Zalmoxianism or Zamolxianism is a Neopagan movement in Romania, constituted by groups and organisations which promote the rebuilding of an ethnic religion and spirituality of the Romanians, through a process of reconnection to their ancient Dacian and Thracian roots. Thus it is Reconstructionism.
Scholars Bakó and Hubbes (2011) have defined Zalmoxianism, likewise to the other ethnic religious revivals of Europe, as a reconstructionist ethno-paganism. The religion takes its name from Zalmoxis or Zamolxe, at the same time the name of the primordial god and the archetype of the enlightened man in Paleo-Balkan mythology.
Origins
The reconstruction of ancient Dacian and Thracian religion and mythology has been strictly connected with the field of dacology. Amongst contemporary supporters of Zalmoxianism, the emigrant dacologist Octavian Sărbătoare even proposed to make it the official religion of Romania.
Organisations
Gebeleizis Association
The "Gebeleizis Association" (Romanian: Societatea Gebeleizis), far from being the only Zalmoxian group in Romania, yet has been the most studied formation. It has 500 members split into 15 branches. The core values of the organisation are expressed by its motto "One Family, One Nation, One Territory" (Romanian: O Familie, Un Neam, Un Teritoriu); for the ideas promoted, the Gebeleizis Association has been subject of media scandal, and accused of extremism. "Gebeleizis" was the same as Zalmoxis among the Thracians.
Zamolxe group
Another group is the Zamolxe, based in Bucharest, which high priest is Alexandru Mihail. They worship the old Thraco-Dacian pantheon of gods, and claim that the name "Zalmoxis" comes from zamol, meaning "earth".
See also
- Armenian Neopaganism
- Hungarian Neopaganism
- Slavic Neopaganism
References
Bibliography
- László-Attila Hubbes. Romanian Ethno-Paganism: Discourses of Nationalistic Religion in Virtual Space. In Native Faith and Neo-Pagan Movements in Central and Eastern Europe. Kaarina Aitamurto, Scott Simpson. Acumen Publishing, 2013. ISBN 1844656624
- Rozália Klára Bakó, László-Attila Hubbes. Religious Minorities' Web Rhetoric: Romanian and Hungarian Ethno-Pagan Organizations. Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, vol. 10, issue 30, Winter 2011: 127-158. ISSN: 1583-0039
External links
- Societatea Gebeleizis ("Gebeleizis Association")
- Spiritualitate Daco-Românească ("Daco-Romanian Spirituality")
- Octavian Sarbatoare. The Foundations of Zamolxiana New Religious Movement, 2014. ISBN 9780992446819
