Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Kingdom
Virtual book launch ‘Pagans in the Early Modern Baltic’ by Dr Francis Young
Created: 2022.05.31
/ Updated: 2022.05.31 17:20
On the 31st of May 2022 Lithuanian embassy in London organised an online book launch ‘Pagans in the Early Modern Baltic’ by Dr Francis Young. The event initiated a rich and perspective discussion on newly translated Latin texts written between around 1450 and 1580 about the religion, culture and language of the Balts at a time when paganism was still a living reality in the Baltic region.
Dr Francis Young was joined by distinguished panel guests Dr Toms Ķencis, researcher in Mythology, University of Latvia, Prof. Vytautas Ališauskas, professor of Culture History at Vilnius University and Dr Pavel Horák, visiting researcher at University of Cambridge. Together the panel discussed different approaches to the subject namely comparative mythology, archaeology and folklore. As the main discussion finished, the participants of the online event had a chance to bring forward their questions and remarks, which have all been answered and explicated in light of an academic perspective.
Lithuanian ambassador to the UK Renatas Norkus expressed his gratitude towards the book author and panel members, as he pronounced the book launch ‘a symbol of a proper treatment of Lithuanian, as well as pagan Baltic history, which, however, at times is under discovered and underrated’.
