Now according to the figures on Statistics Iceland, just over 80% of Icelanders are registered as Protestant Christians, mostly as members of the Lutheran Church of Iceland (230,000). BUT some 1% of Iceland's population say that they are Zuists.
Now I thought I was pretty hot on the worlds religions, from Jedi Knights, to Jesus Christ, and all view points in between, but Zuism is something new to me. It is in fact a 'pagan' (depending upon your point of view) religion, based on ancient Sumerian beliefs ... or at least what modern people know about that religions rites and passages, and first appeared in an Icelandic context in 2013.
I guess in this regard its like the modern (Victorian) version of the Druids who ponce about Stonehenge every summer solstice ~ which by the way is almost certainly the wrong solstice for the site ~ and whose ceremonies are all made up as there are no known contemporary accounts of what they believed or the ceremonies they undertook.
Anyway, whatever form its takes, its supposedly growing congregation have applied for permission to build a two-story "Ziggurat" in the capital Reykjavik as a centre for their faith. It currently claims that it has 2,800 people as members, and some people are wondering at its attraction.
The Iceland Monitor for example, speculates that the surge of attraction in Zuism may be because members do not have to pay parish fees. Registered Zuists - also known as Zuistar - are instead, being asked to contribute to a Ziggurat Fund to help build and maintain the planned temple.
Other jesters think that the attraction is 1984 film Ghostbusters, which featured a reference to Sumerian beliefs with special mention of 'Zuul', and 'Gozer the Gozerian', both of whom sad to say, are fictitious entities. In fact the religion is based around the real Sumerian pantheon in that it recognises An, Enlil, Enki, Zu and other deities as worshipped in ancient Mesopotamia.
Actually the chief reason for its popularity is not hard to find .... the Zuist leader Águst Arnar Ágústsson gave it all away when he was quoted as saying that the reason why the religion needed to have a dedicated place of worship for its followers was that the movement needed a space 'for name-giving, weddings and general worship, as well as "beer and prayer" meetings'. "Beer and Prayer" meetings .... in Iceland, the home of the Vikings!
Enough said .... sign me up on the dotted line. All Hail Zu The Mighty .... and pass me a beer.
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| Zu, Imdugud - TheThunderbird - One Of The Sumerian Gods |
Now I thought I was pretty hot on the worlds religions, from Jedi Knights, to Jesus Christ, and all view points in between, but Zuism is something new to me. It is in fact a 'pagan' (depending upon your point of view) religion, based on ancient Sumerian beliefs ... or at least what modern people know about that religions rites and passages, and first appeared in an Icelandic context in 2013.
I guess in this regard its like the modern (Victorian) version of the Druids who ponce about Stonehenge every summer solstice ~ which by the way is almost certainly the wrong solstice for the site ~ and whose ceremonies are all made up as there are no known contemporary accounts of what they believed or the ceremonies they undertook.
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| Zuist's Planned Ziggurat |
Anyway, whatever form its takes, its supposedly growing congregation have applied for permission to build a two-story "Ziggurat" in the capital Reykjavik as a centre for their faith. It currently claims that it has 2,800 people as members, and some people are wondering at its attraction.
The Iceland Monitor for example, speculates that the surge of attraction in Zuism may be because members do not have to pay parish fees. Registered Zuists - also known as Zuistar - are instead, being asked to contribute to a Ziggurat Fund to help build and maintain the planned temple.
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| Sumerian Ziggurat |
Other jesters think that the attraction is 1984 film Ghostbusters, which featured a reference to Sumerian beliefs with special mention of 'Zuul', and 'Gozer the Gozerian', both of whom sad to say, are fictitious entities. In fact the religion is based around the real Sumerian pantheon in that it recognises An, Enlil, Enki, Zu and other deities as worshipped in ancient Mesopotamia.
Actually the chief reason for its popularity is not hard to find .... the Zuist leader Águst Arnar Ágústsson gave it all away when he was quoted as saying that the reason why the religion needed to have a dedicated place of worship for its followers was that the movement needed a space 'for name-giving, weddings and general worship, as well as "beer and prayer" meetings'. "Beer and Prayer" meetings .... in Iceland, the home of the Vikings!
Enough said .... sign me up on the dotted line. All Hail Zu The Mighty .... and pass me a beer.
Have to admit that I don't think any other religion has beer and prayer meetings. Shuffle along that pew buddy and make room for another convert.
ReplyDeleteRoom for plenty of converts is this Ziggurat mate. Thanks for the comment.
Delete"mention of 'Zuul', and 'Gozer the Gozerian', both of whom sad to say, are fictitious entities."
ReplyDeleteWhat, more fictitious than Yahweh, Enki, et al ?
If you put it like that ...
DeleteWell from a thematic point of view the fictional Gozer seems to emulate the Sumerian Goddess Ereshkigal, she was seen as Queen of the Underworld, a position basically held by the fictional Gozer. The only thing Ereshkigal is missing for there to be a direct correllation is two bestial servents/guardians like Gozer has. For people who wish to view Ereshkigal athrough a familiar lens Gozer is a funtional translator, and while we'reunlikely to see people screaming for the destruction of mankind from this church, i think it's ok to let people make the connection the Gozer could be a modern name for Ereshkigal if they so wish. It's not unheard of for the same gods to have different names between and sometimes within the same religions.
DeleteThanks for the comment Mr Smaridge. As you say, some gods have effectively rebranded, especially in antiquity. E.g Zeus and Jupiter, Hera and Juno, Poseidon and Neptune, Cronus and Saturn, Aphrodite and Venus, Hades and Pluto etc. So why not 'Ereshkigal' and 'Gozer'?
DeleteIn fact the Jewish Jehovah has a large number of other names in the Torah (Old Testament/Bible) Yahweh (YHWH ~Covenent God name), Adonai (Trinity God name), Elohim (Father God / God the Creator name).
Whilst in the New Testament: Abba (Father God name), Jehovah Jireh (Provider God name), Jehovah Rapha (Healer God name), Jehovah Nissi (Banner God name), Jehovah Shalom (Peace God name), Quanna (Jealous God name ~ “For you shall worship no other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”).
So just like the old god Pan who has had countless names .... then whose to say that 'Ereshkigal' has not had a number of rebrands?
I wonder if 'Imdugud' is actually 'Thundergod' and 'gud' is where we derive the word god from?
ReplyDeleteIt sort of stands out if your mouth the word aloud.
That's an interesting observation that - dictionary's say Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'God' and German 'Gott'. But as you say it looks like 'Gud'
DeleteThanks for the comment.