Europe's Last Pagan Peoples with Francis Young

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the practices of ancient and medieval Celts, and how those practices were transformed and integrated into Christianity over time. Today, we’re shifting the lens eastward to investigate some of the last Europeans to accept Christianity. What did these people believe before the missionaries arrived? And how did their pre-Christian beliefs shape their eventual practice of Christianity, itself? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Francis Young about who the last pagan holdouts on the continent were, why Christian missionaries struggled to convert these regions, and how pagan traditions were integrated into this new faith. Francis Young is a UK-based historian and folklorist, who specialises in the history of religion and belief from ancient times to the present day. Among his over two dozen books is Silence of the Gods: The Untold History of Europe’s Last Pagan Peoples - https://www.medievalists.net/2026/03/... This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval history, please visit   / themedievalpodcast