Dr Brian Bates book, The Real Middle Earth attempts to describe the cosmological and metaphysical perspectives of pre-Christian Anglo Saxon Britain. His core thesis is that compared to modern societies which have taken their cue from Middle Eastern monotheism and the rationalism of Greek and Roman cultures, the Anglo Saxons were closer to nature's rhythms and cycles and their paradigm for living involved a belief in mutable, highly interconnected currents of fate that could be altered under certain conditions, spirits who lived in alternate planes of existence that could be entered through what we now regard as imagination but yet could influence the physical world, rituals that they believed could be used to communicate with these spirits, shamans, seers and wizards to perform these rituals and mediate with spirits and finally, states of being that significantly changed a person in these alternate planes but also to a significant degree in the physical plane, shaman spirit journeys and animal totems: essentially anthropologically stated: “Shamanism” Dr Bates speculates interestingly that the Jungian concept of collective subconscious may explain the almost universal practice of Shamanism at a certain level of material development. He proceeds by listing symbolic beliefs of the
Ancient Norse and conisders these using a variety of ancient sources and work by modern scholars. Since Tolkien’s Middle Earth is the template for this explanation, he uses Tolkien'S terminology. He discusses forests (Mirkwood, Lothlorien), towers, dragons (Smaug), treasures (Thorin’s Treasure), elves, herbs (Kingsfoil), spirits, wells (Galadriel’s Mirror), ravens (in the Hobbit), shapeshifters (Beorn), Wizards, Seers (Galadriel), Dwarves, Spells, Spiders (Shelob),
ents (he describes Giants) and Journeys to the edge of Middle Earth ( Havens of Mithlond). He also gives a nice description of the Ride of uberwizard Odin on Slepnir, the Wyrd Sisters or Norns, the World Tree Yggdrasil, Beowulf and Raedwald's Barrow at Sutton Hoo. True, Tolkien incorporated things from Norse, Celtic, Germanic, and even Roman and Greek
mythology (another name for Numenor is “Atlantis”). The reason Tolkien borrowed is he believed written accounts of Anglo Saxon and British mythology were lost after the Norman Invasions and the Reformation and he wanted to recreate British mythology (Tolkien regarded mythology as time tested, culturally inspired fiction, but fiction nonetheless. He felt entitled and was often better qualified to write myths than the ancients). Tolkien was not mimicking the mythmaking process but rather participating in it. Now, having considered what is good, so must I now the not so good. To the cognoscenti, it is clear that Bates is treating predominantly late Norse mythology and not Anglo Saxon (Tolkien did likewise but less so). Norse and Anglo Saxons though both German speaking were not the same. Both peoples predate the adoption of Indo-European language and nothing suggests they were the same then. Subsequent Germanization of “Slavic” populations suggests they well may not have been. Additionally, it seems clear now that what we call the ancient Germans, like the Celts, were to a great extent warrior clans who ruled over subservient and distinct peoples (Evidence exists in Bates own book (cf Veleda) though he fails to understand it.) Minimal knowledge of ancient Celtic culture and the often pre Celtic religions they followed is sufficient to demonstrate that Bates equation of their metaphysics or cosmology with that of the Teutons is nonsense. (2) Our information concerning
pagan Norse and Anglo Saxon cultures is separated by centuries. (3) It is now understood that Saxons advenerunt sine familiis femimisque – there were a few thousands of them, they were mixed origin Germanic mercenaries bearing swords for the Romans and their successors (Hence for Bates to call them tribes is not accurate) many were already Christian (not necessarily orthodox) before Rome fell, they married local women, and doubtless used local “wizards” except as regarded lineage and war gods (Roman mercenaries were terribly religiously promiscuous. cf Mithraism). Hence early “English” magical culture was certainly quite unlike its Germanic counterpart until the Pagan Norse arrived (cum familiis) and aggressively repaganized much of the island. Incessant reference to the negative role of the church is irritatingly overstated and often simply wrong. The "Real History" of Britain is that rapid Christianization of the Island (a) had already largely occurred before the Roman legions left and Christians were chaffing under the rule of pagan Saxons recently arrived after ejection first from Italy (which they had gone to plunder with the Lombards) and then Merovingian Germany (which just then already had more inactive military men than it wanted) and (b) Pagan Saxon leaders were ready and willing to convert provided there was no disadvantage. This last had happened with the Irish a century before. The Irish (and later Saxon) priests who chided their flocks into giving up pagan ways were the very same men who as young druids had taught these beliefs. The great religious controversy of the Real Middle Earth was not Pagan-Christian but indigenous Celtic Church-Catholic Church. (4) Use of the term “indigenous” for mercenary, foreign Angles and Saxons is ridiculous. Any belief they had in the sanctity of the land and the Mother Goddess they learned from their British wives. This is not my own Carmen Contra Paganos but as one who treasures the ancient culture I would ask of Dr Bates greater care and thoroughness before he explains the Old Ways to so many impressionable modern readers.
More reviews about the The Real Middle Earth: Magic and Mystery in the Dark Ages