Ronald Hutton is professor of history at Bristol University and a leading authority on the British Isles in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, on ancient and medieval paganism and magic, and on the global context of witchcraft beliefs. He is the author of seventeen books.
“Europe’s pagan traditions never seem to have been stamped out.
Instead, parts of them have been with us all along, as [Hutton]
demonstrates in his sprightly—and spritely—account of four female
figures: Mother Earth; the Fairy Queen; the Lady of the Night; and
the Cailleach of the Gaelic tradition.”—Peter Stanford, Daily
Telegraph
“Hutton’s arguments are thoughtful and convincing. . . . [He]
propose[s] these archetypes as ‘new superhuman figures which
operated outside of Christian cosmology.’”—Elizabeth Dearnley,
Times Literary Supplement
“This is Hutton at his most accessible. . . . It’s tempting but
unsound to deduce that these commanding figures who stalk legend
and poetry are the remnants of a pre-Christian religion, not least
because Hutton unpicks the common assumption that an archaic,
peaceful goddess- and Earth-worshipping culture predated a
male-dominated sky religion.”—Suzi Feay, Spectator
“What an extraordinary historian Ronald Hutton is. . . . Hutton’s
account is an investigation not just into pagan goddess figures but
into our abiding capacity to believe what we want to believe, and
about how fashion governs thought. It’s salutary.”—Melanie
McDonagh, The Tablet
“Rather than being a pedant seeking to disenchant the world, Hutton
treats mistakes and inventions as parts of the biographies of his
superhuman subjects. Throughout, he is authoritative yet
open-minded, scholarly without being needlessly combative.”—George
Morris, Literary Review
“Meticulously researched and brilliantly written, Queens of the
Wild is a must-read for all interested in the history of religion
in Europe, folk studies, witchcraft, and contemporary
Paganism.”—Joanna Malita-Król, Religious Studies Review
“From the first chapter on I was hooked, delighted by the way of
the author’s clear, objective, rigorous but kindly thoughtful voice
reads out from the pages; a wise voice indeed but also a hugely
entertaining one.”—Eva Humphrey-Lahti, Druid Network
“With his books on (to give only a selection) druids, witches and
the ritual year, Ronald Hutton has established himself as a leading
authority on paganism.”—Tom Shippey, London Review of Books
“The book is a delight, beautifully designed and
readable.”—Greenmantle
“Complete with some wonderful, coloured illustrations, extensive
notes and index, this is a must for anyone interested in the
discussion concerning Pagan Survival.”—Morgana Over, Wiccan
Rede
“A wonderful book, deeply thoughtful and engaging, packed with
great research and thought-provoking ideas.”—Marion Gibson, author
of Witchcraft: The Basics
“This splendid book greatly expands our knowledge of how apparently
pagan divine figures of European tradition evolved. By deftly
showing what we know—and what we only think we know—the author
illuminates how these figures have mattered over the centuries, and
continue to do so.”—Mark Williams, author of The Celtic Myths that
Shape the Way We Think
“England’s favourite historian has done it again! In this series of
essays, he traces the histories of four popular feminine figures
from folklore, showing us the vitality of human creativity and its
shaping of tradition even under periods of religious
domination.”—Sabina Magliocco, author of Witching Culture: Folklore
and Neo-Paganism in America
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