Paper short abstract:

This paper explores what role holy sites play for practioneers of contemporary Hellenic polytheism (Hellenismos). Emphasis will be on sites defined as part of Greece’s cultural heritage. I will compare what meaning are given to these sites by practioneers from North America and Europe.

Paper long abstract:

Holy sites are important in most religions, so also in contemporary paganism. Many places which are important for pagans, either as goals for pilgrimage or ritual sites, are also seen as cultural heritage sites by the governments who protects them. This has led to discussions, sometimes heated, about who should be allowed access to the sites. The stone circles of Great Britain, blotsteder connected to Åsatru in Norway, and the debate on who owns “the heart of Vilnius”, the Catholic Church or followers of Romuva, are only a few examples of this. This is also well known for followers of contemporary Hellenic polytheism, where the access and use of the Akropolis of Athens and other cultural heirtage sites for religious purposes is the subject of an ongoing debate.

This paper will explore the role of holy sites for practioneers of contemporary Hellenic polytheism based in North America who live too far away from the sites to have easy access to them. In what way does the distance to places affect the sites’ role and importance in the practioneers’ religious lives? What part does holy or important sites play in the worshipper’s religious life? Do sites even matter in the everyday worship? Are they engaged in the debates concerning access and use of important sites in Greece?

The paper will present analyses of statements from interviews and from websites discussion forums with the aim to better understand how practioneers of Hellenismos based in North America think about holy sites and what part sites play in daily worship, as well as in more unique experiences such as conversions.