Author Description
From the twelve days of Christmas to the spring traditions of Valentine, Shrovetide, and Easter eggs, through May Day revels and Midsummer fires, and on to the waning of the year, Harvest Home and Hallowe'en, Ronald Hutton takes us on a fascinating journey through the ritual year in Britain. His comprehensive study covers all the British Isles and the whole sweep of history from the earliest written records to the present day. Great and lesser, ancient and modern, Christian and pagan, all rituals are treated with the same attention. The result is a colourful and absorbing history in which Ronald Hutton challenges many common assumptions about the customs of the past and the festivals of the present, debunking many myths, and illuminates the history of the calendar we live by.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the origins, evolution, and historical validity of the ritual year in Britain to determine which customs are genuinely ancient and which are modern inventions. Ronald Hutton, a professor of history, utilizes a vast array of primary source documents, archaeological evidence, and historical records to construct his analysis. He systematically deconstructs popular misconceptions regarding the pagan or ancient roots of various British festivals, providing a rigorous chronological examination of how these traditions have shifted over time.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A comprehensive chronological survey of British festivals from early written records to the modern era.
- Analysis of the interplay between Christian liturgical calendars and pre-Christian folk customs.
- Examination of specific traditions including Christmas, May Day, Midsummer, and Hallowe'en.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the British Isles, excluding broader continental European ritual variations.
- It does not provide a guide for performing rituals, focusing instead on their historical development and sociological context.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Historians and folklorists frequently cite this text as a definitive, evidence-based corrective to romanticized views of British folk traditions. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which prioritizes rigorous historical verification over speculative cultural narratives.
Page Count:
564
Publication Date:
2001-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191578428
ISBN-13:
9780191578427
Religion
History
Folklore
British History
Anthropology
Non-religious
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