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Jonathan -

Unlike you, I was not courteous enough to introduce myself on my first
plunge into medieval-religion, so here goes. My name is Bernadette Filotas,
and I am in the final throes of a doctoral dissertation on "pagan
survivals" (with many apologies to anthropologists)in the early m.a., with
pastoral literature (i.e., mostly canon law, sermons and penitentials)as
main source, so my interests more or less coincide with yours. Yes, Bede is
very frustrating from the point of view of AS paganism. As a beginning, you
might try  Ronald Hutton, Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles
(Oxford and Cambridge, Mass., paperback ed. 1993)pp 246-280. It's popular
history,the main purpose of which is to debunk "modern" paganism and pagan
survivals, but lots of good stuff in it all around - a good read. 

I have been intrigued by St. Boniface's rather censorious remarks about his
compatriots - their boozing, wenching, and (apparently) taste for fancy
dress, not to mention the propensity of English women-pilgrims to come to a
naughty end on the way to Rome . . . I haven't been able to find any
references to work done on this and, if no one else has, should like to
take a crack at it myself.

Bernadette Filotas



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