" to his next "gig" as the seller of relics. As a matter of fact, the pardoner is only in it for the money. However, some did not accept this and questioned the church -- It was what they wanted other than a holy life with a Old-Testament God; That style of thinking eventually lead to a more gentle, mother-figure as a goddess -- The Cult of the Virgin. The question then becomes, Why would people change from a long-lasting, Old-Testament God to a mother-like goddess? The answer is simply because they thought their new found Goddess would never be as harsh on people as the often criticized male like aspect of God. In both current Catholicism and that of the medieval period, Mary is worshipped with more warmth than maybe even God or Jesus. Church after Church was (and still is) built in her name. Her likeness graced statues and stained glass with as much frequency as Jesus' bloody head. The worship of Mary is emotional, institutionalized, and approved of by the Christian church. Is she not a goddess? Mary simply took the place of the female aspects of the spirit that were once worshipped as Roman or Anglo-Saxon goddesses. The medieval period, stretching approximately from the late seventh century to the early sixteenth, was bound together under one constant--Roman Catholic Christianity. But beneath this "curtain of Christianity" many legends were being formed and passed down, as old pagan traditions became assimilated into a newly Christian society. The two religious forms were becoming intertwined. They seemed at this time to be tolerant of each other, not entirely distinct. A peoples habits and thought processes are not easily changed, and being that the Anglo-Saxons of Britain were not Christians until the mid-600's, a period of transition can be expected. At least, a fascination with their pagan ancestors existed, at most, the practice of the old ways, although such meager evidence as remains indicates legal penalties against...
