Dr Francis Young

Historian | folklorist | indexer | CofE Reader | lay canon @stedscath | series editor @CambridgeUP | @UniofOxford Conted tutor | 🇱🇹 enjoyer

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

I spoke to @WolfsonHistory about what inspired me to write ‘Silence of the Gods’ 📚

[Wolfson History Prize @WolfsonHistory]

What inspires authors? We spoke with this year’s #WolfsonHistoryPrize shortlisted authors for an insight into their research.

Learn more about @drfrancisyoung and 'Silence of the Gods: The Untold History of Europe's Last Pagan Peoples’ in our Q&A below. @cambridgeup⬇️

https://t.co/r3s4BuNRnt

[John Byron Kuhner @johnbyronkuhner]

The Pope's Latinist, A Life of Reginald Thomas Foster, published by the @Paideiainstitut, will be released Dec. 17 2026. Preorders available from Paideia here: https://t.co/gDyd4zKW1e. It's been a labor of love, and I am very proud of the results.

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

Great chapter title

[Gitanas Nausėda @GitanasNauseda]

On Poland’s Independence Day, warm congratulations to President @NawrockiKn and the people of Poland.

Lithuania and Poland share centuries of history, close friendship and a strong commitment to our common security. As neighbours and allies, we stand together in building a safer and stronger Europe.

Wszystkiego najlepszego, Polsko!

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

@hubertlepicki *Jogaila has entered the chat*

[Rimantas ‡ @DarRamesnis]

On Remembrance Day, I want to remember an extraordinary Lithuanian: Romualdas Marcinkus (1907–1944).

A military aviator who served in the Lithuanian, French and British air forces, he was also a talented footballer and captain of Lithuania’s national team.

During WWII, he flew Hurricanes with RAF No. 1 Squadron before being shot down over France in 1942 and taken prisoner.

In March 1944, he participated in the legendary Great Escape from Stalag Luft III. Recaptured by the Germans, he was murdered by the Gestapo.

Even while wearing his RAF uniform, Marcinkus proudly displayed his Lithuanian Plieno sparnai (Steel Wings).

Three air forces, one homeland. Never forgotten. 🇱🇹🇬🇧🌺

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

@williawa @jennfrey @jranoyes I have no idea what any of this means; I’m just a historian of religion, and can’t help noticing the language coming from AI-developers sounds apocalyptic and messianic, suggesting the formation of a new kind of techno-religion

[John Barach @John_Barach]

"Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ is a book with very good ideas in it, but—to be vulgar—the butter is spread far too thick." -- M. R. James.

[UK in Lithuania 🇬🇧🇱🇹 @ukinlithuania]

Ten navies, one shared commitment to maritime security.

@JEFnations navies, including #UK 🇬🇧 & #Lithuania 🇱🇹, signed the 🇬🇧 @RoyalNavy-led #NorthernNaviesInitiative—a historic agreement to increase security & defence across #NorthernEurope, #NorthAtlantic & #BalticSea.

#UKinLT

[Lithuania MFA 🇱🇹 | #StandWithUkraine @LithuaniaMFA]

Happy Independence Day, #Poland! 🇵🇱

🇱🇹🇵🇱 are bound by centuries of shared history, united by the close ties between our peoples and strengthened by a strategic partnership.

Our friendship is our strength, and our solidarity is our commitment. Niech żyje #Polska!

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

(Nice to see a copy of ‘Silence of the Gods’ on the table... 😉)

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

Congratulations to Tom Clark, Christopher D. Bader and Joseph O. Baker for winning the 2026 @FolkloreSociety Katharine Briggs Award last night for ‘Paranormal Britain’! https://t.co/eBGLwytm54 📚🏆

[Eleanor Parker @ClerkofOxford]

Today is Martinmas, the feast of St Martin of Tours, a major festival in medieval Europe which heralded the approach of winter with fire and feasting.

St Martin is the patron saint of soldiers, often shown sharing his cloak with a poor man to protect him from the winter cold.

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

Incredible that ‘All Old Strange Things’ has now passed 4k subscribers - thank you to everyone who has signed up! ☺️

[John McCafferty @jdmccafferty]

William Camden (1551-1623), Antiquary and historian

Unknown artist, 1636.

(NPG)

William Camden

by or after Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger
oil on panel, 17th century, based on a work of 1609

(NPG)

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

@ITattum What did it say?

[Dr. Bendor Grosvenor 🇺🇦 @arthistorynews]

Ghost hunting in Rochester Cathedral; a medieval Madonna and Child not even the most zealous 16thC Reformer could scrub off.

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

St Casimir holds the medieval hymn ‘Omni die dic Mariae’ (at the time often misattributed to Casimir himself), detail of Carlo Dolci's 17th-century painting of the saint

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

@ScarredForLife2 Ha ha I've had so much fun in this moat in my time 😉 Full of hideous carp that look like they want to eat you, not for the faint-hearted!

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

Great to now have a physical copy of this volume, the final outcome of the 2023 Schefferus Conference that also inspired me to write ‘Silence of the Gods’! 📚

[Dr Francis Young @DrFrancisYoung]

I have a new (open access!) chapter out, ‘Competing Ethnographies of the Pagan Baltic’, in a volume about learned Latin ethnographies of Northern Europe edited by Per Pippin Aspaas, Anna Fredriksson and Andreas Klein. Free to download! https://t.co/R7jFTLDTLq