“Crafting Contemporary Pagan Identities in a Catholic Society” by Kathryn Rountree

Malta is a country about which I knew almost nothing, and I may not have read this book about Malta’s Pagans if it were not for a friend who died suddenly in July.   In our last conversation she urged me to read it, and it would have felt disloyal not to do so, even though the experience of an earthquake meant I may have preferred something more escapist. 

In fact Malta has a fascinating history.  Its neolithic temples are the oldest free-standing stone buildings in the world, and during World War II more bombs per square foot were dropped in Malta than anywhere else.  In a country where the vast majority of people are Roman Catholic Kathryn Rountree’s research identified a small network of Pagans rather than a cohesive community.  In many ways this reflected the network of Christchurch Pagans, although those in Malta tended to be much younger and the groups less well established.  The influences of religious and cultural identity would fascinate anyone with an interest in Neo-Paganism.

“It seems in Malta I would find
young people pagan-ly inclined.”