how paganism survived

i think the business of paganism is to apprehend the gods
and the nature of paganism is mans religious response to his environment
so continuity is implicit in the pagan experience
which is why, though you cannot make the case for direct survivals, it's also hard to make the case that paganism was ever truly extinguished
which is also why it began to reassert itself the moment the christanities deathgrip on europe relaxed