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Explores the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories from
around the world. The devil has many more guises than the cliché
red boogeyman named Lucifer or Satan who haunts Christianity. In
some traditions the devil is sinister and cunning, while others
portray him as an oaf who can easily be conned and evaded by anyone
with an ounce of cleverness. In other tales and legends, he is the
primal shapeshifter, and the Roma, also known as the gypsies,
claimed his talents of metamorphosis were so strong he could even
assume the appearance of a priest. Drawing on folk traditions from
all over Europe, including Transylvanian Romania, Bulgaria,
Albania, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Moravia, Bohemia,
Lapland, and the Baltic countries, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux
explore the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories,
tales, and legends throughout the ages. They trace the devil’s
shapeshifting powers back to their Vedic origins in ancient India
and look at his connections with witches, storm magic, and other
magical events. They examine the symbolic implications of the
appearance of the devil in these tales, such as how he is often
either limping or disfigured with the legs or feet of a goat or
other animal traditionally linked to the lower powers or passions.
They explain how the devil’s limp or his goat-like feet reflect
the prevalence in world mythology of the sacred nature of crippling
injuries. Peeling back the Christian veneer embedded in many tales
and legends about the so-called Evil One, the authors ultimately
reveal how many of the qualities and magical powers attributed to
the devil were once those belonging to pagan gods, like the
Lithuanian thunder god Perkūnas or the Titan Chronos, as well as
to playful woodland spirits and the sometimes helpful, sometimes
fearful fauns and satyrs of Greco-Roman mythology.
* Explores the schools of Solomonic magic around the world and
works such as The Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King and
The Hygromancy of Solomon * Examines Solomon's magical possessions,
including his famous ring that gave him command over animals,
weather, demons, genies, and djinns, as well as his amulets,
remedies, exorcisms, and charms * Looks at the extensive presence
of Solomon in folklore around the world, including in Armenia,
Malaysia, Russia, Bulgaria, Morocco, India, and Egypt Looking at
the Solomonic magical tradition and Solomon's profound influence on
esoteric traditions around the world, Claude Lecouteux reveals King
Solomon not only as one of the great kings of prehistory but also
as the ancient world's foremost magician and magus. Examining the
primary sources on Solomon, such as the Bible, the Koran, and the
writings of Flavius Josephus, the author explores Solomon's
judgments, his explorations, his literary and scientific works
(including an herbal), and his constructions beyond the eponymous
temple, such as the copper city in Andalus built by the djinns and
the baths of Sulayman. He also looks at Solomon's magical
possessions, such as his famous ring and the Philosopher's Stone.
The author examines the supernatural powers granted to Solomon by
his ring, which he received from the angel Gabriel, including
command over animals, weather, and demons, and explores in detail
Solomon's power over genies and djinns. Following the esoteric
threads hidden within the primary sources on Solomon, Lecouteux
reveals the work of Solomon the Magician, exploring his amulets,
remedies, exorcisms, charms, and his influence on Arab and Western
magic. Providing illustrations of sigils, talismans, and other
magic symbols related to Solomon, the author examines the schools
of Solomonic Folkloremagic and works such as The Greater and Lesser
Keys of Solomon the King and The Hygromancy of Solomon. He then
looks at the extensive presence of Solomon in folklore worldwide,
including in Armenia, Israel, Malaysia, Eastern Europe, Russia,
Morocco, India, Mongolia, and among the Abyssinians of Ethiopia and
the Copts in Egypt. He also looks at Solomon's role within the
Bulgarian tradition from which the Cathars derived. Painting an
in-depth portrait of Solomon the Magician-King, Lecouteux reveals
how this legendary magus left a deep impression upon the occult,
magical traditions, and philosophies of the ancient world that can
still be felt to this day.
Sharing his extensive and meticulous research, Jacques Privat
reveals that the Vikings were in Greenland, its neighboring
islands, and the eastern shores of Canada long before Columbus. He
examines in depth how Greenland and its surroundings were inhabited
for nearly 5 centuries by two Nordic colonies, Vestri-bygd and
Eystri-bygd, which disappeared mysteriously: one in 1342 and the
other in the 16th century. Drawing on the still-living indigenous
oral tradition of the Far North, as well as surviving sculptural
art such as carvings, he shows how, far from being constantly at
odds with the native population, the Norsemen and the Inuit formed
a harmonious community. He reveals how this friendly Inuit-Viking
relationship encouraged the Scandinavian settlers to forsake
Christianity and return to their pagan roots. Working with ancient
European maps and other cartography, such as the 15th-century
Martin Behaim globe, as well as explorers' records of their
voyages, the author examines the English, Irish, German, Danish,
Flemish, and Portuguese presence in the Far North. He explores how
Portugal dominated many seas and produced the first correct
cartography of Greenland as an island. He also reveals how Portugal
may have been behind the disappearance of the Vikings in Greenland
by enslaving them for their European plantations. Dispelling once
and for all the theories that the Inuit were responsible for the
failure of the Scandinavian colonies of the Far North, the author
reveals how, ultimately, the Church opted to cut all ties with the
settlements--rather than publicize that a formerly Christian people
had become pagan again. When the lands of the Far North were
officially "discovered" after the Middle Ages, the Norse colonies
had vanished, leaving behind only legends and mysterious ruins.
Grimoires began simply as quick-reference "grammar books" for
sorcerers, magicians, and priests before evolving into
comprehensive guides to magic, complete with spell-casting rituals,
magical alphabets, and instructions to create amulets and
talismans. With the advent of the printing press, some grimoires
were mass produced, but many of the abbreviations were
misinterpreted and magical words misspelled, rendering them
ineffective. The most powerful grimoires remained not only secret
but also heavily encoded, making them accessible only to the
highest initiates of the magical traditions. Drawing on his own
private collection of grimoires and magical manuscripts as well as
his privileged access to the rare book archives of major European
universities, Claude Lecouteux offers an extensive study of ancient
books of magic and the ways the knowledge within them was kept
secret for centuries through symbols, codes, secret alphabets, and
Kabbalistic words. Touching on both white and black magical
practices, he explains the basic principles of medieval magic,
including the doctrine of names and signatures, mastery of the
power of images, and the laws of sympathy and contagion. He gives
an overview of magic in the Western Mystery tradition, emphasizing
both lesser-known magicians such as Trithemus and Peter of Apono
and famous ones like Albertus Magnus and Hermes Trismegistus.
Creating a universal grimoire, Lecouteux provides exact
reproductions of secret magical alphabets, symbols, and glyphs with
instructions for their use as well as an illustrated collection of
annotated spells, rituals, and talismans for numerous applications
including amorous magic, healing magic, and protection rites. The
author also examines the folk magic that resulted when the high
magic of the medieval grimoires melded with the preexisting pagan
magic of ancient Europe.
Presents more than 600 magical prescriptions for healing and
protection from both pagan and Christian sources * Examines the
practice of diagnosing illness through magic and explores ancient
beliefs about curses and other evil spells and about devils,
demons, and ghosts * Includes spells from the heavily guarded gypsy
tradition of magic and healing, drawn from newly discovered
materials Since the beginning of history, people have sought
remedies for the many ills that have beset them, from illnesses
afflicting the body to threats posed by evil and hostile
individuals. In many folk healing and pagan traditions, it was
believed that one must gain the assistance of the guardian spirit
of a healing plant or substance through prayers or offerings before
its chemical properties would be effective. Drawing on his
extensive knowledge of ancient texts, Claude Lecouteux presents
more than 600 magical prescriptions from both pagan and Christian
sources from the last 2,000 years, covering everything from
abscesses and shingles to curses and healing animals. He explores
ancient beliefs about curses and about devils, demons, and ghosts
and provides an in-depth look at protection magic, including
protection of health, animals, and cultivated land, protection
against curses, witchcraft, bad weather, and beasts, protection of
a home, and protection while traveling. He includes spells from the
heavily guarded gypsy tradition of magic and healing, drawn from
newly discovered materials collected by two Romanian ethnologists
who lived and traveled with gypsies in Transylvania in the mid-19th
century. The author also reproduces rare texts on magic healing
from the 14th and 15th centuries. Revealing the vitality of these
practices in the remoter areas of Eastern Europe, Lecouteux shows
how the influence of this pagan worldview is still detectable in
the work of modern folk healers in France and Scandinavia.
The legends of the Norse and Germanic regions of Europe--spanning
from Germany and Austria across Scandinavia to Iceland and
England--include a broad range of mythical characters and places,
from Odin and Thor, to berserkers and Valhalla, to the Valkyries
and Krampus. In this encyclopedia, Claude Lecouteux explores the
origins, connections, and tales behind many gods, goddesses,
magical beings, rituals, folk customs, and mythical places of Norse
and Germanic tradition. More than a reference to the Aesir and the
Vanir pantheons, this encyclopedia draws upon a wealth of
well-known and rare sources, such as the Poetic Edda, the Saga of
Ynglingar by Snorri Sturluson, and The Deeds of the Danes by Saxo
Grammaticus. The author describes the worship of the elements and
trees, details many magical rituals, and shares wild folktales from
ancient Europe, such as the strange adventure of Peter Schlemihl
and the tale of the Cursed Huntsman. He also dispels the false
beliefs that have arisen from the Nazi hijacking of Germanic
mythology and from its longtime suppression by Christianity.
Complete with rare illustrations and information from obscure
sources appearing for the first time in English, this detailed
reference work represents an excellent resource for scholars and
those seeking to reconnect to their pagan pasts and restore the old
religion.
A collection of tales from the Middle Ages that reveal voyages to
Heaven and Hell, the realm of the Faery, mystical lands, and
encounters with mythic beasts * Shares travelers' accounts of
voyages into the afterlife, alarming creatures of unparalleled
strangeness, encounters with doppelgangers and angels, chivalric
romantic misadventures, and legends of heroes * Explains how
travelers' tales from the Middle Ages drew on geographies,
encyclopedias, travel accounts, bestiaries, and herbals for
material to capture the imagination of their audiences * Includes
rare illustrations from incunabula and medieval manuscripts Heading
off to discover unknown lands was always a risky undertaking during
the Middle Ages due to the countless dangers lying in wait for the
traveler--if we can believe what the written accounts tell us. In
the medieval age of intercontinental exploration, tales of sea
monsters, strange hybrid beasts, trickster faeries, accidental
trips to the afterlife, and peoples as fantastic and dangerous as
the lands they inhabited abounded. In this curated collection of
medieval travelers' tales, editors Claude and Corinne Lecouteux
explain how the Middle Ages were a melting pot of narrative
traditions from the four corners of the then-known world. Tales
from this period often drew on geographies, encyclopedias, travel
accounts, bestiaries, and herbals for material to capture the
imagination of their audiences, who were fascinated by the wonders
being discovered by explorers of the time. Accompanied by rare
illustrations from incunabula and medieval manuscripts, the stories
in this collection include voyages into the afterlife, with guided
tours of Hell and glimpses of Heaven, as well as journeys into
other fantastic realms, such as the pagan land of the Faery. It
also includes accounts from travelers such as Alexander the Great
of alarming creatures of unparalleled strangeness, encounters with
doppelgangers and angels, legends of heroes, and tales of chivalric
romantic misadventures, with protagonists swept to exotic new
places by fate or by quest. In each story, the marvelous is
omnipresent, and each portrays the reactions of the protagonist
when faced with the unknown. Offering an introduction to the
medieval imaginings of a wondrous universe, these tales reflect the
dreams and beliefs of the Middle Ages' era of discovery and allow
readers to survey mythic geography, meet people from the far ends
of the earth, and experience the supernatural.
Reveals how Christian mythology has more to do with long-standing
pagan traditions than the Bible
- Explains how the church fathers knowingly incorporated pagan
elements into the Christian faith to ease the transition to the new
religion
- Identifies pagan deities that were incorporated into each of the
saints
- Shows how all the major holidays in the Christian calendar are
modeled on pagan rituals and myths, including Easter and Christmas
In this extensive study of the Christian mythology that animated
Europe in the Middle Ages, author Philippe Walter reveals how these
stories and the holiday traditions connected with them are based on
long-standing pagan rituals and myths and have very little
connection to the Bible. The author explains how the church fathers
knowingly incorporated pagan elements into the Christian faith to
ease the transition to the new religion. Rather than tear down the
pagan temples in Britain, Pope Gregory the Great advised Saint
Augustine of Canterbury to add the pagan rituals into the mix of
Christian practices and transform the pagan temples into churches.
Instead of religious conversion, it was simply a matter of
convincing the populace to include Jesus in their current religious
practices.
Providing extensive documentation, Walter shows which major
calendar days of the Christian year are founded on pagan rituals
and myths, including the high holidays of Easter and Christmas.
Examining hagiographic accounts of the saints, he reveals the
origin of these symbolic figures in the deities worshipped in pagan
Europe for centuries. He also explores how the identities of saints
and pagan figures became so intermingled that some saints were
transformed into pagan incarnations, such as Mary Magdalene's
conversion into one of the Celtic Ladies of the Lake.
In revealing the pagan roots of many Christian figures, stories,
and rituals, Walters provides a new understanding of the evolution
of religious belief.
A comprehensive A-to-Z reconstruction of the oral tradition of the
Rom--gypsies--based on sources never before available in English
• Presents the origin myths and magical traditions of the
gypsies, including their legendary ties to Egypt, animal ancestors,
and tree spirits • Examines the three major settings of gypsy
folktales--the forest, the waters, and the mountain--and shows how
their world is full of spirits • Shows how the religious concepts
of the Rom testify to a profound syncretism of the pagan traditions
and Christianity Although their own myths and their common name
point to Egyptian origins for the gypsies, the Rom, as they call
themselves, originated in India, as evidenced by studies of their
language. They arrived in Europe in the ninth century and spread
across the continent from East to West, reaching England in the
15th century and Scandinavia by the end of the 16th century. A
nomadic people, these wanderers were reviled by local populaces
wherever they went and regarded as misfits, intruders, foreigners,
and thieves. Drawing on a number of sources never before available
outside of Eastern Europe, Claude Lecouteux reconstructs the gypsy
oral tradition to provide a comprehensive A-to-Z look at gypsy
mythology, including their folktales, rites, songs, nursery rhymes,
jokes, and magical traditions. Complete with rare illustrations and
information from obscure sources appearing for the first time in
English, this detailed reference work represents an excellent
resource for scholars and those seeking to reconnect to their
forgotten gypsy heritage.
From Abracadabra to the now famous spells of the Harry Potter
series, magic words are no longer confined to the practices of
pagans, alchemists, witches, and occultists. They have become part
of the popular imagination of the Western world. Passed down from
ancient Babylon, Egypt, and Greece, these words and the rituals
surrounding them have survived through the millennia because they
work. And as scholar Claude Lecouteux reveals, often the more
impenetrable they seem, the more effective they are. Presenting a
wealth of material on magical words, signs, and charms, both common
and obscure, Lecouteux also explores the magical words and spells
of ancient Scandinavia, the Hispano-Arabic magic of Spain before
the Reconquista, the traditions passed down from ancient Egypt, and
those that have stayed in use until the present day.
An exploration of werewolf beliefs and legends from Classical
Antiquity to the post-medieval period * Examines werewolf tales and
stories from early Greece, Scandinavia, France, Germany, Eastern
Europe, China, and Japan, as well as legends of other shapeshifting
creatures such as were-tigers, were-jackals, and were-caribou *
Looks at the various ways people become werewolves, including pacts
with the devil, magic, and spells, and explores ways to identify,
escape, and do away with werewolves * Includes the trial records
from medieval Europe for individuals who were tried on suspicion of
being werewolves and the personal records of people whose spouses
could shapeshift into wolves An animal both mythical and real, a
terrifying predator and the villain in many a fairytale, the wolf
has haunted the human imagination since prehistoric times. Even
more disturbing is the possibility that some individuals can change
into wolves. These werewolves, or lycanthropes, are able to divest
themselves of their human nature and transform into enemies that
are all the more dangerous as no one knows who they are. Means of
protecting oneself from this beast have been a concern for people
since Classical Antiquity, and werewolf legends offer both
fascinating tales of horror as well as advice for thwarting these
creatures or breaking the werewolf curse. In this exploration of
werewolf folktales, legends, and historical accounts, Claude
Lecouteux examines werewolf beliefs and stories from early Greece
to the post-medieval age, including the beliefs of the Norse and
tales from France, Germany, Eastern Europe, China, and Japan. The
author includes the trial records from medieval Europe for
individuals who were tried on suspicion of being werewolves and the
personal records of people whose spouses could shapeshift into
wolves. He investigates the nature of the werewolf, how it can act
as the double or lead to out-of-body experiences, and its
counterparts in other parts of the world such as were-tigers,
were-jackals, and even were-caribou in the Inuit regions of North
America. Lecouteux also looks at the various ways people become
werewolves, including pacts with the devil and spells, and explores
ways to identify, escape, and do away with werewolves. Sharing
werewolf mysteries from around the world, Lecouteux shows that by
studying the legends of the werewolf we also gain insight into the
psyche and ancient imagination of humanity.
A comprehensive examination of the intertwined mythology, folklore,
and literary history of the little people Most people are familiar
with the popular image of elves as Santa's helpers and dwarfs as
little bearded men wearing red caps, who are mischievous and
playful, helpful and sly, industrious and dexterous. But their
roots go far deeper than their appearance in fairy tales and
popular stories. Elves and dwarfs are survivors of a much older
belief system that predates Christianity and was widespread
throughout Western Europe. Sharing his extensive analysis of
Germanic and Norse legends, as well as Roman, Celtic, and medieval
literature, Claude Lecouteux explores the ancient, intertwined
history of dwarfs and elves. He reveals how both were once peoples
who lived in wild regions as keepers of the secrets of nature. They
were able to change their size at will and had superhuman strength
and healing powers. They were excellent smiths, crafting swords
that nothing could dull as well as magical jewelry, and often
entered into the service of lords or heroes. They were a part of
the everyday life of our ancestors before they were transformed by
fairy tales and church texts into the mythical creatures we know
today. Lecouteux shows how, in earlier folklore, elves and dwarfs
were interchangeable, gradually evolving over time to express very
different kinds of beings. Revealing the true roots of these
helpful and powerful beings, including an in-depth exploration of
one of the most famous dwarf/elf/fairy beings of the Middle Ages,
Auberon or Oberon, also known as Alberich, Lecouteux shows how the
magic of dwarfs and elves can be rekindled if we recognize their
signs and invite them back into our world.
An exploration of the many forms of the ancient myth of the Wild
Hunt and its influence in pagan and early Christian Europe
- Recounts the myriad variations of this legend, from the Cursed
Huntsman and King Herla to phantom armies and vast processions of
sinners and demons
- Explains how this belief was an integral part of the pagan
worldview and was thus employed by the church to spread Christian
doctrine
- Reveals how the secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted
these ghostly processions for soul travel and prophecies of
impending death
Once upon a time a phenomenon existed in medieval Europe that
continuously fueled local lore: during the long winter nights a
strange and unknown troop could be heard passing outside over the
land or through the air. Anyone caught by surprise in the open
fields or depths of the woods would see a bizarre procession of
demons, giants, hounds, ladies of the night, soldiers, and knights,
some covered in blood and others carrying their heads beneath their
arms. This was the Wild or Infernal Hunt, the host of the damned,
the phantom army of the night--a theme that still inspires poets,
writers, and painters to this day. Millennia older than
Christianity, this pagan belief was employed by the church to
spread their doctrine, with the shapeshifters' and giants of the
pagan nightly processions becoming sinners led by demons seeking
out unwary souls to add to their retinues. Myth or legend, it
represents a belief that has deep roots in Europe, particularly
Celtic and Scandinavian countries.
The first scholar to fully examine this myth in each of its myriad
forms, Claude Lecouteux strips away the Christian gloss and shows
how the Wild Hunt was an integral part of the pagan worldview and
the structure of their societies. Additionally, he looks at how
secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted these ghostly
processions through cult rituals culminating in masquerades and
carnival-like cavalcades often associated with astral doubles,
visions of the afterlife, belief in multiple souls, and prophecies
of impending death. He reveals how the nearly infinite variations
of this myth are a still living, evolving tradition that offers us
a window into the world in which our ancestors lived.
Examines how the ancient customs of constructing and keeping a
house formed a sacred bond between homes and their inhabitants
- Shares many tales of house spirits, from cajoling the local land
spirit into becoming one's house spirit to the good and bad luck
bestowed by mischievous house elves
- Explains the meaning behind door and window placement, house
orientation, horsehead gables, the fireplace or hearth, and the
threshold
- Reveals the charms, chants, prayers, and building practices used
by our ancestors to bestow happiness and prosperity upon their
homes and their occupants
Why do we hang horseshoes for good luck or place wreaths on our
doors? Why does the groom carry his new bride over the threshold?
These customs represent the last vestiges from a long, rich history
of honoring the spirits of our homes. They show that a house is
more than a building: it is a living being with a body and soul.
Examining the extensive traditions surrounding houses from medieval
times to the present, Claude Lecouteux reveals that, before we
entered the current era of frequent moves and modular housing,
moving largely from the countryside into cities, humanity had an
extremely sacred relationship with their homes and all the spirits
who lived there alongside them--from the spirit of the house itself
to the mischievous elves, fairies, and imps who visited, invited or
not. He shows how every aspect of constructing and keeping a house
involved rites, ceremony, customs, and taboos to appease the
spirits, including the choice of a building lot and the very
materials with which it was built. Uncovering the lost meaning
behind door and window placement, the hearth, and the threshold,
Lecouteux shares many tales of house spirits, from the offerings
used to cajole the local land spirit into becoming the domestic
house spirit to the good and bad luck bestowed upon those who seek
the help of the "Little Money Man." He draws on studies and classic
literature from old Europe--from Celtic lands and Scandinavia to
France and Germany to the far eastern borders of Europe and into
Russia--to explain the pagan roots behind many of these traditions.
Revealing our ancestors' charms, prayers, and practices to bestow
happiness and prosperity upon their homes, Lecouteux shows that we
can invite the spirits back into our houses, old or new, and
restore the sacred bond between home and inhabitant.
Monsters werewolves witches and fairies remain a strong presence in
our stories and dreams. But as Claude Lecouteux shows their roots
go far deeper than their appearance in medieval folklore; they are
survivors of a much older belief system that predates Christianity
and was widespread over Western Europe. Through his extensive
analysis of Germano-Scandinavian legends as well as those from
other areas of Europe Lecouteux has uncovered an almost forgotten
religious concept - that every individual owns three souls and that
one of these souls the Double can - in animal or human form - leave
the physical body while in sleep or a trance journey where it
chooses then re-enter its physical body. While there were many who
experienced this phenomenon involuntarily there were others - those
who attracted the unwelcome persecution of the Church - who were
able to provoke it at will: witches. In a thorough excavation of
the medieval soul Claude Lecouteux reveals the origin and
significance of this belief in the Double and follows its
transforming features through the ages. He shows that far from
being fantasy or vague superstition fairies witches and werewolves
all testify to a consistent ancient vision of our world and the
world beyond.
A collection of tales from the Middle Ages focused on otherworldly
powers, magical animals, miracles, demonic apparitions, and
supernatural events * Offers commentary for each story, revealing
its historical context, cultural and esoteric associations, and
hidden pagan beliefs * Explores how the tales transformed over the
ages and their origins in Classical Antiquity, the Middle East, and
India * Includes stories never-before-translated from their
original Latin and many purposely left in obscurity due to
scandalous depictions of popes and other notables The Middle Ages
witnessed the blossoming of oral traditions whose echoes can still
be found in many legends, fables, and tales today. In this
collection of medieval tales of witchcraft, wonder, and the
supernatural, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explain how many of
these stories arose in Classical Antiquity while some made their
way into Dark Ages Europe from the Middle East and India. Offering
commentary for each tale, the authors place them in historical
context and analyze their cultural and esoteric associations. They
include stories never- before-translated from their original Latin
or demotic versions and show how, unlike the well-known fairy tales
made popular by the Brothers Grimm, many stories were purposely
left in obscurity because they presented scandalous depictions of
popes and other notables. Additionally, for many of the tales, the
authors scrupulously peel back the Christian veneer to show how the
stories were instrumental in assuring the survival of age-old pagan
beliefs across the centuries. These beliefs are explored through
tales of animals with magical powers and the ability to converse
with humans, including the tale of the Grateful Lion made famous
through Aesop's fables; stories of individuals with supernatural or
otherworldly powers, like the Venomous Maiden who poisons all men
who have relations with her; legends of miracles and wondrous
things that violate the laws of nature, such as people returning
from the dead to help a descendant; and stories of witchcraft,
magic, and demonic apparitions, including the pope who was a
disguised demon. The authors also explore tales of supernatural
spouses and illicit love affairs, wisdom teachings and parables of
fools, and heroic legends.
How the ghost stories of pagan times reveal the seamless union
existing between the world of the living and the afterlife
- Demonstrates how Medieval Christianity transformed the more
corporeal ghost encountered in pagan cultures with the disembodied
form known today
- Explains how the returning dead were once viewed as either
troublemakers or guarantors of the social order
The impermeable border the modern world sees existing between the
world of the living and the afterlife was not visible to our
ancestors. The dead could--and did--cross back and forth at will.
The pagan mind had no fear of death, but some of the dead were
definitely to be dreaded: those who failed to go peacefully into
the afterlife but remained on this side in order to right a wrong
that had befallen them personally or to ensure that the law
promoted by the ancestors was being respected. But these dead
individuals were a far cry from the amorphous ectoplasm that is
featured in modern ghost stories. These earlier visitors from
beyond the grave--known as revenants--slept, ate, and fought like
men, even when, like Klaufi of the "Svarfdaela Saga," they carried
their heads in their arms.
Revenants were part of the ancestor worship prevalent in the pagan
world and still practiced in indigenous cultures such as the Fang
and Kota of equatorial Africa, among others. The Church, eager to
supplant this familial faith with its own, engineered the
transformation of the corporeal revenant into the disembodied ghost
of modern times, which could then be easily discounted as a figment
of the imagination or the work of the devil. The sanctified grounds
of the church cemetery replaced the burial mounds on the family
farm, where the ancestors remained as an integral part of the
living community. This exile to the formal graveyard, ironically
enough, has contributed to the great loss of the sacred that
characterizes the modern world.
A look at the forgotten ancestors of the modern-day vampire, many
of which have very different characteristics
- Looks at the many ancestoral forms of the modern vampire,
including shroud eaters, appesarts, and stafi
- Presents evidence for the reality of this phenomenon from
pre-19th-century newspaper articles and judicial records
Of all forms taken by the undead, the vampire wields the most
powerful pull on the modern imagination. But the countless movies
and books inspired by this child of the night who has a
predilection for human blood are based on incidents recorded as
fact in newspapers and judicial archives in the centuries preceding
the works of Bram Stoker and other writers.
Digging through these forgotten records, Claude Lecouteux unearths
a very different figure of the vampire in the many accounts of
individuals who reportedly would return from their graves to attack
the living. These ancestors of the modern vampire were not all
blood suckers; they included shroud eaters, appesarts, nightmares,
and the curious figure of the stafia, whose origin is a result of
masons secretly interring the shadow of a living human being in the
wall of a building under construction. As Lecouteux shows, the
belief in vampires predates ancient Roman times, which abounded
with lamia, stirges, and ghouls. Discarding the tacked together
explanations of modern science for these inexplicable phenomena,
the author looks back to another folk belief that has come down
through the centuries like that of the undead: the existence of
multiple souls in every individual, not all of which are able to
move on to the next world after death.
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