Table of the Year for Wiccan and Pagans

Thanks wow - knew some but by no means all of this. All good stuff.

Just heard recently about how the Venerable Bede had a major change of heart regarding bringing Christianity to England. Rather than just wiping out all of the temples to "idols" they would be emptied, consecrated, then made into churches. He also didn't overdo the imposition of language, e.g. Easter (dedicated to the goddess Eostara, I believe) was never renamed, although there was a Christian equivalent. Paganism (more specifically the worship of Norse gods) lived happily alongside Christianity for many years, all the local kings wisely hedging their bets.

There was also a recreation of the Saints as Norse-style heroes who slew beasts and dragons and performed heroic feats. Hence the story the English patron saint St George and the Dragon, I imagine. The priests would probably have argued that symbolically speaking, the Saints did conquer dragons and serpents, these being representations of evil.

Very good salesman, was Bede.

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