Abkhaz neopaganism, or the Abkhaz native religion, is the contemporary re-emergence of the ethnic religion of the Abkhaz people in unrecognized Abkhazia, a revitalisation which started in the 1980s.[1] The most important holy sites of the religion are the Seven Shrines of Abkhazia, each one having its own priestly clan, where rituals and prayers began to be restored in the 1990s.
According to the 2003 census, 8% of the population of Abkhazia adheres to Abkhaz neopaganism.[2] On 3 August 2012 the Council of Priests of Abkhazia was formally constituted in Sukhumi.[3] The possibility of making the Abkhaz native religion one of the state religions was discussed in the following months.[4][5]
The traditional Abkhaz religion was actually never completely wiped out; circles of priests, whose activity was kept secret,[6] passed on traditional knowledge and rites in the times when Christianity and Islam became dominant in the region, and later in Soviet times of anti-religion.[1] Such priests continued the worship of deities such as the thunder god Afy and the supreme god Antsua.[7]
Since the 1980s, and later in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Abkhaz native religion was resurrected by the joint efforts of priests who began to resurface, rural people reactivating local rituals, and urban intellectuals supporting Paganism as an integral part for a reawakening of the Abkhaz ethnic and cultural identity.[1][8]
Since then the Abkhaz native religion has been protected by Abkhaz authorities. Government officials took part in a bull sacrifice in October 1993 celebrated to thank the Lord Dydrypsh for the victory over the Georgians, and since then they regularly take part in worship rituals.[10][11]
^Крылов [Krylov], Александр [Alexande] (17 March 2004), Единая Вера Абхазских "Христиан" и "Мусульман". Особенности религиозного сознания в современной Абхазии [Of United Vera Abhazskyh "Christians" & "Muslims." Features of religious consciousness in Modern Abkhazia] (in Russian), RU: Portal-credo, retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ [In Abkhazia creatures Religious Organization "Tip zhretsov Abkhazia"], Apsnypress, archived from the original on 25 November 2015.
^Язычество в Абхазии не станет государственной религией [Paganism in Abkhazia will not be a state religion], RU: Newsland, 12 August 2012, retrieved 24 September 2012.
^Religion of Abkhazians, RU: The Official Website of the Holy Metropolis of Abkhazia, retrieved 26 August 2020.
Filatov, S; Shchipkov, A (1996), "Поволжские народы в поисках национальной веры (Povolzhskie narody v poiskakh natsional'noi very) [Volga region peoples in search of national faith]", in Filatov, SB (ed.), Религия и права человека: На пути к свободе совести (Religiia i prava cheloveka: Na puti k svobode sovesti) [Religion and Human Rights: Towards Freedom of Conscience] (in Russian), Moscow: Nauka, pp. 256–84.
Krylov, AB (1998a), "Абхазское святилище Дыдрыпш: прошлое, настоящее и устная традиция (Abkhazskoe sviatilishche Dydrypsh: proshloe, nastoiashchee i ustnaia traditsiia)" [Abkhaz sanctuary Dydrypsh: Past, Present and oral tradition], Этнограрусское обозрение (Etnogra cheskoe obozrenie) [Ethnography review] (in Russian), 6: 16–28.
——— (1998b), "Дыдрыпш-ныха: святилище Абхазов (Dydrypsh-nykha: sviatilishche abkhazov)" [Dydrypsh-nykha: sanctuary Abkhazes], Азия и Африка сегодня (Aziia i Afrika segodnia) [Asia & Africa today] (in Russian), 6: 55–58 & 7, 1998 b: 54–56.
——— (1999), "Абхазия: возрождение святилища (Abkhazia: vozrozhdenie sviatilishcha)" [Abkhazia: the revival of the Sanctuary], Азия и Африка сегодня (Aziia i Afrika segodnia) [Asia & Africa today] (in Russian), 4: 70–72.
Schnirelmann, Victor (2002), ""Christians! Go home": A Revival of Neo-Paganism between the Baltic Sea and Transcaucasia" (PDF), Journal of Contemporary Religion, CA: WLU, 17 (2), archived from the original (PDF) on 22 September 2014, retrieved 5 August 2013.
Kuznetsov, Igor V. (2018), "Sacred Sites in the Western Caucasus and the Black Sea Region: Typology, Hybridization, Functioning", in Darieva, Tsypylma; Mühlfried, Florian (eds.), Sacred Places, Emerging Spaces: Pilgrims, Saints and Scholars in the Caucasus, Berghahn Press, pp. 97–112.
Further reading
George Hewitt (2013), The Abkhazians, Routledge.
External links
Abkhazia versus Georgia: Implications for US Policy toward Russia, Russia: other points of view, March 2010.
Abkhazia: Breakaway Church Confronts Its Own Breakaway Bid, Eurasia net
January 06, 2023
abkhaz, neopaganism, abkhaz, native, religion, contemporary, emergence, ethnic, religion, abkhaz, people, unrecognized, abkhazia, revitalisation, which, started, 1980s, most, important, holy, sites, religion, seven, shrines, abkhazia, each, having, priestly, c. Abkhaz neopaganism or the Abkhaz native religion is the contemporary re emergence of the ethnic religion of the Abkhaz people in unrecognized Abkhazia a revitalisation which started in the 1980s 1 The most important holy sites of the religion are the Seven Shrines of Abkhazia each one having its own priestly clan where rituals and prayers began to be restored in the 1990s According to the 2003 census 8 of the population of Abkhazia adheres to Abkhaz neopaganism 2 On 3 August 2012 the Council of Priests of Abkhazia was formally constituted in Sukhumi 3 The possibility of making the Abkhaz native religion one of the state religions was discussed in the following months 4 5 Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistory EditThe traditional Abkhaz religion was actually never completely wiped out circles of priests whose activity was kept secret 6 passed on traditional knowledge and rites in the times when Christianity and Islam became dominant in the region and later in Soviet times of anti religion 1 Such priests continued the worship of deities such as the thunder god Afy and the supreme god Antsua 7 Since the 1980s and later in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union the Abkhaz native religion was resurrected by the joint efforts of priests who began to resurface rural people reactivating local rituals and urban intellectuals supporting Paganism as an integral part for a reawakening of the Abkhaz ethnic and cultural identity 1 8 A turning point for the revival of the Abkhaz native religion came with the Georgian Abkhazian conflict 9 With tensions growing more and more Abkhazians began associating Orthodox Christianity with the Georgians and chose to reject it turning to the native gods 9 The eventual victory of Abkhazia in the 1992 93 war with Georgia catalyzed the Neopagan revival Many Abkhaz believe that their national god Dydrypsh awarded them the victory 10 Since then the Abkhaz native religion has been protected by Abkhaz authorities Government officials took part in a bull sacrifice in October 1993 celebrated to thank the Lord Dydrypsh for the victory over the Georgians and since then they regularly take part in worship rituals 10 11 See also EditCouncil of Priests of Abkhazia Seven Shrines of AbkhaziaCaucasian religionsAdyghe HabzismIndo European religionsEtseg Din RodnoveryTurkic religionsTengrism Vattisen YalyUralic religionsEstonian neopaganism Finnish neopaganism Mari Native Religion Mordvin Native Religion Udmurt VosReferences Edit a b c Schnirelmann p 202 Krylov Krylov Aleksandr Alexande 17 March 2004 Edinaya Vera Abhazskih Hristian i Musulman Osobennosti religioznogo soznaniya v sovremennoj Abhazii Of United Vera Abhazskyh Christians amp Muslims Features of religious consciousness in Modern Abkhazia in Russian RU Portal credo retrieved 30 May 2011 V Abhazii sozdana religioznaya organizaciya Sovet zhrecov Abhazii In Abkhazia creatures Religious Organization Tip zhretsov Abkhazia Apsnypress archived from the original on 25 November 2015 Yazychestvo v Abhazii ne stanet gosudarstvennoj religiej Paganism in Abkhazia will not be a state religion RU Newsland 12 August 2012 retrieved 24 September 2012 Religion of Abkhazians RU The Official Website of the Holy Metropolis of Abkhazia retrieved 26 August 2020 Krylov 1999 Religion of Abkhazians RU The Official Website of the Holy Metropolis of Abkhazia retrieved 26 August 2020 Filatov amp Shipkov 1996 a b Schnirelmann p 205 a b Schnirelmann p 206 Krylov 1998a 24 26 1998bBibliography EditFilatov S Shchipkov A 1996 Povolzhskie narody v poiskah nacionalnoj very Povolzhskie narody v poiskakh natsional noi very Volga region peoples in search of national faith in Filatov SB ed Religiya i prava cheloveka Na puti k svobode sovesti Religiia i prava cheloveka Na puti k svobode sovesti Religion and Human Rights Towards Freedom of Conscience in Russian Moscow Nauka pp 256 84 Krylov AB 1998a Abhazskoe svyatilishe Dydrypsh proshloe nastoyashee i ustnaya tradiciya Abkhazskoe sviatilishche Dydrypsh proshloe nastoiashchee i ustnaia traditsiia Abkhaz sanctuary Dydrypsh Past Present and oral tradition Etnograrusskoe obozrenie Etnogra cheskoe obozrenie Ethnography review in Russian 6 16 28 1998b Dydrypsh nyha svyatilishe Abhazov Dydrypsh nykha sviatilishche abkhazov Dydrypsh nykha sanctuary Abkhazes Aziya i Afrika segodnya Aziia i Afrika segodnia Asia amp Africa today in Russian 6 55 58 amp 7 1998 b 54 56 1999 Abhaziya vozrozhdenie svyatilisha Abkhazia vozrozhdenie sviatilishcha Abkhazia the revival of the Sanctuary Aziya i Afrika segodnya Aziia i Afrika segodnia Asia amp Africa today in Russian 4 70 72 Schnirelmann Victor 2002 Christians Go home A Revival of Neo Paganism between the Baltic Sea and Transcaucasia PDF Journal of Contemporary Religion CA WLU 17 2 archived from the original PDF on 22 September 2014 retrieved 5 August 2013 Kuznetsov Igor V 2018 Sacred Sites in the Western Caucasus and the Black Sea Region Typology Hybridization Functioning in Darieva Tsypylma Muhlfried Florian eds Sacred Places Emerging Spaces Pilgrims Saints and Scholars in the Caucasus Berghahn Press pp 97 112 Further reading EditGeorge Hewitt 2013 The Abkhazians Routledge External links EditAbkhazia versus Georgia Implications for US Policy toward Russia Russia other points of view March 2010 Abkhazia Breakaway Church Confronts Its Own Breakaway Bid Eurasia net Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Abkhaz neopaganism amp oldid 1121813636, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
