Paper short abstract:

Recent reappraisals of historical evidence have encouraged British pagan witches to take a sceptical view of continuity from antiquity, an idea now often seen as mythic. Such ‘rationalist’ histories may exclude central tenets about the past, thus illustrating how it is continually transformed.

Paper long abstract:

History and heritage are often asserted as indicators of continuity. However, meaningful pasts are also mobilised according to the needs of the present: explanations of historical events or periods are continually reinvented and transformed. This paper seeks to explore the dynamic and fluid ways that the past is continually under revision to meet such needs. Contemporary British witches are currently experiencing a radical shift in the ways they conceptualise, evidence and rationalise their history. Until recently practitioners claimed that on the basis of written texts, historical evidence and crucially, emotional connections to the past, contemporary practices could be traced back to pre-Christian times: formal groups of witches (covens) had a continuous and unbroken religious tradition going back to antiquity. This position has recently been subjected to extensive critique which suggests a prevailing scepticism to the idea of continuity which, it is argued, provides a mythic rather than historic view of the past. Ideas about the past are being aligned with recent interpretations of scholarly historians to source an apparently rational history to promote a mainstream public profile. While they criticise the 'inventions' of earlier writers, the invention of new traditions is an ongoing process. In turn, this shift questions the value of history for contemporary witchcraft practice. Therefore, it is clear that dynamic ideas of what constitutes both the content and context of history are central concerns to change and continuity.