Heathen often used as a synonym of
paganism, originally a person living on the
heath or in the countryside. And just like the word
pagan it became to mean a person holding on to the old customs and beliefs, often used in the pejorative sense of heretic or unbeliever.
Nowadays it is the term with which adherents of Heathenry, the revival of the ancient Germanic religion, also known as Asatru, wish to identify themselves.
Heathen is also the name of an album by
David Bowie.
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