History Extra podcast Europe's last pagans
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Aug 19, 2025 Francis Young, a folklorist and historian, offers a fascinating look into Europe's last pagan peoples. He delves into how non-Christian communities managed to survive amidst the rise of Christianity, particularly in remote areas like the far north and east. Young discusses the complexity of pagan traditions and their connections to the natural world. He highlights Lithuania's painful transition from paganism to Christianity, reflecting on the profound impact of ancient beliefs that continue to resonate in contemporary culture.
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Marginal Peoples Preserved Pre-Christian Belief
- 'Silence of the Gods' studies peoples at Europe's geographical margins who preserved pre-Christian religions late into history.
- These communities lived in the far north and east and persisted culturally well after mainstream European conversion.
Conversion Dates Span Centuries
- The book frames its timeline from Lithuania's official conversion in 1387 to roughly 1900, with some survivals today.
- Christianity's official spread didn't end local pre-Christian practices for centuries afterward.
The Limits Of The Word 'Pagan'
- 'Pagan' is a problematic, pejorative umbrella term coined to label non-Christians, but it's sometimes useful.
- Young prefers 'pre-Christian' to indicate ancestral, non-scriptural religious traditions without lumping diverse peoples together.
