MaddLlama
Obstructor of justice
In recent weeks I've been relooking over some basic Pagan materials, and study course outlines for people interested in studying. I was actually a bit disturbed to find that there is little emphasis on studying or understanding history, and worse, many courses and basic books are presenting a revisionist history that was shown to be patently unscholarly as truth.
Many of the early publications are still on recommended reading lists, which is good, but these lists often don't give the caveat that the history and other things are outdated. Even more recent books, like The Spiral Dance, and many 101 books written by SRW and Buckland give their audiences the impression that the myth of the matriarchy is true, that Wicca is a surviving underground cult, and even that Wiccans were killed during "the burning times". Even Graves' The White Goddess, an appalling work of historical inaccuracies, is recommended over the works of Ronald Hutton.
I think that a lack of emphasis on learning these things is detrimental to Paganism, and part of the reason there is the misconception that Paganism is silly, and full of unserious gits looking for attention.
Am I alone in my feeling that lack of emphasis on learning history hurts the Pagan image?
Many of the early publications are still on recommended reading lists, which is good, but these lists often don't give the caveat that the history and other things are outdated. Even more recent books, like The Spiral Dance, and many 101 books written by SRW and Buckland give their audiences the impression that the myth of the matriarchy is true, that Wicca is a surviving underground cult, and even that Wiccans were killed during "the burning times". Even Graves' The White Goddess, an appalling work of historical inaccuracies, is recommended over the works of Ronald Hutton.
I think that a lack of emphasis on learning these things is detrimental to Paganism, and part of the reason there is the misconception that Paganism is silly, and full of unserious gits looking for attention.
Am I alone in my feeling that lack of emphasis on learning history hurts the Pagan image?