Pagans, also known as neo-pagans or contemporary pagans, hold a diverse range of beliefs and practices that are centered around nature, ancient traditions, and personal spiritual experiences. While there is no single set of beliefs that all pagans adhere to, there are some common themes that can be found among many pagan beliefs. Nature plays a central role in pagan beliefs, with many pagans seeing the natural world as sacred and interconnected. They may hold a belief in a divine or spiritual presence within the natural world, whether that is seen as a pantheon of gods and goddesses, spirits, or an overarching life force known as the divine or the universe. This belief in the sacredness of nature often leads pagans to engage in rituals, ceremonies, and practices that honor and connect with the natural world. Ancient traditions, myths, and legends are also significant in pagan beliefs, as pagans often draw inspiration from the practices and stories of pre-Christian societies around the world.
About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment is one of the world’s leading pre-school entertainment companies, specialising in building powerful brands based on engaging stories. HIT Entertainment’s world-class portfolio includes Thomas & Friends®, Mike the Knight™, Fireman Sam™, Bob the Builder, Barney™, Angelina Ballerina™, Pingu™ and Rainbow Magic™.
This is achieved through exceptional storytelling in multiple formats, enhanced by creating high quality character-based products and experiences with best-in-class partners. We know it is a rare opportunity that brings with it great responsibility, but we re excited about the advances in technology that will help us bring these characters forward.
Ancient traditions, myths, and legends are also significant in pagan beliefs, as pagans often draw inspiration from the practices and stories of pre-Christian societies around the world. They may seek to revive and reinterpret these ancient ways of living and worshiping, adapting them to fit modern times. This can take the form of reconstructing ancient rituals, practicing divination, or working with ancient deities.
Mattel Inc Together With 9 Story Announce New Partnership To Relaunch Iconic Pre-School Brands ‘Barney & Friends’ And ‘Angelina Ballerina’
MATTEL INC, and their preschool entertainment arm and subsidiary, HIT Entertainment, have together with 9 Story Media Group, a leading international kids and family content producer, today announced a new long-term partnership to relaunch iconic pre-school brands ‘Barney & Friends’ and ‘Angelina Ballerina’.
The partnership will leverage the combined expertise of both organizations to breathe new life into the programmes. Mattel, Inc. will bring its global brand management, product activation and strong integrated franchise management capabilities. Development of the IP will begin immediately, with a 2017 target launch date for new (52×11) series for each property.
Kate Schlomann, HIT Entertainment’s VP Global Brand Marketing, said: “We are delighted to announce this new brand building partnership with 9 Story in a deal which sees two of the world’s finest producers of preschool entertainment joining forces to bring an exciting line up of new programming to a global audience across multiple platforms.
“The refresh and relaunch of Barney and Angelina Ballerina represents an exciting start to our partnership with 9 Story. Both brands continue to enjoy large fan bases around the world among both pre-schoolers and their parents, who often grew up with the characters themselves.”
Christopher Keenan, HiT Entertainment’s VP Global Content & Executive Producer, added: “In conjunction with 9 Story, we will leverage our joint production expertise to create best in brand children’s programming to lead content creation. This is a significant step forward in the evolution of our brands”
Vince Commisso, President & CEO of 9 Story said: “We are thrilled to enter into a partnership with Mattel, Inc to relaunch these iconic children’s shows. Barney and Angelina Ballerina are two of the biggest preschool characters in history, and content is what made them so enduring. The whole generation of parents who grew up loving Barney and Angelina will be our partners in sharing them with their children. We know it is a rare opportunity that brings with it great responsibility, but we’re excited about the advances in technology that will help us bring these characters forward.”
Barney originally aired from 1992-2009, with 248 episodes (124 hours) created to-date, plus 25 hours of “specials.” Barney was one of just a few live action properties targeting pre-schoolers in the market, with content aimed at an equal split of boys and girls aged 18months to three years. The show celebrates the life skills of sharing, community and friendship via music and cognitive learning.
Angelina Ballerina originally aired from 2001-2006 and ran for two seasons with 39 episodes and three specials. The episodes were based on a series of children’s books created by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig, the first of which was published in 1983.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment is one of the world’s leading pre-school entertainment companies, specialising in building powerful brands based on engaging stories. HIT Entertainment’s world-class portfolio includes Thomas & Friends®, Mike the Knight™, Fireman Sam™, Bob the Builder, Barney™, Angelina Ballerina™, Pingu™ and Rainbow Magic™.
HIT Entertainment excels at creating and building globally successful brands which capture the hearts and imaginations of pre-schoolers and their families. This is achieved through exceptional storytelling in multiple formats, enhanced by creating high quality character-based products and experiences with best-in-class partners. HIT Entertainment’s lines of business span television and home entertainment production, content distribution, digital media, and live events and attractions. HIT Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. For more information visit www.hitentertainment.com
About Fisher-Price
In 1931, Herman Fisher and Irving Price embarked on a journey to change the toy industry. Their goal: creating playthings that inspire a child’s development. More than 80 years later, Fisher-Price remains deeply rooted in the belief that play is the way children learn best. To this day, understanding the importance of play in building a child’s skills is the fundamental principle, as the company strives to enrich the lives of families with young children around the globe. United by the passion for a child’s safe care and development at each age and stage, the people of Fisher-Price work tirelessly to bring families the best toys and baby products in the world. Some of the company’s best-known brands include Laugh & Learn®, Little People™, Power Wheels™, and Imaginext™, and it’s also a leading developer of character-based toys for children’s programming such as Thomas & Friends™, Dora and Friends: Into the City!, and Jake and the Never Land Pirates. For more information, visit www.fisher-price.com or connect with Fisher-Price on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
About Mattel
The Mattel family of companies (Nasdaq: MAT) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. Mattel’s portfolio of best-selling brands includes Barbie™, the most popular fashion doll ever produced, Hot Wheels™, Monster High™, American Girl™, Thomas & Friends™ and Fisher-Price™ brands, including Little People™ and Power
Wheels™, MEGA™ Brands, including MEGA BLOKS™ and RoseArt™, as well as a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2013, Mattel was named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere Magazine and in 2014 ranked No. 5 on Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s “100 Best Corporate Citizens” list. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel’s companies employ nearly 30,000 people in 40 countries and territories and sell products in more than 150.
Kate Schlomann, HIT Entertainment’s VP Global Brand Marketing, said: “We are delighted to announce this new brand building partnership with 9 Story in a deal which sees two of the world’s finest producers of preschool entertainment joining forces to bring an exciting line up of new programming to a global audience across multiple platforms.
Another key aspect of paganism is the emphasis on personal spiritual experiences and individual journey towards truth, meaning, and connection. Pagans often believe in personal autonomy and the ability to have direct experiences with the divine or spiritual aspects of reality. This can involve practices such as meditation, trance work, and ritual that aim to cultivate these connections and experiences. It is important to note that paganism is a highly diverse and decentralized spiritual path, encompassing a wide range of beliefs and practices. There is no single authority or dogma governing pagan beliefs, and individual pagans may have widely different understandings and interpretations of what it means to be pagan. In summary, pagans hold a variety of beliefs and practices that are centered around nature, ancient traditions, and personal spiritual experiences. They see the natural world as sacred, draw inspiration from ancient ways of living and worshiping, and emphasize personal autonomy and individual spiritual journeys. While there is no single set of beliefs that all pagans share, these themes are often present in pagan beliefs and traditions..
Reviews for "The Mythology and Gods of Paganism"
1. John - 1/5 - I found "What pagans hold as true" to be extremely disappointing. The author seemed to generalize and stereotype the entire pagan community, which I found offensive. It was clear that the author did not do enough research and instead relied on preconceived notions and misinformation. I was hoping for a more nuanced and informative book, but all I got was a shallow and biased view of paganism.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - As someone who has studied and practiced paganism for years, I was excited to read "What pagans hold as true" as I thought it would provide insight and expand my understanding of different pagan beliefs. However, I was ultimately let down by the book. The writing was dry and lacking in depth, and the information presented was often oversimplified and inaccurate. It felt like the author was attempting to generalize a diverse and complex belief system into a one-size-fits-all narrative, which did not do justice to paganism. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive and accurate understanding of paganism.
3. Emma - 1/5 - I found "What pagans hold as true" to be incredibly biased and disrespectful towards pagan beliefs. The author seemed to have a predetermined agenda and was not interested in presenting a balanced view of paganism. Instead, it felt like a thinly veiled attempt to delegitimize pagan practices and beliefs. I expected a more open-minded and informative book, but unfortunately, this was not the case. I would highly discourage anyone from reading this book if they are looking for a fair and objective exploration of paganism.
4. James - 2/5 - While "What pagans hold as true" touched on some interesting aspects of paganism, I felt that it lacked depth and nuance. The information presented was surface-level and did not provide a comprehensive understanding of pagan beliefs and practices. Additionally, the author seemed to focus on the more sensationalized aspects of paganism and overlooked the diversity and complexity within the pagan community. Overall, I was left wanting more from this book and would not recommend it to those seeking a thorough exploration of paganism.