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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.
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
"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.
The first comprehensive study of its kind, this fully illustrated book establishes Paganism as a persistent force in European history with a profound influence on modern thinking. From the serpent goddesses of ancient Crete to modern nature-worship and the restoration of the indigenous religions of eastern Europe, this wide-ranging book offers a rewarding new perspective of European history. In this definitive study, Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick draw together the fragmented sources of Europe's native religions and establish the coherence and continuity of the Pagan world vision. Exploring Paganism as it developed from the ancient world through the Celtic and Germanic periods, the authors finally appraise modern Paganism and its apparent causes as well as addressing feminist spirituality, the heritage movement, nature-worship and `deep' ecology This innovative and comprehensive history of European Paganism will provide a stimulating, reliable guide to this popular dimension of religious culture for the academic and the general reader alike.
European Paganism provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of ancient pagan religions throughout the European continent. Before there where Christians, the peoples of Europe were pagans. Were they bloodthirsty savages hanging human offerings from trees? Were they happy ecologists, valuing the unpolluted rivers and mountains? In European Paganism Ken Dowden outlines and analyses the diverse aspects of pagan ritual and culture from human sacrifice to pilgrimage lunar festivals and tree worship. It includes: a 'timelines' chart to aid with chronology many quotations from ancient and modern sources translated from the original language where necessary, to make them accessible a comprehensive bibliography and guide to further reading
A comprehensive study of the ritual practices in traditional Christian Europe.
Magic, always part of the occult underground in North America, has experienced a resurgence since the 1960s. Although most contemporary magical religions have come from abroad, they have found fertile ground in which to develop in North America. Who are today's believers in Witchcraft and how do they worship? Alternative spiritual paths have increased the ranks of followers dramatically, particularly among well-educated middle-class individuals. Witchcraft and Magic conveys the richness of magical religious experiences found in today's culture, covering the continent of North America and the Caribbean. These original essays survey current and historical issues pertinent to religions that incorporate magical or occult beliefs and practices, and they examine contemporary responses to these religions. The relationship between Witchcraft and Neopaganism is explored, as is their intersection with established groups practicing goddess worship. Recent years have seen the growth in New Age magic and Afro-Caribbean religions, and these developments are also addressed in this volume. All the religions covered offer adherents an alternative worldview and rituals that are aimed at helping individuals redefine themselves and make their interactions with the environment more empowered. Many modern occult religions share an absence of dogma or central authority to determine orthodoxy, and have become a contemporary experience embracing modern concerns like feminism, environmentalism, civil rights, and gay rights. Afro-Caribbean religions such as Santería, Palo, and Curanderismo, which do have a more developed dogma and authority structure, offer their followers a religion steeped in African and Hispanic traditions. Responses to the growth of magical religions have varied, from acceptance to an unfounded concern about the growth of a satanic underground. And, as magical religions have flourished, increased interest has resulted in a growing commercialization, with its threat of trivialization.
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