A Brief History of Nakedness Pic: Philip Carr-Gomm

Philip Carr-Gomm is well-known as the titular head of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) – one of the largest Druidic organisations in the world today. He is tireless as a scholar and when he releases a book about the effects of nudity or nakedness on our society (A Brief History of Nakedness), we have to take it seriously and I, for one, would very much like to read it. He covers the effects of nakedness in our history: “in three distinct areas of human endeavour: religion, politics and popular culture.” Although deeply of interest as a social phenomenon, it is as a facet of religious observance, a possible aspect of Druidic practice, that we here with our Celtic O.C.D. are more intimately concerned.

Jason, the superlative Blogger responsible for the Wild Hunt blog, has this to say:

Philip Carr-Gomm, head of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD), recently released a new book entitled “A Brief History of Nakedness” that explores the psychology, history, and politics of the unclothed form. Here’s Carr-Gomm explaining how he came up with the idea of writing the book in an interview with The New Yorker.

“It should be the simplest thing in the world for us to do: to take all our clothes off to soak up the sun or skinny dip, and yet it is such a fraught activity for so many people. This started to intrigue me about ten years ago when I was hiking on a hot day and stopped to rest. No-one was around, and I was so hot that I took my clothes off to cool down and enjoy the breeze. As I did this, I wondered whether I was breaking the law, and was suddenly hit by the oddity of the idea that I could somehow be committing a crime simply by being myself. Could I only legally exist in public if I was covered? Thoreau talks about this same issue when he notes in his “Journals”: “What a singular fact for an angel visitant to this earth to carry back in his note-book, that men were forbidden to expose their bodies under the severest penalties!” I began researching the taboo against nakedness, and discovered an extraordinarily rich vein of material that I have been mining ever since.”

Considering the Druid chief’s religious interests, nakedness in the context of religious ritual, specifically Pagan ritual, is mentioned in the book; and the subject seems to have created some very divergent responses from critics. Ed Caesar of The Times found the topic fascinating, while Peter Conrad of the Guardian views it though a distorted lens of hippie-hatred.

“Carr-Gomm is a hippy who, rather than growing up and outgrowing the 60s, has discarded his tie-dyed garments and cantered off to worship orgiastic pagan deities … Cheerfully indiscriminate, Carr-Gomm’s “Brief History” romps through religion, politics and aesthetics. At times he is woozily mystical – he seems to take seriously the fertility rites performed by adherents of Wicca…”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m as up to the occasional round of Baby-Boomer backlash as the next disgruntled Gen-Xer, but I try to keep tabs on when my personal biases are influencing the way I encounter something I’m supposed to objectively review or report on. That fact that Conrad’s review boils down to a giant “TMI” screed undercuts some of his more serious critiques of the larger work. It makes him seem more prudish than anything else.

In any case, the book may be worth a look, especially if you attend clothing-optional events or participate in a “skyclad” tradition. You can find more information, including more reviews and an excerpt, at Philip Carr-Gomm’s web site.

———————————

You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Descripition Page.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS