Press release: Who is the Horned God?

5 February 2025

Who is the Horned God? Gresham College to explore the fact and the theories  

Gresham Professor of Divinity, Ronald Hutton, to give lecture as part of his series on Modern Paganism on Wednesday, 19 February 2025, online and in central London 

The ancient deity Pan has a unique place in folklore. Half-man, half-goat, he was naughty and nice and has transcended the ages.  

He was one of several ancient horned gods, and like them was a second-rank figure among deities, but in the nineteenth century Pan suddenly became the favourite pagan god of the British.   

No longer a comic-grotesque figure, he became the personification of an idealised and spiritualised natural world, and of personal liberation, especially in sexual matters.  

How this change happened is to be explored by Gresham College.  

On Wednesday, 19 February 2025, Gresham College’s Professor of Divinity, Ronald Hutton, will explore the history of the Horned God, tracing his roots in Greek mythology, to becoming a core part of Western culture and the favourite among the ancient pagan gods. 

It is the fourth in his six-lecture series looking at Modern Paganism and Witchcraft.  

“The Horned God has a somewhat chequered history, a god of the outdoors, able to terror and charm people depending on his mood at the time,” says Professor Hutton.  

“He is a figurehead for some of our feelings and thoughts relating to humanity and the world around us.  

“How we see Pan – another name for the Horned God – says much about ourselves and our social history.” 

Until the 1800s, the favourite ancient pagan gods in Western culture were those related to human qualities and activities. At that time, especially in Britain, attention switched to a horned divinity associated with the countryside and wild nature, often personified as the Greek Pan. 

Professor Hutton will explore how and why this happened, and the impact on British culture, when the full subversive potential of this deity as a force for personal liberation became realised.  

He will also show how the image subsequently evolved from a classical god into an archetype. 

“The story of the Horned God is as much a story of our social history too, as Pan’s playfulness – sometimes benevolent, sometimes full of terror – in some ways mirrors humanity’s attempts to tame the world around them,” he continues. 

“During the Industrial Revolution, depictions of Pan increased, just as they seem to be today as we look at the climate emergency and humans’ role in it.  

“Discover how The Horned God has made a modern return and find out what we can learn about ourselves from it.” 

The lecture will be given at Gresham College’s base in Barnard’s Inn Hall, Holborn, London. 

Starting at 6pm on 19 February 2025, entry is free, and it is also broadcast live online. It will last an hour.  

In-person places can be booked online via Gresham College’s website, https://www.gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/return-horned-god 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors  

Images available on request

For more information about this story or to arrange an interview with a Gresham Professor please contact: Phil Creighton press@gresham.ac.uk   

About the series Modern Paganism and Witchcraft 
These lectures focus on the new historic role of Britain as the birthplace of a cluster of modern religions inspired by those of pre-Christian Europe, the first completely formed religions that Britain has ever given the world. They have spread across Western nations and now represent a major component of contemporary religiosity. The lectures explain why, when, and how this happened, the characteristics of these modern Pagan traditions and their implications for society and culture. 

About Gresham College  
Gresham College has been providing free, educational lectures - at the university level - since 1597 when Sir Thomas Gresham founded the college to bring Renaissance Learning to Londoners. Our history includes some of the luminaries of the scientific revolution including Robert Hooke and Sir Christopher Wren and connects us to the founding of the Royal Society.  

Today we carry on Sir Thomas's vision. The College aims to stimulate intellectual curiosity and to champion academic rigour, professional expertise and freedom of expression. www.gresham.ac.uk  

Gresham College is a registered charity number 1039962 and relies on donations to help us encourage people's love of learning for many years to come. For more details or to make a gift, visit our website.