I grew up in the 1980's and the similarities with your early childhood experiences at a Church of England school; of being in gangs and clubs with hidden dens and rituals, is striking. I supposed I should not be surprised as small boys have probably played the same types of games and inhabited similar magical worlds since ancient times. Nevertheless, the stories and observations resonate sweetly with a twang of nostalgia. I have often spend much of my adult life wishing I could return to those precious care free years, in which a disused shopping trolley caught amidst a bramble bush could be a 'look-out post' on alien territories and hostile lands; in which a collection of card board boxes and crudely soldered circuit boards from an old T.V was an A.I robot that would soon come to life once our building work was done, and in which my bird man feather suit, painstakingly made over many long weekends and stolen hours, could actually let me fly like in my dreams over the school playground and surrounding fields.
Lovely writing Bruce - made me laugh and smile in turns. I look forward to the next instalment.
That was fascinating to read your experiences with Thor and The Hobbit.
You mention thinking that Thor answered your prayers. I also prayed to Thor and I had my prayers answered.
Do you think this is a true existence of multiple gods? Are the pagan gods still alive?
If Western Europeans persist in walking away from Christianity is it possible that Odin and Thor can be guideposts back to sanity and unity for enough Europeans?
Also, there is a view among some human potential writings that manifestations of any god are in fact a latent power of the human mind, a kind of strong psychic ability that is usually suppressed. What is your view of this?
@Wondering - I don't think I see any prospects of paganism becoming a motivating religion in Europe. But I do believe that the gods are compatible with Christianity - in the sense of being partial revelations of what might be termed angelic beings of exceptional power and special responsibilities.
I grew up in the 1980's and the similarities with your early childhood experiences at a Church of England school; of being in gangs and clubs with hidden dens and rituals, is striking. I supposed I should not be surprised as small boys have probably played the same types of games and inhabited similar magical worlds since ancient times. Nevertheless, the stories and observations resonate sweetly with a twang of nostalgia. I have often spend much of my adult life wishing I could return to those precious care free years, in which a disused shopping trolley caught amidst a bramble bush could be a 'look-out post' on alien territories and hostile lands; in which a collection of card board boxes and crudely soldered circuit boards from an old T.V was an A.I robot that would soon come to life once our building work was done, and in which my bird man feather suit, painstakingly made over many long weekends and stolen hours, could actually let me fly like in my dreams over the school playground and surrounding fields.
ReplyDeleteLovely writing Bruce - made me laugh and smile in turns. I look forward to the next instalment.
That was fascinating to read your experiences with Thor and The Hobbit.
ReplyDeleteYou mention thinking that Thor answered your prayers. I also prayed to Thor and I had my prayers answered.
Do you think this is a true existence of multiple gods? Are the pagan gods still alive?
If Western Europeans persist in walking away from Christianity is it possible that Odin and Thor can be guideposts back to sanity and unity for enough Europeans?
Also, there is a view among some human potential writings that manifestations of any god are in fact a latent power of the human mind, a kind of strong psychic ability that is usually suppressed. What is your view of this?
@Wondering - I don't think I see any prospects of paganism becoming a motivating religion in Europe. But I do believe that the gods are compatible with Christianity - in the sense of being partial revelations of what might be termed angelic beings of exceptional power and special responsibilities.
ReplyDelete