The Ultimate Online Guide to Norse Mythology and Religion
In much of my writing, I tend to emphasize the differences between our modern worldview and those of the pre-Christian Europeans. As real and weighty as those differences are, however, I d be the first to acknowledge that there s also a considerable degree of continuity between how we perceive the world today and how the Bronze Continue reading Book Review: Heaven, Heroes, and Happiness by Shan M.…
Today, we think of the imagination and desire as purely subjective things that have no bearing on reality. But as Eros and Magic in the Renaissance shows, this wasn t always the case. In fact, in this regard, as in so many others, our modern view is a very new aberration, and a relatively ill-considered one Continue reading Book Review: Eros and Magic in the Renaissance by Ioan P. Couliano The…
Emma Wilby s Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic is an exploration of European, and especially British, shamanism in the early modern period. Many people who are interested in shamanism seem to think that European shamanism is an oxymoron that shamanism has seldom ever been practiced Continue reading Book Review: Cunning…
Claude Lecouteux s Phantom Armies of the Night: The Wild Hunt and the Ghostly Processions of the Undead is one of the most significant studies of the Wild Hunt that have been published in recent decades. The Wild Hunt is a staple of the folklore of Europe, especially northern Europe. In the ancient, medieval, and early Continue reading Book Review: Phantom Armies of the Night by Claude Lecouteux…
In On Being a Pagan, the multidisciplinary French thinker Alain de Benoist critiques the Judeo-Christian worldview, not just in its manifestations in Judaism and Christianity, but also in some of their modern, secularized offshoots, and articulates his vision of a new paganism loosely inspired by historical European paganism. Along the way, Benoist makes several points Continue reading Book…
Not too long ago, a friend of mine asked me if I was ready for Ragnarok. I responded with a puzzled look, because I had no idea what he was talking about. He then told me that he had read that the Germanic calendar had predicted that Ragnarok would happen on February 22nd, 2014. This Continue reading Why Ragnarok is Not Going to Happen on February 22nd The post Why Ragnarok is Not Going to Happen…
If you haven t seen the stunning photographic series Wilder Mann (German for Wild Man ) by Charles Fréger, you should check it out. It documents traditional (and a few not-so-traditional) costumes from across Europe that transform their wearers into folkloric, half-human beasts, the sorts of beings you d expect to encounter deep in the mountains or moors Continue reading Wilder Mann by Charles…
A few people have asked me about the best books on Norse mythology for newbies, so I ve compiled this little list: The 10 Best Norse Mythology Books I hope some of you find this list helpful! Dan The post The 10 Best Norse Mythology Books appeared first on Norse Mythology for Smart People .