Heathenry
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Bedouin paganism and Animism
In the world of the Bedouin tribes in Arabia, there were both animistic and pagan believes that runs through their spiritual and religious way of life. At first the world as whole has a soul, so everything is a living thing to them. The world was created from the feminine and from it the masculine and this how the universe became derived. This today can be seen in which at times that the matriarch has more power than the patriarch in Bedouin societies. This in itself there was several historical Bedouin Queendoms than kingdoms. Although animistic and Bedouin paganism has often titled to the feminine aspect, this did not turn the society into an absolute matriarchy, although more into a duality, but were females did have a more dominant role. The evidence is overwhelming and even to this day this aspect can to extent be found among the Bedouins of Arabia, where the mother is the central figure of the house hold, well the father is the maintainer of the family. The decisions are made together and discussed but it’s usually the decision of the mother that’s often made final.
This can be seen in Arabian history and culture. As well it was well known that Bedouin women often participated in warfare. This why among the Bedouins Al-Uzza was considered to be one of the most important Goddesses among the Bedouins, it’s because she symbolized might and war. Her name meant The Mighty one. She was often invoked when the Bedouin tribes often went to war.
Well the most important Goddess was that of Al-lat, to the Bedouins she can be considered to be the creator Goddess, and somewhat resembling mother earth. Al-lat in Bedouin mythology was the active and supreme deity, and she was often associated with lions. Al-lat was also responsible for childbirth and bestowing wisdom on her followers. She was also responsible for creating the masculine attributes, so in way the world can be balanced between the feminine and masculine.
Manat is another Goddess worshipped by the Bedouin tribes, along with Al-lat, Al-Uzza she forms a holy trinity, and was considered to be sacred and often dubbed as the Feminine Essence. Those were the most important god’s in the Bedouin pantheon. Well some tribes often had tribal gods, but these were of lesser importance to the main god and especially Goddess of the pantheon.
Bedouin animism and paganism would slowly be changed due to the effect of Judaic and Christian traditions that eventually penetrate Arabia and even into the Bedouin hinterlands. There many Bedouins convert to Judaism and various sect s of Christianity. Both of these religions seemed to have obliterated the tradition of the animistic and pagan Bedouin tribes, and paganism was becoming more of a minority.
Artistic depictions of the Al-lat, Manat, and Al-Uzzah often called the three Feminine Essence:
Neo-Arabian pagan image of Al-lat:
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Originally Posted by dperucca
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