Caroline et al
He also talks about how archeologists and curators are as much victim to
interpretive fads -
see for example the plaques that appear in conserved sites - so noone is
perfect - and archeologists themselves have a murky history -
remembering that Margaret Murray was/is a very eminent example (possibly).
Given that a high percentage of folk on this list are
scholar/practitioners -
aren't we preaching to the you know what??
bb/93
mogg
> There is another line in one of Hutton's books, I think it is "Triumph
> of the Moon" and I suppose I could look it up, and it goes something
> like [to paraphrase] "If anthropologists and archaeologists bemoan the
> use of very outdated material [such as Frazer and Murray for example]
> by modern Pagans, they need to realise/admit that modern Paganism is
> actually a creation *of* early anthropology." [and maybe archaeolgy,
> can't remember].
>
> How influential is J.G. Frazer on the construction of modern
> Wiccan-derived Paganism? I mean with the dying and rising sun god of
> the year for example (and yes I know there are some actual ancient
> figures that died and rose again, which reminds me of my interest in
> the idea that Wicca is "Aphroditean" and one of Aphrodite's favourites
> was the dying and rising _mortal_ Adonis, but I digress... as usual...).
>
> Also, when I say "Wiccan-derived Paganism" I mean modern Paganism that
> casts circles and generally behaves like Wicca but without being of
> Wiccan initiatory lineage. Remember, some people go around saying
> "Wiccans are the priesthood and Pagans are the congregation" which is
> a little bit of an outrageous claim, eh, what?
>
> ~Caroline.
>
> David said...
>>> There is a line I adore on this in Hutton's Pagan Religions of the
>>> British Isles. I have the book at work but I think it runs
>>> something like "Pagans argue that archaeologists and academic
>>> historians can never understand the spiritual beauty of watching the
>>> moon rise over an ancient monument. Of course we do why else do you
>>> think we want to spend vast amounts of time scrutinizing a site
>>> learning everything we can about it and the people who built it."<<
>
>
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