Read Anywhere and on Any Device!

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Join today and start reading your favorite books for Free!

Create Free Account

Quick and Easy Sign Up!

It takes less then 1 minute to sign up, then you can enjoy Unlimited eBooks.

Sign Up Browse

Popular Genres

Read Anywhere and on Any Device!

  • Download on iOS
  • Download on Android
  • Download on iOS

Signals of Belief in Early England: Anglo Saxon Paganism Revisited

Signals of Belief in Early England: Anglo Saxon Paganism Revisited

Alex Sanmark
4.5/5 ( ratings)
Read Download
This volume will throw new light on the intellect of the earliest English - the way they thought, the way they viewed the world, and the way they viewed worlds other than this. Previous understanding of the topic, well-rooted in the ideas of its time, regarded the English as adherents of two consecutive religions: Paganism governed the settlers of the 4th-6th century, but was superseded in the 7th-10th century by Christianity. Of the two, Christianity, a religion of the book, documented itself thoroughly, while in failing to do so Paganism laid itself open to centuries of abuse, conjecture or mindless admiration.
In developing new objectives, the papers here demonstrate that beliefs varied from place to place and were expressed in material culture. Through archaeology, therefore, these beliefs can be rediscovered. Aware of the fact that even the best archaeology provides no open access to the mind, the contributors record, and study, signals of belief rather than what was believed.


The premise of this volume is that paganism was not a religion with supraregional rules and institutions, but a loose term for a variety of local intellectual world views. The same courtesy is extended to Christianity. Both religions are treated as sources on which local people - the true agents of Anglo-Saxon England - eclectically drew.


A range of material culture and locations across Northern Europe are explored, looking at signals of belief from the landscape, water cults, burial rites, the hall and animals in life and art. Each author looks across the sea to Scandinavia, as well as to the woods and fields, mires and mounds of Old England, resulting in a new perspective on the intellectual preoccupations and anxieties of a crucial age.
Language
English
Pages
212
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Oxbow Books Limited
Release
December 31, 2010
ISBN
1842173952
ISBN 13
9781842173954

Signals of Belief in Early England: Anglo Saxon Paganism Revisited

Alex Sanmark
4.5/5 ( ratings)
Read Download
This volume will throw new light on the intellect of the earliest English - the way they thought, the way they viewed the world, and the way they viewed worlds other than this. Previous understanding of the topic, well-rooted in the ideas of its time, regarded the English as adherents of two consecutive religions: Paganism governed the settlers of the 4th-6th century, but was superseded in the 7th-10th century by Christianity. Of the two, Christianity, a religion of the book, documented itself thoroughly, while in failing to do so Paganism laid itself open to centuries of abuse, conjecture or mindless admiration.
In developing new objectives, the papers here demonstrate that beliefs varied from place to place and were expressed in material culture. Through archaeology, therefore, these beliefs can be rediscovered. Aware of the fact that even the best archaeology provides no open access to the mind, the contributors record, and study, signals of belief rather than what was believed.


The premise of this volume is that paganism was not a religion with supraregional rules and institutions, but a loose term for a variety of local intellectual world views. The same courtesy is extended to Christianity. Both religions are treated as sources on which local people - the true agents of Anglo-Saxon England - eclectically drew.


A range of material culture and locations across Northern Europe are explored, looking at signals of belief from the landscape, water cults, burial rites, the hall and animals in life and art. Each author looks across the sea to Scandinavia, as well as to the woods and fields, mires and mounds of Old England, resulting in a new perspective on the intellectual preoccupations and anxieties of a crucial age.
Language
English
Pages
212
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Oxbow Books Limited
Release
December 31, 2010
ISBN
1842173952
ISBN 13
9781842173954

More books from Alex Sanmark

Rate this book!

Write a review?

loader