Books worth reading #13 - 'In Search of Lost Gods' by Ralph Whitlock

Three books that had a huge impact on me in my teens were: 

Chariots of the Gods (1969) by Erich von Däniken; 

Supernature (1973) by Lyall Watson; and 

In Search of Lost Gods (1979) by Ralph Whitlock. 

Sadly, I all too quickly discovered that von Däniken was a fraud who falsified many of his claims. However, the book did me some good as it did, at least, make me more open-minded. It was also my first small step towards understanding human behaviour and how a seductive idea - no matter how bonkers - can draw people in. It was my first exposure to urban myth and 'fake news' and was quite possibly one of the reasons I became so fascinated in folklore and behavioural science. 

Lyall Watson's book similarly opened my eyes to a wider world beyond Western reductionist scientific thinking and led me to explore where the edges of science and folklore became blurred. And, indeed, many of the ideas that Watson put forward - such as the fact that connecting with nature and wild spaces is good for us - have now been proven to be true. 

Meanwhile, Whitlock's book taught me so much about the country I live in.

As the book's blurb says: 'The sight of people performing actions that seem superficially strange prompts an inquiry into not only what they are doing but why. In the context of folklore the participants often do not know the answer. They are repeating a ritual inherited from generations of ancestors, and often the explanations they give are decidedly garbled. By probing deep, however, it is usually possible to discover some grain of logic behind what may seem to be absurd behaviour or belief.' 

Growing up in West Cornwall I was surrounded by cromlechs and barrows, standing stones and circles. We had myths and legends about Piskies, giants, mermaids and King Arthur. Many towns and villages had strange customs where people would dress up in amazing costumes and dance and sing old songs. And, every day, I'd hear older people sharing weather lore and admonishing younger folk for not wishing the magpies good morning, or informing them that an itchy nose meant, 'You will be kissed, cursed, or vexed, or shake hands with a fool'. 

Whitlock's book put these things in context for me and also showed me that Cornwall was by no means unique; every county had its own myths and legends, and traditional festivals, superstitions and customs (we didn't have the internet back then and only three TV channels). 

Like the other two books, it helped me step into a bigger, more interesting world and I'll be forever thankful for that.