Childhood and children in contemporary Paganism in Hungary

This article explores the role of children and childhood in the context of contemporary Paganism in Hungary, a spiritual movement aimed at reconstructing pre-Christian religious beliefs and practices. While there are relatively few rituals directly addressed to children, the practices are greatly inspired by cultural elements proper to childhood, and religious transmission relies on relationships associated with the status of children. By examining various instances in which the role of child is ascribed to participants and in which experiences proper to infancy/childhood(such as birth, storytelling, and play) are put to the service of transmission and learning, Iattempt to show how childhood is implicated in these practices, particularly in religious transmission, biographical narratives, and participants’ experiences.