The Pagan Threat in 8th-Century Gaul

This chapter examines how in 8th-century Frankish Gaul, the denunciation of vows made in natural spaces, recorded in penitential manuals, served to regulate the behaviour of both laypeople and clerics. Rather than interpreting these practices as survivals of pagan cults, the chapter shows how ecclesiastical authorities redefined them as sinful to enforce doctrinal control. It highlights the dissemination of penitentials and ‘anti-pagan’ canons, emphasising the role of monastic networks, education and evangelisation strategies in shaping ritual practice. The chapter also considers the impact of these continental prohibitions on early Anglo-Saxon England, showing that their adoption reflects instructional accumulation rather than the persistence of pre-Christian nature cults.