Hmmm....in my recent years of research I keep finding identical parallels between practices throughout IE countries with those in shamanic cultures, such as Siberia and Mongolia. However, it struck me that I don't believe that I've read any academic books or articles written by an Indo-Europeanist that has noted such similarities before, tracing them backwards to their circum-polar antecedants. Has anyone else come to such a conclusion before? Hell, has anyone read an article or a book that DOIES make extensive note of the circum-polar antecedants of IE cultural practices and beliefs? (Although, in my experience, they generally seem to be actual practices, whereas the beliefs are a bit more "fluid".)

What should be the MOST fascinating to the contemp. Pagan is that damn-near ALL of these identical shamanic themes are found in the witchcraft trials; and often by unaided or uncoerced witnesses. Hence, Prof. Hutton's (and his coeval, Owen Davies') position to the contrary becomes more and more untenable! More importantly, it becomes more impossible for him to reject and deny that such medieval witchcraft beliefs and practices result from a "shamanic substratum" (according to prof. Bengk Ankarloo, if I remember correctly). In fact, it makes him appear more and more foolish, as a result, when these identical motifs cannot be disregarded as apaprent mere coincidence.

But, what I find the MOST offensive--as an assult to my intelligence--is how nearly every single Bvritish and American scholar of witchcraft has hidden this European academic shamanic substratum consensus from their readership, as though it were non-existent, despite full knowledge to the contrary. That REALLY ticks me off, because it leaves me feeling as though I'm being LIED to!