Twilight of the Godlings
The Shadowy Beginnings of Britain's Supernatural Beings

A bold and field-defining exploration of the cultural and religious origins of Britain's small gods, fairies and other supernatural beings.

Francis Young (Author)

9781009330367, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 March 2023

350 pages
22.4 x 15 x 2.6 cm, 0.63 kg

'Nuanced and complex … Twilight of the Godlings utilizes centuries' worth of folkloric, literary, and archaeological evidence to provide as complete an accounting as possible of the demonic, godly, and faerie creatures thought to populate Britain's forests.' Jeana Jorgensen, Foreword Reviews

Throughout the recorded history of Britain, belief in earthbound spirits presiding over nature, the home and human destiny has been a feature of successive cultures. From the localised deities of Britannia to the Anglo-Saxons' elves and the fairies of late medieval England, Britain's godlings have populated a shadowy, secretive realm of ritual and belief running parallel to authorised religion. Twilight of the Godlings delves deep into the elusive history of these supernatural beings, tracing their evolution from the pre-Roman Iron Age to the end of the Middle Ages. Arguing that accreted cultural assumptions must be cast aside in order to understand the godlings – including the cherished idea that these folkloric creatures are the decayed remnants of pagan gods and goddesses – this bold, revisionist book traces Britain's 'small gods' to a popular religiosity influenced by classical learning. It offers an exciting new way of grasping the island's most mysterious mythical inhabitants.

Introduction
1. A world full of small gods: understanding godlings
2. Menagerie of the divine: godlings in Roman Britain
3. The nymph and the cross: godlings and Christianisation
4. Furies, elves and giants: godlings in early medieval Britain
5. The fairy synthesis: godlings in later medieval Britain
Epilogue: the fairy legacy.

Subject Areas: British & Irish history [HBJD1]