Regular Time Team addicts, such as myself, may already be quite familiar with Professor Ronald Hutton. Often being wheeled in to give an authoritative view on what pre-medieval life and beliefs actually were like. Hutton's dress sense, is all tweed jackets, beautiful waistcoats, misshapen collars and cravats. This might lead one to think he is a fanciful historical lightweight. This could not be further from the truth.
I've recently begun enjoying the energising delights of lectures posted on You Tube, originally given at Gresham College in London. Of these, there is a sequence of themes exploring paganism, religious beliefs and practices in pre historical times, given by said Professor Hutton. Having him back to speak frequently because he is worth it. I've watched most of his lectures now, and my appreciation for his breadth and depth of learning, communication skills and sense of humour has grown.
So, there is a lot of playfulness and wit in evidence here, as Prof Hutton, with great understanding, kindly, but methodically, pieces together what it is reasonable to assume and what is not at all credible. Along the way he debunks many myths about paganism, witchcraft and pre Christian society, by showing you exactly where and when some of our ideas about this subject came into common knowledge. Their origins being often a lot more recent than we might prefer to believe.
Here is an excellent representative example, entitled - How Pagan Was Medieval Britain?
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