Revisiting the “paganism” of Anglo-Saxon England:
(re)considerations based on the analysis of the historical evidence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1984-3356.2023v16n32p247-280Keywords:
England, paganism, Franks casket, Society, Religions historyAbstract
Since the times of Émile Durkheim, the problem of analyzing religious manifestations within specific cultures has been the focus of researchers in the field of History and Anthropology. Before Durkheim, names like Max Weber, Herbert Spencer, J. G. Frazer and Bronislaw Malinowski had already addressed that issue, aspiring to separate the universes of the sacred and the profane. This article aims to address, within the area of the historiographical debate, the cultural and religious context of England in the Early Middle Ages and how the use of the traditional idea of “paganism” is inadequate nowadays, leading to the need for a deeper knowledge of the sources and respective periods of time in the English history. Intending to comprehend what we are going to name “the spiritual universe of Anglo-Saxon England”, the main point of our analysis is the artifact known as the Franks Casket and how it helps us understand the universe of culture and mentalities of the period.
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