Ronald Hutton - Witches, Druids and King Arthur

[Blackbird]

This one was published without the hoo-ha that surrounded Triumph of the Moon, and I confess that it has sat for about a year on my bookshelf.

Started reading it last night, and I'd recommend it - much of the material is relevant to Britain, particularly the chapters on King Arthur, Glastonbury and the Druid Revival of Ross Nichols.

[beithann]

I must agree - it's a good book and because it is a collection of essays, easier to read than his other books. It's worthwhile and I found it was easy to dip in and out of.

I liked his essay on mythology - very enlightening and it made me think about the whole subject of mythology and it's personal context quite deeply

Beith

[Midori]

Ron Hutton is an entertaining speaker, but his written works can be hard going. I've attended several events where he has been a guest speaker.

BB Midori

[akasa]

I have Triumph of the Moon, started reading it about 18 months ago when I was in France, got about half way through the first bit and haven't read any since! I really liked it, and found it informative, but had to REALLY concentrate!
Akasa
x

[cie]

I have the book, and my wife has read it. I have to take my time on books like these otherwise I take nothing in.

So far (and I'm not a long way in) he's just proving how historical texts can be full of inaccuracies and stories rather than fact. I'm still pondering over this and it's importance or lack of

[Blackbird]

So far (and I'm not a long way in) he's just proving how historical texts can be full of inaccuracies and stories rather than fact. I'm still pondering over this and it's importance or lack of

I think the important thing to remember is that Hutton has his own agenda and that as a historian, he is working from a selective evidence base... taken on his own, he can be quite misleading, but as part of wider study, I find him thought provoking and challenging

[rohan]

Hi Blackbird,

I was just wondering in what way you think Hutton can be misleading? iDoes his selective evidence base excludi and dismiss other sources that don't fit his theories, thus giving a skewed and limited view of what the "truth" or "facts" are.? I personally enjoy Huttons books but feel that there's a danger that they are turning into Gospels of truth for some folks instead of just one resource.

rohan

[cie]

rohan said:

I personally enjoy Huttons books but feel that there's a danger that they are turning into Gospels of truth for some folks instead of just one resource.

But where does this end?

The guy is a professor, why should I not read his work, and his explanations and accept them as correct? He certainly has more time and experience to put into research than I would ever have.

... can anything ever be historically correct?

[Blackbird]

*g* it ends with ourselves - we read widely enough to be able to make our own opinions. I'm a firm believer that each age recreates the history it wants to have, Hutton and Schama are products of our own age and express our own political and ethical biases.

It's not a case of Hutton et al being 'wrong' - just selective in the facts they choose to prove the point they wish to make and subjective in the interpretation they place on those facts. All authors have an agenda after all. I do think Hutton's books are great and utterly essential reading. But we shouldn't stop with Hutton, or with any one author.

[Sìle]

admin said:

It's not a case of Hutton et al being 'wrong' - just selective in the facts they choose to prove the point they wish to make and subjective in the interpretation they place on those facts. All authors have an agenda after all. I do think Hutton's books are great and utterly essential reading. But we shouldn't stop with Hutton, or with any one author.

I think Professor Hutton actually expressed these ideas himself in his last two books.

I must say that I was a keen advocate of his work until this book BB. There were certain statements made in certain sections I disagreed with, so I am a little more discerning when reading his histories, and the histories of others, too. For that, I am grateful to Prof. Hutton.