Medievalists.net » Paganism http://www.medievalists.net Where the Middle Ages Begin Sun, 06 Dec 2015 19:35:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.9 Sacrificial Magic and the Twofold Division of the Irish Ritual Year http://www.medievalists.net/2015/10/31/sacrificial-magic-and-the-twofold-division-of-the-irish-ritual-year/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/10/31/sacrificial-magic-and-the-twofold-division-of-the-irish-ritual-year/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2015 00:15:18 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=62173 The historical development of St. Martin’s Day in Ireland, and its relationship with the more ancient festival of Samhain is examined, revealing circumstances that saw much of the ritual nature of Samhain being adopted within a Christian context in the medieval period.

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/10/31/sacrificial-magic-and-the-twofold-division-of-the-irish-ritual-year/feed/ 0 How to destroy gods http://www.medievalists.net/2015/08/16/how-to-destroy-gods/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/08/16/how-to-destroy-gods/#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2015 18:31:37 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=60400 In the year 1168 a Danish bishop destroyed three pagan gods. The story is told in Gesta Danorum, by Saxo Grammaticus, which has recently been entirely translated into English for the first time.

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/08/16/how-to-destroy-gods/feed/ 0 Lughnasa and Lammas: Summer Holidays Lost and Found Again http://www.medievalists.net/2015/08/01/lughnasa-and-lammas-summer-holidays-lost-and-found-again/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/08/01/lughnasa-and-lammas-summer-holidays-lost-and-found-again/#comments Sat, 01 Aug 2015 18:18:39 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=60133 For centuries two holidays were celebrated by neighboring peoples on the same day. The people were the Celts and the Anglo-Saxons, and their holidays were Lughnasa and Lammas respectively.

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/08/01/lughnasa-and-lammas-summer-holidays-lost-and-found-again/feed/ 0 Which Baltic God/Goddess Are You? http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/30/which-baltic-godgoddess-are-you/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/30/which-baltic-godgoddess-are-you/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2015 19:58:16 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=60102 Have you ever wondered who were/are the last pagans in Europe? Baltic Gods were never forgotten. Lithuanians have so many however who from the main ones do you resemble the most - Perkūnas, Žemyna, Vėlinas, Ragutis, Milda or Laima?

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/30/which-baltic-godgoddess-are-you/feed/ 0 A note on the regional distribution of pagan burials in Iceland http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/25/a-note-on-the-regional-distribution-of-pagan-burials-in-iceland/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/25/a-note-on-the-regional-distribution-of-pagan-burials-in-iceland/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2015 15:57:12 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=59978 Comparison of the distribution of pagan burials in Iceland with medieval information about the number of farmers in different parts of the country allows a division of the country into three zones of low, medium and high frequency of pagan burials relative to the number of settlements.

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/25/a-note-on-the-regional-distribution-of-pagan-burials-in-iceland/feed/ 0 The Afterlife of the Dead: Reform in Attitude Towards Medieval Burials, Corpses and Bones http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/07/the-afterlife-of-the-dead-reform-in-attitude-towards-medieval-burials-corpses-and-bones/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/07/the-afterlife-of-the-dead-reform-in-attitude-towards-medieval-burials-corpses-and-bones/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2015 00:11:07 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=59483 The International Medieval Congress is taking place at the University of Leeds, I’m on hand this week to report on the conference. This blog post reports on my first session.

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/07/07/the-afterlife-of-the-dead-reform-in-attitude-towards-medieval-burials-corpses-and-bones/feed/ 0 The Fairy Faith: An Ancient Indigenous European Religion http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/17/the-fairy-faith-an-ancient-indigenous-european-religion/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/17/the-fairy-faith-an-ancient-indigenous-european-religion/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:05:19 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=59023 As Christianity arose in Celtic and Anglo Britain, the indigenous fairy beliefs were grafted into the Christian lexicon, altering beliefs further. Not only did powerful deities of mythology become shrunken into fairy lore, but ideas about fairies changed to fit the Christian paradigm.

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/17/the-fairy-faith-an-ancient-indigenous-european-religion/feed/ 0 Foundation Myths in Medieval and Renaissance Italy http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/10/foundation-myths-in-medieval-and-renaissance-italy/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/10/foundation-myths-in-medieval-and-renaissance-italy/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2015 11:50:14 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=58832 The 3 papers featured here looked at the development of the civic identities of Florence, Genoa and Rome through art, architecture and foundation legends.

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/10/foundation-myths-in-medieval-and-renaissance-italy/feed/ 0 From Runes to Ruins: Documentary looks at rediscovering the Anglo-Saxon past http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/04/from-runes-to-ruins-documentary-looks-at-rediscovering-the-anglo-saxon-past/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/04/from-runes-to-ruins-documentary-looks-at-rediscovering-the-anglo-saxon-past/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2015 22:00:23 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=58701 In his latest film, From Runes to Ruins, Tom Rowsell examines how people in England are reclaiming their Anglo-Saxon heritage, including its religion.

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]]> http://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/04/from-runes-to-ruins-documentary-looks-at-rediscovering-the-anglo-saxon-past/feed/ 0 Katherine of Alexandria: Decline of an Empire http://www.medievalists.net/2015/04/27/katherine-of-alexandria-decline-of-an-empire/ http://www.medievalists.net/2015/04/27/katherine-of-alexandria-decline-of-an-empire/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2015 00:46:00 +0000 http://www.medievalists.net/?p=57908 According to hagiographers, (C)Katherine was a princess, the daughter of Roman governor named Constus. She was well educated, beautiful and highly intelligent. She converted to Christianity at the age of 13 or 14 and caught the eye of the Roman Emperor, Maxentius (278-318 AD).

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