pagan - but not really pagano..?

Question

Is there an other word for pagan (as in pre-christian religions umbrella term for wiccas, druids etc) than pagano, which I understand in a way does mean pagan but with more emphasis on the heathern side of things'

Answer 1

Chamán (shaman in english), I know shamans and have great respect for some of them, but not what I'm looking for. Thanx for the suggestion though.

Wikipedia adds curandera to the cauldron... which does not sound too far off the mark either.
Maybe I should combine bruja-curandera? Or maybe that will just make people think I'm some english eccentric

Answer 2

A shaman is a person, but I think Mz was looking for a word that referred to a type or category of religion. However, "shamanistic religions" might work in some cases.

Mz Badger wrote:
It's funny (peculiar) how here I get no funny looks for replying bruja when asked about beliefs, whereas pagano gets a very different (neg) response. In the uk it was quite the opposite!

Yes, that's the fun of learning other languages, because they are so intimately connected to the culture, beliefs, and customs of the native speakers.

Incidently, what is googits'

Google hits

Answer 3

Ok, thanx. I think I'll go for las religiones basadas en la naturaleza next time.
It's funny (peculiar) how here I get no funny looks for replying bruja when asked about beliefs, whereas pagano gets a very different (neg) response. In the uk it was quite the opposite!

Incidently, what is googits'

Answer 4

Meybe you are looking for the word "chamán", who is an witchdoctor which supposed gifted of supernatural powers to heel to the sick, to guess, to invoke the spirits, etc.

Hechicero al que se supone dotado de poderes sobrenaturales para sanar a los enfermos, adivinar, invocar a los espíritus, etc.

Answer 5

But those words are exactly what pagan means in English. The negative connotations were applied by the Christian Church and its followers. From their standpoint, a person who practices a "nature-based religion" is a heathen, infidel, and pagan. The word pagan comes from Latin paganus, which meant peasant. This was because the rural people were slower in adopting Christianity, and so they were the enemy of the Church.

I think pagan and pagano are nearly perfect synonyms.

If you want to express "nature-based religions," you can just say it that way in Spanish: Las religiones basadas en la naturaleza, which gets quite a few googits.

Answer 6

When I looked it up I got:
pagano
pagan, heathen, infidel
(n.) pagan, heathen; scapegoat; victim

I am looking for a more commonly used word for "nature based religions", with a bit less negative connotations maybe? (Maybe the same way witches or practicer's of witchcraft (the religion) was renamed wicca)

Answer 7

Pagan
1. One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, especially a worshiper of a polytheistic religion.

Pagano (RAE)
1. adj. Se dice de los idólatras y politeístas, especialmente de los antiguos griegos y romanos.

They look pretty similar to me. What exactly are you trying to express'