Pagan Britain

Ronald Hutton's book explores the long development, rapid suppression, and enduring cultural significance of paganism in Britain from the Paleolithic era to the coming of Christianity, using recently discovered evidence to transform understandings of belief and ritual. He includes famous sacred sites and obscure locations, in pursuit of the elusive "why" of pagan behavior.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 496 pages
Publication date: 18 October 2022
Publisher: Yale University Press

Britain's pagan past, with its enigmatic monuments, atmospheric sites, enigmatic artifacts, bloodthirsty legends, and cryptic inscriptions, is both captivating and perplexing to a twenty-first-century resident. In this ambitious and thoroughly up-to-date book, Ronald Hutton reveals the long development, rapid suppression, and enduring cultural significance of paganism, from the Paleolithic era to the coming of Christianity. He draws on an array of recently discovered evidence and showcases how new findings have radically transformed our understanding of belief and ritual in Britain before the arrival of organized religion.

Setting forth a chronological narrative, Hutton makes side visits to explore specific locations of ancient pagan activity. He includes the well-known sacred sites—Stonehenge, Avebury, Seahenge, Maiden Castle, Anglesey—as well as more obscure locations across the mainland and coastal islands. In his tireless pursuit of the elusive "why" of pagan behavior, Hutton astonishes with the breadth of his understanding of Britain's deep past and inspires with the originality of his insights.

Dimension: 197 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300268348