In my local Maine Pagan group, someone asked today why Wiccans sometimes take the word "church" instead of "coven" to describe themselves. Here, according to Maine's own raven_starsong3, is the surprising answer:
"Pagan groups in general are taking the title of Church for two reasons. First, they may be trying to achieve mainstream and/or legal recognition as a body equal to a Christian or other religion's church.______________________
"Second, the word 'church' is actually a Romanized version of the Celtic word 'circe' which is what the Pagans in the British Isles called their groups.
Circe means a circle or group practicing religion as a community. The Celts pronounced it KER'ka, but the Romans pronounced it CHER'cha and took it back to Rome where it became associated with the Christian religion.
There is a movement to 'take the word back.'"
Thnx to blueheron for the foto; go HERE to see more.
Wow! Awesome, church is the Celtic circle!
ReplyDeleteWe need to wrestle that word back out of male YAJ clergy mouths..
Any connection to the name Kirke, the fiery priestess-goddess, daughter of the sun from the Greek myths?
"Any connection to the name Kirke, the fiery priestess-goddess, daughter of the sun from the Greek myths?" Good question, AnnaPerenna. I wondered that myself.
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ReplyDeleteAnd Kirk is the Scottish name for church... no great leap of the imagination required to make the connection there.
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