Pagan Religions in Five Minutes - Suzanne Owen
12. Do Pagans have Sacred Sites?
Pagan Religions in Five Minutes - Suzanne Owen
Ethan Doyle White [+]
University College London
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Ethan Doyle White has a PhD in medieval history and archaeology from University College London and has written extensively on modern Paganism and related forms of esotericism. His publications include Wicca: History, Belief, and Community in Modern Pagan Witchcraft (Sussex Academic Press, 2016), Pagans: The Visual Culture of Pagan Myths, Legends and Rituals (Thames and Hudson, 2023), and The New Witches of the West: Tradition, Liberation, and Power (Cambridge University Press, 2024).
Description
This chapter discusses the importance of sacred sites in modern Paganism. Pagans consider certain locations, like pre-Christian or prehistoric sites, sacred as they connect with ancestral traditions. However, rituals at prehistoric sites outside Europe raise concerns about cultural appropriation. Conflicts arise with archaeologists and heritage managers due to the impact of Pagan rituals on these sensitive archaeological sites. Some Pagans oppose the excavation and display of pre-Christian human remains.