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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Pre-Christian European & Mediterranean religions
The mystery, magic and myth of Manannan. The sea is a powerful,
driving force for many people, a source of sustenance as well as
danger. It is no surprise that Manannan, the Celtic God of the sea,
should be an important figure but one who is also as ambiguous as
the element he is associated with: a trickster, a magic worker, an
advisor and a warrior. In this book you will get to know the many
faces of Manannan, called the son of the ocean, and learn of his
important place in mythology and the pivotal role he plays in many
events. 'This highly intelligent but accessible book belongs on the
shelves and nightstands of lovers of Celtic myth.' Courtney Weber,
author of Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magic of the Celtic Goddess
The goddess Artemis is best known today as a goddess of the hunt
and of the new moon, yet to those who worshipped at her ancient
temples and sanctuaries she was far more than just that. To them
she was a powerful and complex goddess whose influence spread far
and wide throughout the ancient world. She was worshipped and
celebrated as a goddess of childbirth, women, song, dance and of
wild animals. As the daughter of the Titan goddess Leto by the
Olympian Fathre god Zeus, Artemis would prove herself from the
moment of her own birth, by assisting her mother with the birth of
her own twin brother, Apollo. Zeus, who fathered children with many
other goddesses and mortals, had a special affection for ARtemis
from the start and gave her all the gifts she asked for and more,
making her one of the most powerful of the Olympian goddesses.
Artemis, Virgin Goddess of the Sun & Moon by Sorita D'Este,
explores the myths, powers and worship of this beautiful goddess.
It is a throrough study with details of her temples and
sanctuaries, the festivals which were held in honour of her, the
roles she fulfilled in the myths, animals which were sacred to her,
her relationship with her virgin attendants and other deities, as
well as the many titles which were bestowed upon her. This
groundbreaking book provides the most comprehensive study of this
enduring goddess to date. ------ About the Author Sorita D'Este is
a writer and researcher who lives and works in London, UK.She has a
passion for the mysteries and gods of the western world and much of
her work is focused on the spritiual and magical practices of
ancient Greece, Rome and Britian. She is the co-author of The
Guises of the Morrigan and Circle of Fire. Additionally she is a
regular contributor to magazines, part works and journals,
including DeAgostini's Enhancing your Mind Body & Spirit and
Llewellyn's Annuals.
The description for this book, Introduction to Islamic Theology and
Law, will be forthcoming.
Book 18 of the Iliad is an outstanding example of the range and
power of Homeric epic. It describes the reaction of the hero
Achilles to the death of his closest friend, and his decision to
re-enter the conflict even though it means he will lose his own
life. The book also includes the forging of the marvellous shield
for the hero by the smith-god Hephaestus: the images on the shield
are described by the poet in detail, and this description forms the
archetypal ecphrasis, influential on many later writers. In an
extensive introduction, R. B. Rutherford discusses the themes,
style and legacy of the book. The commentary provides line-by-line
guidance for readers at all levels, addressing linguistic detail
and larger questions of interpretation. A substantial appendix
considers the relation between Iliad 18 and the Babylonian Epic of
Gilgamesh, which has been prominent in much recent discussion.
The Hittites in the Late Bronze Age became the mightiest military
power in the Ancient Near East. Yet their empire was always
vulnerable to destruction by enemy forces; their Anatolian homeland
occupied a remote region, with no navigable rivers; and they were
cut off from the sea. Perhaps most seriously, they suffered chronic
under-population and sometimes devastating plague. How, then, can
the rise and triumph of this ancient imperium be explained, against
seemingly insuperable odds? In his lively and unconventional
treatment of one of antiquity's most mysterious civilizations,
whose history disappeared from the records over three thousand
years ago, Trevor Bryce sheds fresh light on Hittite warriors as
well as on the Hittites' social, religious and political culture
and offers new solutions to many unsolved questions. Revealing them
to have been masters of chariot warfare, who almost inflicted
disastrous defeat on Rameses II at the Battle of Qadesh (1274 BCE),
he shows the Hittites also to have been devout worshippers of a
pantheon of storm-gods and many other gods, and masters of a new
diplomatic system which bolstered their authority for centuries.
Drawing authoritatively both on texts and on ongoing archaeological
discoveries, while at the same time offering imaginative
reconstructions of the Hittite world, the author argues that while
the development of a warrior culture was essential, not only for
the Empire's expansion but for its very survival, this by itself
was not enough. The range of skills demanded of the Hittite ruling
class went way beyond mere military prowess, while there was much
more to the Hittites themselves than just skill in warfare. This
engaging volume reveals the Hittites in their full complexity,
including the festivals they celebrated; the temples and palaces
they built; their customs and superstitions; the crimes they
committed; their social hierarchy, from king to slave; and the
marriages and pre-nuptial agreements they contracted. It takes the
reader on a journey which combines epic grandeur, spectacle and
pageantry with an understanding of the intimacies and
idiosyncrasies of Hittite daily life.
Book 1 of De Natura Deorum exhibits in a nutshell Cicero's
philosophical method, with the prior part stating the case for
Epicurean theology, the latter (rather longer) part refuting it.
Thus the reader observes Cicero at work in both constructive and
skeptical modes as well as his art of characterizing speakers.
Prefaced to the Book is Cicero's most elaborate justification of
his philosophical writing. The Book thus makes an ideal starting
point for the study of Cicero's philosophica or indeed of any
philosophical writing in Latin, since it delineates the problems
such a project raised in the minds of Roman readers and shows how
Cicero thought they could be met. There is also a systematic and
detailed doxography of ancient views about the deity, an important
document in itself, presented from an Epicurean perspective. The
volume's Introduction situates this text within Cicero's
intellectual development and ancient reflection about the gods.
Kate Tempest is one of the most exciting and innovative performers
to have emerged in spoken-word poetry in many years; her dramatic
poem Brand New Ancients won the prestigious Ted Hughes Prize for
innovation in poetry. Tempest's wholly unique blend of street
poetry, rap and storytelling - combined with the spellbinding
delivery of an open-air revivalist - has won her legions of
followers all over the UK. Her remarkable stage presence is wholly
audible in this poem, a spoken story written to be told with live
music. Brand New Ancients is the tale of two families and their
intertwining lives, set against the background of the city and
braided with classical myth. Here, Tempest shows how the old myths
still live on in our everyday acts of violence, bravery, sacrifice
and love - and that our lives make tales no less dramatic and
powerful than those of the old gods.
The idea of 'north' suggests much more than wintry cold, ice and
snow. To many, it hints at something magical, enchanting and
mysterious. This book explores the spiritual aspect of this
attraction through a survey of ancient history, Norse mythology and
contemporary studies of earth mysteries and sacred sites. From her
detailed research, Margaret Jonas traces the birth of Celtic
Christianity in the British Isles, Ireland, Scandinavia and
Germany, revealing a time when ancient prophecies relating to the
sun and divine beings came to fulfilment. A new spiritual wisdom
gradually spread across Europe - not only from the south
northwards, but also from west eastwards. The author describes how
a paradisiacal element from the earliest stages of earth evolution
was preserved and nurtured in hidden places associated with the
northern mysteries. This fascinating work of accessible scholarship
features chapters on Hyperborea, Thule and Apollo; the Druids and
Odinic Mysteries; Norway and the Celtic Christian Legacy; the
Number Five and the Etheric Body; the Externsteine and the God
Vidar, and Finland. The book concludes with hints of a future time
when northern magic will be transformed, and '...new clairvoyant
faculties will be within the reach of all humanity'.
In Bodies of Knowledge in Ancient Mesopotamia Matthew Rutz explores
the relationship between ancient collections of texts, commonly
deemed libraries and archives, and the modern interpretation of
titles like 'diviner'. By looking at cuneiform tablets as artifacts
with archaeological contexts, this work probes the modern
analytical categories used to study ancient diviners and
investigates the transmission of Babylonian/Assyrian scholarship in
Syria. During the Late Bronze Age diviners acted as high-ranking
scribes and cultic functionaries in Emar, a town on the Syrian
Euphrates (ca. 1375-1175 BCE). This book's centerpiece is an
extensive analytical catalogue of the excavated tablet collection
of one family of diviners. Over seventy-five fragments are
identified for the first time, along with many proposed joins
between fragments.
This is a book about High Elven Magic. Not the magic of chants and
spells and ceremonies, of which we've already written quite a bit,
but of the Quest to become like those kindred of ours who we, and
others, call the Shining Ones, and which most folks think of when
they fantasize about what elves are-even when they deny that we are
elven or that elves exist at all. The Shinning Ones are the evolved
beings who guide the elven people upon their spiritual Path. If you
would enter Faerie, or Elfin as we often call it, this is a book
about the Path that leads there.
The Dictionary of Classical Mythology is a unique companion to the
ancient Greek and Roman myths and legends. The story of every
character, whether human or divine, major or minor, is retold in
this book, detailing every version and variation. Naiads, dryads,
hamadryads, nymphs, fauns, satyrs and centaurs - the different
types of mythological figures are distinguished and fitted into the
overall pattern of legendary events and the places where these
happened such as Olympus, Arcadia, Troy, Crete and Parnassus are
identified and described.Forty genealogical tables explain the
complex and often bizarre relationships between interlocking
families of gods and people. Wherever appropriate the entries are
illustrated with antique paintings, ceramics, coins, sculpture and
mosaics. Maps of the Greek and Roman world and photographs of
ancient sites provide a guide to the topography of classical
mythology. An exhaustive reference section lists every mention of
each character in classical literature: this alone makes the book
an essential source of reference for scholars.The Dictionary will
be an essential companion to the study of Western literature and
art, a significant part of which has always been concerned with the
ancient myths and legends as a source of both subject matter and
allusion. But above all this book is a fascinating and readable
guide to the rich and diverse legends and mythologies of the
classical world.
Illustrated in b/w with 109 figures, 69 plates and 9 tables.
Collections of scenes and texts designated variously as the "Book
of the Earth," "Creation of the Solar Disc," and "Book of Aker"
were inscribed on the walls of royal sarcophagus chambers
throughout Egypt's Ramessid period (Dynasties 19-20). This material
illustrated discrete episodes from the nocturnal voyage of the sun
god, which functioned as a model for the resurrection of the
deceased king. These earliest "Books of the Earth" employed mostly
ad hoc arrangements of scenes, united by shared elements of
iconography, an overarching, bipartite symmetry of composition, and
their frequent pairing with representations of the double sky
overhead. From the Twenty-First Dynasty and later, selections of
programmatic tableaux were adapted for use in private mortuary
contexts, often in conjunction with innovative or previously
unattested annotations. The present study collects and analyses all
currently known Book of the Earth material, including discussions
of iconography, grammar, orthography, and architectural setting.
A witty, inspiring reckoning with the ancient Greek and Roman myths
and their legacy, from what they can illuminate about #MeToo to the
radical imagery of Beyonce. The picture of classical antiquity most
of us learned in school is framed in certain ways -- glossing over
misogyny while omitting the seeds of feminist resistance. Many of
today's harmful practices, like school dress codes, exploitation of
the environment, and rape culture, have their roots in the ancient
world. But in Antigone Rising, classicist Helen Morales reminds us
that the myths have subversive power because they are told -- and
read -- in different ways. Through these stories, whether it's
Antigone's courageous stand against tyranny or the indestructible
Caeneus, who inspires trans and gender queer people today, Morales
uncovers hidden truths about solidarity, empowerment, and
catharsis. Antigone Rising offers a fresh understanding of the
stories we take for granted, showing how we can reclaim them to
challenge the status quo, spark resistance, and rail against unjust
regimes.
This is a book about the religious life of the Greeks from archaic times to the fifth century AD, looked at in the context of a variety of different cities and periods. Simon Price examines local practices and concepts in the light of general Greek ideas, relating them to such issues as gender roles, political life, and the trial of Socrates. He lays emphasis on the reactions to Greek religions of ancient thinkers--Greek, Roman and Christian. The evidence drawn on is of all kinds: literary, inscriptional and archaeological.
This revised edition of West's revolutionary reinterpretation of
the civilization of Egypt challenges all that has been accpeted as
dogma concerning this ancient and enigmatic land. It features a new
introduction linking Egyptian science with the perennial wisdom
tradition and an appendix updating the author's work in redating
the Sphinx. Illustrations.
The twentieth century has seen a remarkable revival of 'the Old
Religion, ' as adherents of New-paganism call the native religious
traditions of Europe and tribal traditions from North America that
predated Christianity. Many neo-pagan groups identify with Celtic
(Druidic), Egyptian, Native American, Norse, or Roman traditions;
others with modern science-fiction motifs; and still others with
witchcraft. Neo-paganism is occultic in nature. A central figure in
much of Neo-paganism is the Mother Goddess, who has been introduced
and worshiped among certain feminists even in some mainline
Protestant churches. Why this series? This is an age when countless
groups and movements, old and new, mark the religious landscape in
our culture, leaving many people confused or uncertain in their
search for spiritual truth and meaning. Because few people have the
time or opportunity to research these movements fully, these books
provide essential information and insights for their spiritual
journeys. Each book has five sections: - A concise introduction to
the group - An overview of the group's theology -- in its own words
- Tips for witnessing effectively to members of the group - A
bibliography with sources for further study - A comparison chart
that shows the essential differences between biblical Christianity
and the group -- The writers of these volumes are well qualified to
present clear and reliable information and help us discern
religious truth from falsehood. This is an age when countless
groups and movements, new and old, mark the religious landscape in
our culture. As a result, many people are confused or uncertain in
their search for spiritual truth and meaning. Because few people
have the time or opportunity to research these movements fully, the
Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements series provides
essential information and insights for their spiritual journeys.
The second wave of books in this series addresses a broad range of
spiritual beliefs, from non-Trinitarian Christian sects to
witchcraft and neo-paganism to classic non-Christian religions such
as Buddhism and Hinduism. All books but the summary volume, Truth
and Error, contain five sections: -A concise introduction to the
group being surveyed -An overview of the group s theology --- in
its own words -Tips for witnessing effectively to members of the
group -A bibliography with sources for further study -A comparison
chart that shows the essential differences between biblical
Christianity and the group -- Truth and Error, the last book in the
series, consists of parallel doctrinal charts compiled from all the
other volumes. Three distinctives make this series especially
useful to readers: -Information is carefully distilled to bring out
truly essential points, rather than requiring readers to sift their
way through a sea of secondary details. -Information is presented
in a clear, easy-to-follow outline form with menu bar running
heads. This format greatly assists the reader in quickly locating
topics and details of interest. -Each book meets the needs and
skill levels of both nontechnical and technical readers, providing
an elementary level of refutation and progressing to a more
advanced level using arguments based on the biblical text. The
writers of these volumes are well qualified to present clear and
reliable information and help readers to discern truth from
falsehood."
In the midst of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, a handful of
British intellectuals turned their backs on the social and cultural
trends of their time and set out to reinvent the spirituality of
the ancient Druids. The movement that rose out of this effort
played a central role in struggles for cultural identity in most of
the Celtic nations of Europe, provided inspiration to such
world-class creative talents as William Blake and Frank Lloyd
Wright, and inspired an innovative tradition of Western nature
spirituality that remains active to this day. The Druid Revival
Reader provides the first collection of original writings from that
movement. Its selections, beginning with William Stukeley's survey
of Druid theology from 1743 and ending with Ross Nichols' 1947
essay "An Examination of Creative Myth," cover two centuries in the
life of an evolving tradition. Edited and introduced by
contemporary Druid John Michael Greer, The Druid Revival Reader is
essential for understanding the sources of modern Druid and Pagan
traditions, and offers a wealth of insights relevant to the
ecological and spiritual crises of our own time.
It is unknown, of course, who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey,
since, in general, no reliable contemporary description of how
these two epics came into being is to be found. Such sources as
there are - first and foremost, the two poems themselves - must be
interpreted in a comparative framework built on experience from
societies in the modern world that are in some respects similar to
archaic Greece in order to reach a coherent picture of the process.
The oral-formulaic theory, formed by Milman Parry (1902-1935) and
Albert B. Lord (1912-1991), not only revolutionized Homeric
studies, but also had an impact on anthropology and folklore. This
led to an increased interest in oral epic traditions, and
fieldworkers changed their methods towards a focus on composition
in performance. The individual singer and his handling of the
tradition gained importance. When possible, more than one
performance of the "same" song was recorded - by the same singer on
different occasions or by different singers - and interaction with
the audience was documented. Traditions of the oral epic still
exist in many parts of the world, and, during recent decades, quite
a few of them have been documented and analyzed by innovative
fieldworkers, leading to an overwhelming expansion of accessible
knowledge of how oral epic works. Writing Homer explores what this
means to the Parry-Lord-theory in general and the 'Homeric
Question' in particular. The relationship between the Iliad, the
Odyssey, and the Homeric Hymns, with the tradition of which they
are part, can now be described with much more precision than
before. It turns out that there is nothing unusual in very long
oral epics; what is unusual is that such poems are recorded in
writing. The process by which this must have taken place is
discussed in detail. Old problems, such as the fact that neither
illustrations of Trojan stories nor early 'quotations' agree with
the written poems, can be solved. Writing Homer achieves a deeper
understanding of the methods at work in the oral epic for building
a likely social context of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and
especially for speculating on the circumstances of the writing of
the two great poems. Long oral narratives are flexible, and
accordingly, the dictation to scribes that must be at the origin of
the texts, which have been preserved in writing to this day, was a
process of the utmost importance as was the composition in
performance of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Writing Homer is directed
at classical scholars, but will also be of interest to a much
broader readership: folklorists, anthropologists, and whoever
enjoys reading Homer in Greek, as well as in translation.
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