History

Britain's spiritual history

Browse our huge archive of audio and gallery of photographs chronicling Britain's journey from ancient spirituality through the arrival of Christianity to modern-day multifaith society.

Merlin (from BBC Radio 4)

The myth and literature surrounding the legendary wizard and seer.

Witchcraft trials (from BBC Radio 4)

In 1486 an anti-witchcraft book called Malleus Maleficarum was published. In the period of the Reformation and after, over a hundred thousand men and women in Europe met their deaths after being convicted of witchcraft.

History of modern Paganism

Paganism today grew from the new outlooks of the Renaissance period (1500) and the Reformation (1600s), through the revival of druidry and folk custom in Europe, the witchhunts of the 19th Century and explosion of interest in world religions in the sixties and seventies.