sweden

[@Z-Faction]

I also wonder if the anthropomorphization of cultures and civilizations like Bharat Mata, Sri Lanka Matha, Britannia, Uncle Sam, etc could be considered God's, with a social context instead of ecological one, Gods existing only in the Noosphere. Another good example is the Statue of Liberty, clearly representing the goddess Libertas, the symbol of liberty

[@NordicAnimism]

Check out my reflection on the New Gods in my Mythology playlist

[@comradejesus3022]

Varför i hela friden hittade jag inte den här kanalen förens nu???

[@TameraMcGee]

I am all ears ❤

[@tuathadesidhe1530]

Does your calendar cater to those of us in the southern hemisphere?

[@meredithr9824]

Do you have links to your articles and other work?

[@NordicAnimism]

facebook.com/norseanimism/

[@NordicAnimism]

www.nordicanimism.com/blog-articles

[@mritchie85]

Very interesting

[@robertbrumfitt6548]

Brilliant video. I'veonly just found your channel but I can't believe I haven't sooner. It's brilliant to see Animism brought into the limelight with reference to Northern European myths and traditions. I read a great book on a native from the Taiga called "Dersu the Trapper". It gives a fascinating insight into a natives relationship with the world around him. 👍🏻

[@NordicAnimism]

Awesome. Welcome to the channel!

[@skooma4BabyGhoul]

You mentioned at the beginning of your video that you have a Ph.D what do you have a PhD in?

[@NordicAnimism]

I am a historian of religion. Finished my Ph.D in 2019

[@skooma4BabyGhoul]

@@NordicAnimism Hum..🤔 that is excellence witch religions are you most proficient in and how many languages have you interpreted

[@NordicAnimism]

@@skooma4BabyGhoul I have two focus areas - my formal education has had its main focus on Afro-Atlantic religions, such as Brazilian Candomblé. The second area is Nordic history of religions. And god! - languages..... I dunno how many of them I have active proficiency, but I have OK communication in the three Scandinavian languages, plus old norse and a bit North Sámi. My German and my Spanish is far back, but I still tag along when it is just reading. Then I have a good level in Portuguese and French and back in the day I studied Latin and Classical Hebrew. I touched Arabic a bit, but never really got beyond very rudimentary conversation.

[@aldahrishi4795]

I am tribal from ancestrally following tribal religion can we all arrange online animistic conference

[@schuurschuurvandewijk226]

Freya goddes of 💛💛💛

[@alejandrarodriguezsanchez6667]

amazing, love it!

[@harikristi]

This is great, and I appreciate your challenging the ridiculous evolutionist ideas about animism "evolving" into polytheism, and then that into monotheism. My question is, since animist beliefs systems can include deities, then how would you explain the fundamental difference between animism and polytheism?

[@MissTia777]

So its basically making any person, animal, or object a god???

[@NGC-catseye]

Not so much making, but rather accepting. The next time you look at a tree, see/know/accept it as it’s own universe.

[@shekinahsophiah]

🤘

[@batbite_]

When talking about northern heathenry on KZbin a person who is quite famous is Survive The Jive, I got a thing I like about his content and a thing I dislike about his content. What I dislike about his content is his Nazism. What I like about his content is that he goes out and talks about how to concretely engaging with different traditions and landmarks. I'm a dane like you, living in Aarhus and Copenhagen. What is your recommendations on how and where to concretely engage with my environment?

[@h2oovis937]

What do you mean by that? He's very explicitly against fascists who use nordic mythology as a tool.

[@batbite_]

@@h2oovis937 You know what people called the indo-europeans before ww2? Aryans. Who's survive the Jive's favourite thinker? Evola - a fascist. Who does he associate with publically? The Golden One - a far right swede. What does he think we should learn from the indo-europeans and northern paganism that we ought to copy today? Hierachy, patriachy and violent warfare - fascist ideals.

[@h2oovis937]

@@batbite_ 12:36 Read the post.

[@batbite_]

@@h2oovis937 What are you implying? I strongly disagree with Survive the Jive's fascism - my point above is that he fulfils a need which hope people like Rune can fulfil without the fascism. A thing StJ does is to go to exact/particular places and explain why these places are meaningful and significant in his system of belief - I hope someone (Rune?) will do this in Denmark without the fascism.

[@batbite_]

@@h2oovis937 When you wrote "he" I thought you meant Survive the Jive - did you? - So maybe we are talking past each other.

[@enangtantan3109]

🍀

[@prolibertate6373]

Neo-capitalist states??? What delineates that from capitalism in general??

[@pashhunter5965]

Oh it’s capitalism ?

[@NordicAnimism]

???

[@kkiulongbayimchunger6630]

Not proper explanation, human n soul with Spirit

[@Majestichaaland]

Bro is this beliefs about anime lol

[@Katia25]

I want to share with you the truth and life. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God loves you. But God is holy and the punishment for sin is death. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). God loves us, that's why He sent His son into this world (John 3:16). Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day for everyone. Repent, believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour and follow Him. I reccomend the channels of Melissa Dougherty and Mike Winger.

[@rickvisser8296]

"The truth" you are placing is subjective and placing "the" in front of "truth" impleys that there is just one factual truth... and if there is just one factual truth according to you... you are undermining the idea and the significance importents of other relegions... even when they are factual older than the one (version two of that one) you are placing here that starts with there so called beginning