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DNA, history and archaeology have shown that the European people, or those of a close enough racial origin, have existed for around 40,000 years, of which Christianity has only been the dominant religion for less than one thousand. This volume sketches out the belief systems, values and religions of the "Old Europeans" whose religious practices preceded those of the Indo-European culture. It is of necessity scant, as no decipherable written records exist, and seemingly most oral traditions appear to have been wiped out. There are a large number of speculative works about pre-historic European religion, but the only proper understanding we can take from this time must come from the burial practices and buildings which remain from that time.
"The Handbook of Religions in Ancient Europe" surveys the major religious currents of Europe before Christianity - the first continental religion with hegemonic ambition - wiped out most local religions. The evidence - whether archaeological or written - is notoriously difficult to interpret, and the variety of religions documented by the sources and the range of languages used are bewildering. The "Handbook" brings together leading authorities on pre-Christian religious history to provide a state-of-the-art survey. The first section of the book covers the Prehistoric period, from the Paleolithic to the Bronze Age. The second section covers the period since writing systems began. Ranging across the Mediterranean and Northern, Celtic and Slavic Europe, the essays assess the archaeological and textual evidence. Dispersed archaeological remains and biased outside sources constitute our main sources of information, so the complex task of interpreting these traces is explained for each case. The "Handbook" also aims to highlight the plurality of religion in ancient Europe: the many ways in which it is expressed, notably in discourse, action, organization, and material culture; how it is produced and maintained by different people with different interests; how communities always connect with or disassociate from adjunct communities and how their beliefs and rituals are shaped by these relationships. The "Handbook" will be invaluable to anyone interested in ancient History and also to scholars and students of Religion, Anthropology, Archaeology, and Classical Studies.
This volume sketches out the belief systems, values and religions of the "Old Europeans" whose religious practices preceded those of the Indo-European culture.It is of necessity scant, as no decipherable written records exist, and seemingly most oral traditions appear to have been wiped out. There are a large number of speculative works about pre-historic European religion, but the only proper understanding we can take from this time must come from the burial practices and buildings which remain from that time.ContentsPrefaceChapter I: Palaeolithic Burial RitualThe Cult of Skulls: Monte Circeo; Ofnet; Ceremonial Interment in the Middle Palaeolithic: Le Moustier; La Chapelleaux-Saints; La Ferrassie.The Upper Palaeolithic: The Grimaldi Burials; Paviland and other UpperPalaeolithic Sepultures; The Palaeolithic Cult of the Dead.The Mesolithic Transition: Azilian-Tardenoisian Interments;Maglemosean; Ertebølle; Danish Dyssers.Chapter II. Megalithic Burial In EuropeEastern Mediterranean: Tholoi in Cyprus; Vaulted Tombs in Crete; TheCycladic Tombs; The Siculan Rock-cut Tombs. Western Mediterranean: Sardinian Gallery-tombs; Rock-cut Tombs and Navetas in the Balearic Isles; Maltese Megaliths. Iberian Peninsula: The Almerian Megaliths; South-west Iberian Tombs; Pyrenean Megaliths. Atlantic Europe: Megalithic Tombs in Brittany; The S.O.M. Culture. The British Isles: British Long Barrows; The Severny-Cotswold Barrows; The Boyne Passage-graves; The Clyde-Carlingford Gallery Graves; The Medway Megaliths. The Northern Megalithic Tombs: The Danish Passage-graves; Battle-axes and Single Graves.Chapter III. Cremation And InhumationCremation in Europe in the Bronze Age: Partial Cremation under LongBarrows; Round Barrows; Urn Burial; The Terramara Cemeteries; TheVillanovan Cemeteries; The Lausitz Urnfields; The Alpine Urnfields; The Hallstatt Cemetery.Chapter IV. The Mystery Of BirthThe Mystery of Birth in Palaeolithic Times: Sculptured "Venuses"; CowrieShells; Fertility Dances. Neolithic and Chalcolithic Female Figurines: Anatolia, Cyprus and the Cyclades; Crete; The Mother goddess; The Great Minoan Goddess; The Maltese Goddess Cult; The Iberian Goddess Cult; Statue-menhirs; The Goddess Cult in Britain and Northern France.Chapter V. Fertility And The Food SupplyPalaeolithic Hunting Ritual; Increase Rites; The Control of the Chase; The Cultus in the Aegean: The Minoan-Mycenaean Goddess of Vegetation and the Young Male God; Zeus and Demeter. The Vegetation Cult in North-west Europe Aegean Influences in WessexChapter VI. The Sky-ReligionThe Idea of God: Animism and Polytheism; Supreme Beings; The Universality and Antiquity of the Sky-god. The Indo-European Sky-gods: The Indo-Aranian Sky-gods; Zeus and the Olympian Divine Family; The Sky-father and the Earth-mother; The Scandinavian Heavenly Deities; Sky-worship in Wessex.Chapter VII. Prehistoric ReligionThe Ritual Control of Natural Processes: The Nature and Function ofSymbols; Totemism and the Sacred Dance. Fertility and the Mystery of Birth and Generation: Generation and Maternity. The Goddess Cult. The Cult of the Dead: Palaeolithic; The Mediterranean; Western Europe.The Sky-religion. The Celestial Afterlife. The Concept of the Universal Sky-god.BibliographyIndex
Europe is a relatively secular part of the world in global terms. Why is this so? And why is the situation in Europe so different from that in the United States? The first chapter of this book - the theme - articulates this contrast. The remaining chapters - the variations - look in turn at the historical, philosophical, institutional and sociological dimensions of these differences. Key ideas are examined in detail, among them: constitutional issues; the Enlightenment; systems of law, education and welfare; questions of class, ethnicity, gender and generation. In each chapter both the similarities and differences between the European and the American cases are carefully scrutinized. The final chapter explores the ways in which these features translate into policy on both sides of the Atlantic. This book is highly topical and relates very directly to current misunderstandings between Europe and America.
DNA, history and archaeology have shown that the European people have existed for around 40,000 years, of which Christianity has only been the dominant religion for less than one thousand.This volume reveals how much influence the Norse Gods have had upon High European culture. The author posits the major stories of the Norse Gods against later European tales and traditions, and shows how many of these stories are linked directly back to traditions inherited from the time of the earlier religion-including some mistakenly thought to be Christian in origin.Read the most famous stories from the Norse Gods, and of how they directly influenced the legend of Holy Roman Emperor King Barbarossa; Vitellus, Roman Prefect of the lower Rhine; the Cheru sword; the slaying of Atilla the Hun; the legend of the Lorelei of the Rhine; the Rhine Gold; the origin of Yule, and much more.Contents: Introduction; Myths and stories of the gods-The gods, their worlds and deeds-Odin,Wodan, Wuotan-Frigg, or Freya, and her handmaids-Thor or Thunar-Tyr, Tius or Zio-Heru, Cheru or Saxnot-Heimdal or Riger-Bragi and Iduna-The Wanes, Niörder, Freyer, Freya-Fate, Norns, Hel, Walkyries-Ögir and his companions-Loki-The other gods-The Golden Age-Sin-Iduna's departure-Baldur's death-Ögirs banquet-Loki in chains-Ragnarök-Lay of the Norse gods and heroes;Part first: Legends and myths: Creation of the world-Day and Night-Two first human beings-Allfather-Yggdrasil, the World-Ash-The divine kingdom-Influence of Christianity-The Runic language;Part Second: The Gods, Their Worlds And Deeds: The Norns-Dwarfs and Elves-Giants-Worlds and heavenly palaces;Part Third: Opponents Of The Gods: Loki and his kindred-The giants-Muspel and his sons-Surtur;Part Fourth: King Gylphi And The Ases: Gefion-Gylphi in Asgard;Part Fifth: Odin, Father Of The Gods And Of The Ases: i. Wodan, according to the oldest conceptions-The myths of the WildHunt and of the Raging Host-The sleeping heroes-The higher conception of Wodan-Odin at Geiröd's Palace-Odin, the discoverer of the Runes, and god of poetry and of wisdom-The draught of inspiration; Odin's visit to Gunlöd; Journey to Wafthrudnir-Odin's descendants;ii. Frigg and her maidens-Other goddesses related to Frigg;iii. Holda, Ostara-Berchta-The White Lady;iv. Thor, Thunar (Thunder) -Thor's deeds and journeys; Making of Miölnir-Journey to Utgard-Duel with Hrungnir-Journey to Hymir-Journey to Thrymheim to get back Miölnir-Journey to Geiröd's-gard-The Harbard Lay;v. Irmin vi. Tyr or Zio;vii. Heru or Cheru, Saxnot;viii. Heimdal, Riger;ix. Bragi and Iduna-Giant Thiassi steals Iduna;x. Uller;Part Sixth: The Wanes: xi. Niörder and Skadi xii. Freyer or Fro- The wonderful Quern Stones-Skirnir's Journey to Gerda-Young Swendal xiii. Freya, Frea or Frouwa-Freya and the young huntsman-Rerir and his love Helga-Swipdagerreturns to Menglada's Castle;Part Seventh: The Fates: Fate-Legend of Starkad-King Fridleif-The Norns-Hel-The Walkyries-Legend of King Kraki-Dises-Mandrake root;Part Eighth: Ögir And His Followers: Legend of the Lake Maiden-Legend of the Loreley-The Water-Neck;Part Ninth: Loki And His Race: The giant Skrymsli and the peasant-Loki's progeny-Loki's race;Part Tenth: The Other Ases: Widar-Hermodur the Swift-Wali or Ali, Skeaf-Legend of King Skeaf-Baldur and Hödur-Forseti;Part Eleventh: Signs Of The Approaching Destruction Of The World; The Golden Age-Sin-Iduna's departure.Part Twelfth: Baldur's Death: How Wala was conjured up-Loki visits Frigg in the dress of an old woman-Death of Baldur-Hermodur sent to the realm of the shades-Wali appears at Walhalla, and avenges Baldur.Part Thirteenth. Loki's Condemnation Ögir's banquet-Loki reviles the gods-Loki flees, is captured and put in chains-The faithful Sigyn.Part Fourteenth Ragnarök, The Twilight Of The Gods The Fimbul-Winter-The Last Battle-Surtur flings his fire-brands over the nine worlds-Renewal of the World-Lifand Lifthrasir-The Field of Ida-The Lay of Wala Index
The first major work of cultural and intellectual history devoted to the subject of the transatlantic religious divide. Using nineteenth and early twentieth century commentary on the subject, Howard helps us understand why Americans have maintained much friendlier ties with traditional forms of religion than their European counterparts.
Europe in the nineteenth century saw spectacular growth in the size and number of cities and in the proportion of the population living in urban areas. Many contemporaries thought that this social revolution would bring about an equally dramatic change in religious life. This book, written by an international team of specialists, provides an authoritative account of religious change, both at the institutional and popular level, in Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox cities, in seven European countries.
Underlying the discussion are basic questions about the format of medieval religious experience, ranging from the nature of authority to the relationship between priests and laity, and how far it is actually possible to talk of a monolithic catholicism.
In recent years religion has resurfaced amongst academics, in many ways replacing class as the key to understanding Europe's historical development. This has resulted in an explosion of studies revisiting issues of religious change, confessional violence and holy war during the early modern period. But the interpretation of the European wars of religion still remains largely defined by national boundaries, tied to specific processes of state building as well as nation building. In order to more thoroughly interrogate these concepts and assumptions, this volume focusses on terms repeatedly used and misused in public debates such as "religious violence" and "holy warfare" within the context of military conflicts commonly labelled "religious wars". The chapters not only focus on the role of religion, but also on the emerging state as a driver of the escalation of violence in the so-called age of religious war. By using different methodological and theoretical approaches historians, philosophers, and theologians engage in an interdisciplinary debate that contributes to a better understanding of the religio-political situation of early modern Europe and the interpretation of violent conflicts interpreted as religious conflicts today. By adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, new and innovative perspectives are opened up that question if in fact religion was a primary driving force behind these conflicts.
Two French Protestant refugees in eighteenth-century Amsterdam gave the world an extraordinary work that intrigued and outraged readers across Europe. In this captivating account, Lynn Hunt, Margaret Jacob, and Wijnand Mijnhardt take us to the vibrant Dutch Republic and its flourishing book trade to explore the work that sowed the radical idea that religions could be considered on equal terms. Famed engraver Bernard Picart and author and publisher Jean Frederic Bernard produced The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of All the Peoples of the World, which appeared in the first of seven folio volumes in 1723. They put religion in comparative perspective, offering images and analysis of Jews, Catholics, Muslims, the peoples of the Orient and the Americas, Protestants, deists, freemasons, and assorted sects. Despite condemnation by the Catholic Church, the work was a resounding success. For the next century it was copied or adapted, but without the context of its original radicalism and its debt to clandestine literature, English deists, and the philosophy of Spinoza. Ceremonies and Customs prepared the ground for religious toleration amid seemingly unending religious conflict, and demonstrated the impact of the global on Western consciousness. In this beautifully illustrated book, Hunt, Jacob, and Mijnhardt cast new light on the profound insight found in one book as it shaped the development of a modern, secular understanding of religion.