The census data collection began on the 5th of December 2021 for anyone who worships the Dewoi/Deuoi. The census went out to Gaulchat, Touta Galation’s social media, Ár nDraíocht Féin’s (ADF) Gaulish kindred and was sent to other servers with a community of Gaulish polytheists. The census aimed to collect information on the demographics, history and practices of the global Gaulish polytheist community to inform approaches to education and determine what needs may be present in the wider community.
Age and location
This section will present data on the respondent’s age and country of residence.
Age of practitioners: The largest proportion of practitioners belong to the 20-30 and 30-40 age groups, with 32 and 28 respondents each. This is followed by 40-50 with eight, 50-60 with six, under 20 with four and 60+ with two respondents, respectively. The age pyramid provides us with many questions and possibilities but may point primarily to the newness of Gaulish polytheism as a religious tradition. Over the next few decades, it will be interesting to watch whether we as a community get an inverted pyramid with the largest proportion of practitioners in the older age groups or continue to have a high percentage of younger people.
Countries of residence: the pie chart above shows the countries of residence identified by the respondents. With the vast majority of representation, the US and Canadian residents comprise 77.5% of the community, 12.5% in Western Europe, 5% in Oceania, 2.5% in South America and 2.5% in ‘other’. The data will not be representative of all Gaulish polytheists, as there is seemingly little connection between Touta Galation and older groups within Europe or non-English speaking organizations and individuals.
Identity of the community
In the graphs below, data presenting the identity of the community, including gender and sexual identity and religious history will be presented.
Gender identity: the graph above represents the gender identity of the community. Important to note that respondents to the census could select multiple identities. 31.5% of the community identified as male and 26.9% as female, followed by 18.5% as non-binary, 8.3% as transgender, 6.5% as genderfluid, 2.8% as agender, and 4.6% as other.
Sexual orientation: the graph above represents the sexual orientation of the community. Important to note that respondents to the census were able to give multiple answers. The most common sexual orientation was straight/heterosexual with 26.5%, followed by bisexual at 24.5%, queer at 14.3%, homosexual and pansexual tied at 7.1%, lesbian at 6.1%, asexual and demisexual tied at 5.1% and other at 4.1%. 73.5% of the respondents are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
What religion were you born into? This graph presents the religious group or culture into which respondents were born. The two highest responses were Catholicism and Protestantism, which both received 29 responses, followed by None and Other, which received 19 and 10 each. Mormonism received 2 responses, followed by Judaism, Islam and Indigenous spirituality with 1 each.
Religious data
Name of beliefs: this chart shows the spread of responses giving a name to their beliefs. Gaulish polytheism received the most responses at 47, followed by Gaulish paganism at 31, with Galatibessus and Other tying at 19, after which the name of their tradition or custom at 18 and Senobessus last at 4.
Length of time practicing ‘Gaulish polytheism/paganism’: the above chart presents the experience distribution within the Gaulish polytheist/pagan community. The highest range was from 1-5 years, with 32 respondents selecting this, followed by 29 respondents choosing under a year, with the 5-10 years range getting 14, followed by 10-15 and 15+ years, each having 3 responses.
How long have you been practicing polytheism/paganism? The chart above shows the overall distribution of experience that Gaulish polytheists and pagans have within the greater polytheist and pagan sphere. The experience levels are quite evenly spread out, with 15+ years having the highest response with 19, followed by 5-10 years with 16 and 10-15 years with 15 responses. This is followed by ‘as long as I have been [a] Gaulish [polytheist/pagan]’ with 14, and under 4 years and 4-5 years with 11 and 10 responses, respectively. So while the majority of Gaulish pagans and polytheists have not been practicing Gaulish polytheism for very long, it appears that the vast majority have come from other traditions and religions, and it is likely that they have brought their experiences and perspectives with them, creating the diverse tapestry of Gaulish polytheism today.
Have you practiced any of the following traditions prior to Gaulish polytheism? This question tries to delve into the influences brought into Gaulish polytheism today by trying to understand further people’s extensive history in other polytheist and pagan traditions. Respondents were able to select more than one option. As seen in the pie chart above, Celtic polytheism, Neodruidry, Wicca, Gaelic polytheism and Norse heathenry dominate as past practices, totalling 67.9% of previous traditions. The question admittedly does not include options for non-European traditions (besides Kemetic polytheism). It could not possibly include all the options possible. Still, the dominance of Celtic (and Celtic-inspired) traditions, such as Gaelic polytheism, Wicca and Neodruidry, combined with Heathenry and Mediterranean practices is interesting and can be seen in the practices and writings of Gaulish polytheists if one pays attention.
Preferred identifier: The preferred identifiers of the community help us to roughly understand the practices of the community. For example, we see that the majority of community members simply prefer Gaulish polytheist/pagan or Galatis, at 35.9% and 18.6%, respectively. This is followed by the ‘syncretic’ identifiers, with Gallo-Roman at 11%, Gallo-Brittonic at 9.7%, Gallo-Germanic at 5.5%, Bolgoi and Gallo-Hellenic at 3.4% each and other at 12.4%.
What type of practice do you have? The pie chart above presents the answers to whether respondents have a primarily solo practice or are part of a tradition or group. 72% of respondents have solitary practices, with 28% being part of a tradition or group. The information here is interesting in that despite the existence of a number of organizations, traditions and customs in the realm of Gaulish polytheism; the majority are solitary. This may be due to a large difference in belief and practice across Gaulish polytheism, poor advertising of traditions and groups, or, more likely, many reasons that differ between individuals. Perhaps as most Gaulish polytheists have been practicing for less than five years, they have not yet settled on something that fits them.
What kind of practice would you like, but haven’t been able to attain? The final graph to round out the census is on what changes to their practice people in the community would like to make. Forty-one individuals would like to follow a group’s practice in some way, followed by thirty-two people saying they are satisfied with their current practice. Twenty-two people would like to fully join a group, while twelve would like to develop their solitary custom.