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How Pagan Was Medieval Britain?

An episode of the Gresham College Lectures podcast, hosted by Gresham College, titled "How Pagan Was Medieval Britain?" was published on June 20, 2023 and runs 122 minutes.

June 20, 2023 ·122m · Gresham College Lectures

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Summary

Did paganism survive all through the Middle Ages, as scholars once thought, remaining the religion of the common people, while the elite had embraced Christianity? Or did it die out earlier? This lecture will consider a broad range of evidence, including figures in seasonal folk rites, carvings in churches, the records of trials for witchcraft and a continuing veneration of natural places such as wells. It will also compare ancient paganism and medieval Christianity as successive religious sy...

Episode Description

Did paganism survive all through the Middle Ages, as scholars once thought, remaining the religion of the common people, while the elite had embraced Christianity? Or did it die out earlier?

This lecture will consider a broad range of evidence, including figures in seasonal folk rites, carvings in churches, the records of trials for witchcraft and a continuing veneration of natural places such as wells. It will also compare ancient paganism and medieval Christianity as successive religious systems.


A lecture by Ronald Hutton recorded on 7 June 2023 at Barbican Centre, London

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/medieval-pagan

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