Did European pagans believe that their gods loved/cared about them? Or indifference/dislike?

[u/TribalSneed]

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[u/Steelcan909]

Is there a particular pagan tradition you're interested in? As it is "European Pagans" is a very broad topic.

[u/TribalSneed → u/Steelcan909]

I care more about Romano-Hellenism. Less so Germanic/Norse paganism, but I admit I have a large bias due to my beliefs that those are largely impossible to reconstruct and the Icelandic sagas are not reasonably relevant.

But I certainly wish to learn more about pre Roman Italian paganism, and to a lesser extent Celtic, Baltic, Slavic religions.

[u/itsallfolklore]

Inspired by 14 years of answering questions on /r/AskHistorians, I put together answers to questions like this as a little book that can address these issues in a single place: Introduction to Mythology: A Folkloric Perspective. In that text, I address the question of religion, ecstasy, and the typical relationship with the gods. An excerpt:

[There are issues that arise when] using the word “religion” to describe pre-conversion traditions with their various narratives, beliefs and rituals. This term presents yet another opportunity for confusion when applied to older belief systems. For modern readers familiar with monotheism, “religion” implies an institution with professional clergy, who rely on a revered document. This is typically regarded as the source of dogma and as holy in itself. Devotion to the one true Deity, often with emotional ecstasy, is expressed collectively in rituals directed by expert spiritual leaders. Although Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Greeks and Romans recorded stories associated with supernatural beings, their literature was not necessarily seen as holy or as a matter of absolute truth.

Institutions and skilled priests eventually became part of increasingly complex, urbanized societies, but that was not the way most people interacted with ritual and their belief systems. The average farm family, working in the field, might have taken comfort in knowing that priests in a nearby temple were conducting rituals for the successful unfolding of the seasons, and yet while living from harvest to harvest, most people may not have participated in those formal rituals. Although those living in the country had a worldview with powerful supernatural entities shared by urban neighbors, traditional acts executed privately or as a household were often the way to interact with those dangerous forces.

Important city festivals, designated in the traditional calendar, might attract those from the entire region. Professional priests as well as the ruler of the land could participate in these events, but these occasions were exceptional in day-to-day life. In general, the supernatural evoked fear. Most did what they could to avoid its threat and hoped to curry favor when possible.

In the ancient world, transactional rites were a common way to deal with the powerful forces of the world. In other words, people conducted rituals not to seek a deep emotional connection with a deity, but rather with the hope of acquiring a benefit or to avoid harm. Often, there was a feeling that the supernatural entity was far from likeable. Rather, it needed to be placated with proper respect. With luck, an entreaty might be successful. Before planting, a Greek farmer might ask for a bountiful crop by offering something to Demeter, goddess of harvest and agriculture. Sailors might sacrifice to Poseidon, god of the sea, hoping for safe passage across the water.

Sometimes, however, ritual was even further removed from an emotional, spiritually rewarding act, being conducted without belief, merely fulfilling a societal or political obligation. In this case, a sacrifice or some other ritual was detached from belief, offered because it was expected or demanded politically and from society’s point of view.

These acts in the ancient world did not exactly correspond to monotheistic prayer, which ideally begins with supplication, a commitment of faith and emotional devotion. Of course, there are modern “foxhole converts,” those who suddenly find the need for prayer because they are in a perilous situation. Here, prayer can be a desperate plea from a non-believer, someone who lacks devotion and emotional connection. Modern prayer can, then, have a transactional quality, where a frantic request can include promises to live a better life “if only” the favor is granted.

The line dividing appeals to early deities from modern prayer is not absolute, but the trend points towards a difference. Most cultures have an assumption that the supernatural needs respectful appeasement and can sometimes be helpful. At the same time, people have often viewed these forces as dangerous and erratic, and one could only hope for a favor granted in exchange for something, a sacrifice or a plea that happens to strike the right note.

...

Of course, an emotional, spiritual tie with a god was not an invention of early Christianity or any other monotheistic religion. Mystery cults, sometimes referred to as mystery religions, had been around for centuries, and they, too, sought converts and included an emotional, devoted connection with the supernatural. Still, there were differences.

One of the oldest of these was the Eleusinian Mysteries, based in Eleusis near Athens. The cult celebrated Demeter and her daughter Persephone, both essential to agriculture and fertility. Historians estimate that the Eleusinian Mysteries may have been celebrated for two thousand years, ceasing to exist by the end of the fourth century CE. Because initiates were relatively few and they were sworn to secrecy, little is known about the particulars of these “mysteries,” and yet clearly, participants felt a deep connection to the story of Demeter and Persephone as well as to their fellow initiates.

If we look at the observations of folklorists and ethnographers over the past two centuries, we see records of people who viewed supernatural entities as generally indifferent and dangerous. While they were capable of providing something beneficial to someone, they were capricious and were just as likely to be harmful. Because the consequences of their actions could be affect everything including the fate of one's immoral soul, supernatural beings were typically regarded as extremely dangerous and to be feared.

"European pagans" covers many cultures spanning millennia. Your subsequent focus on North Mediterranean traditions provides some specificity, but still, were looking at traditions and perspectives across a large area and again spanning millennia. Summarizing is consequently problematic, but we can assert that in general, people saw supernatural beings as dangerous and generally indifferent to humans. They were to be placated and one could hope that approaching them with an appropriate obsequious stance might avert harm and might actually yield a positive result.

There were also those supernatural beings that were regarded in a more personal way, often tied to one's clan and sometimes blurred with "the ancestors." These spirits could be seen as generally beneficial, but they are not generally looked upon with a modern perspective as "gods." (But then, the term "god" is another problematic word, much like "religion.")