Closed Culture vs Open Culture: The Guide (In Progress)

[RubyLight]

This guide devoted to information regarding the closed culture/open cultue questions that come up. This is based on the resarch I have so far. When I get more information, I'll be able to provide more details. I hope this will be an asset to the guild.

Many thanks to those who contributed information. I'll get a credit list up here soon. biggrin

*Please note that this thread is for information already obtained. Please direct any questions to the "Which one is which" thread. (I'll be posting my share there as well. sweatdrop )

My Thanks To:
TeaDidikai
Deoridhe
maenad nuri
scorplett

Contents

Open Cultue/Closed Culture List
Abrahamic
Norse Pantheon
Wicca

 

[RubyLight]

Open Culture Pantheons

Hellenic (Greek)
Roman
Norse
Egyptian

Closed Culture Pantheons
Abrahamic
Wicca
Gael (Irish)
Rroma **
Native American
Shinto
Shiekism
Traditional Hinduism

*It should be noted that YHVH and Wicca will become open upon some form of conversion process. The rest are restricted to ehnicity. (With the exception of Native American, sometimes invitatation can be obtained.)

** Rroma are historically referred to by the ethnic slur Gypsy. Please note that the G word is considered offensive.  

[RubyLight]

Abrahamic

This is a monotheistic group of faiths most well known in the following forms: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. All three follow some version of the deity YHVH.

Christianity

To adiquately cover this rather diverse flavor of the Abrahamic faith would take alot of threads, topics, subtopics, and a whole lot of detail I would rather not delve into, for a variety of reasons that I am not going to bother discussing.

Book: Bible (various versions depending on the sect)
God: God and/or Jesus (depending on the sect)

Some key points: They believe that Jesus is the divine son of God. They believe in the Holy Trinity (Father Son Holy Spirit). He died on the cross to repent for the world's sins. All sins can be absolved by accepting Jesus as the savior and that he rose from the grave and was sent to heaven in physical body fully healed. There are well over 30 sects of this faith that practice things differently.

Judaism

This may or may not be the faith that started it all (as far as YHVH is concerned.) Judaism is the oldest of the three with the least amount of adherents. This is due to alot of factors, mainly the years of oppression, segragation, ect and the fact that they are very elitist. Many are hesitant to convert anyone, unless it involves a mixed marriage. (ie a Jew and a Gentile). Gentile is a somewhat offensive term for non-Jews.

Book: Torah
God: YHVH

Some key points: This started a religious movement known as ethical monotheism. The Ten Commandments is a prime example of there laws which were mostly concererned with obtaining a nice life in the after-life than anything else. They also have even more extensive laws in the Talmud. It should also be noted that Jesus was a Jew. The Jews, however believe that the Savior hasn't come yet.

Islam

This is the youngest of the Abrahamic faith. It is the domiant faith in the Middle East to this day. It is rather cotrovsersial in the United States and is considered the fastest growing faith according to multiple social scientists.

Book: Al Qur'an (Koran)
God: Allah

Some key points: Modesty is the code of the Muslim, not just women, but the men too. They pray three times a day facing Mecca, where Islam started. Their prophet Mohammed spent over twenty years in a cave recieve the word of the Koran from the Angel Gabriel. They consider Muhammed the last prophet.  

[RubyLight]

Norse Pantheon

The Norse dieties, sometimes referred to as Scandinavian, or Germanic (the gods may have different names depending in which context you are looking) are a rather diverse group. This pantheon is open, and some gods (such as Odin, Loki, and Freya) will um, affect your life whether you are a pagan or not. There are multiple forms of groups and a variey of solitary individuals who honor these gods. **

Practitioners of their faith: Asatruar, Odinist, various forms of reconstruction (Scandinavion, Germanic, Icelandic, Teutonic), ecclectic pagans, some wiccans, and some members of Ár nDraíocht Féin.

Reference Texts: Prose Edda, Poetic Edda, and the various sagas (I personally reccomend Sagas of the Icelanders to start out.)

Popular Dieties:

Odin: The chief of the Aesir. He is well known for his wisdom, discovery of the runes, and taking half of the battle-slain to Valhalla to train for Ragnorak.
Thor: The Protector of Midgard (where humans live). He wields the hammer Mjollnir against all foes. He is also considered the main enemy of the giants.
Freya: Goddess of magic, beauty, and ecstasy. She is considered the most beautiful of the goddesses. She takes the other half of the battle-slain. She is of the Vanir and has a twin brother known as Frey.
Frigg: Odin's wife, and goddess of homemaking and spinning. She also has the power of prophecy, yet she never speaks it. She has twelve maidens who are demigods of specific things.
Balder: The son of Odin and Frigg. He is considered the kindest and the most beautiful of the gods. He was killed by his blind brother Hod. He dwells in a peaceful hall located in Hel.
Tyr: He is a warrior god. He is famous for the binding of Frennir who bit off his arm.

Other beings:
Wights: a diverse group of spirits. Some are tied to the land, some are deceased ancestors, ect.
Norns: The three ladies of fate. Skald is the norn of the future (she is also a valkery), Verdandi is the norn of the present, and Urd is the norn of the past.
Valkeies: Odin's battle maidens who collect his half of the slain.

** Please note that there is a smaller group of Norse Pagans that are closed, they are called folkish or Odinist. "There are two types. One demands practitioners appear white and use religion as a cover for racism. The other demands practitioners have Norse and/or Germanic ancestry, which is questionable given what we know of those cultures but is, at least, not racist."-Deoridhe


For any further information, Deo has a thread in the Pathways section that is a great reference. She'll answer your questions too. wink  

[RubyLight]

Wicca

Ah, the ever source of charming debates. Let it be known that WICCA IS A TRADITION THAT REQUIRES PROPER INITIATION. Now that that's cleared up, please note that I can only provide the most general of Outer Court information, because I was never initiated into a coven of any sort. Covens are run by a High Priest and High Priestess. Wicca is a fertility religion that stresses duality.

The Book: Book of Shadows (tradition specific)
The Dieties: Lord and Lady of the Isles (The names of these two dieities are oathbound to initiates.)

Some definitions:

Outer Court: Non-oathboud information that can be told to the general public.

Inner Court: Oathbound information that is the core and verbatum information of all traditions.

Tradtions
Gardnerian: Brought to you by the man who started it all, Gerald Gardner. He formed the first coven back in the 1950s; Wicca is truely ancient now isn't it? wink This is a coven known for doing rituals skyclad (in the nude). This is also where the degree system started.

Alexandrian: This started in the 1960s when Alex Sanders broke from Gardnarian to start his own tradition. It's very similar to Gardner's.

Central Valley Wicca: This is a group of associated tradtions located in the Central Valley Region of California. Some of these tradtions include:
'majestic', 'kingstone', and 'Daoine Caoire'.

Note: The tradtions occasionally (ie rarely) work robed, however initiation and other core rites are done skyclad.


Please note that not all witches are Wiccan.

There are a couple Wiccan initates in this guild. scorplett is an Alexandrian, she has a spot in the Pathways section.