Is medieval pastoral literature an
accurate reflection of actual beliefs and practices in the early
medieval West or simply of literary conventions inherited by
clerical writers? How and to what extent did Christianity and
traditional pre-Christian beliefs and practices come into conflict,
influence each other, and merge in popular culture?
This comprehensive study examines
early medieval popular culture as it appears in ecclesiastical and
secular law, sermons, penitentials and other pastoral works - a
selective, skewed, but still illuminating record of the beliefs and
practices of ordinary Christians. Concentrating on the period from
ca. 500 to ca. 1000, this study presents the evidence for folk
religious beliefs and piety, attitudes to nature and death,
festivals, magic, drinking and alimentary customs. As such it
provides a precious glimpse of the mutual adaptation of
Christianity and traditional cultures at an important period of
cultural and religious transition.