The Norse gods are as vivid and powerful as the rugged elemental landscapes they ruled over. From Scandinavia the Vikings raided; traded and settled across Europe and beyond; leaving their mark through their deities in place names; literature and particularly through the derivation of the names of the days of the week from Tuesday to Friday. Marion Pearce sets the major Norse gods like Odin; Thor; Loki; Tyr; Baldur; Freya and Frigg into a context of both time and place; telling their tales in a unique manner and through doing so she introduces numerous other gods; giants; heroes; dwarves and monsters from the Norse myths and legends. The author also writes on the Germanic Saxon gods; who sprang from the same roots; and explores the conflict between the Norse and Saxon gods and Christianity. The influences of the Norse and Saxon gods are considered further through their survival in British folk customs and significant calendar festivals. Drawing on numerous sources; including the Eddas and Sagas; the tale of Beowulf; contemporary Arabic writings and early British laws; the author demonstrates the threads which unite the days of the week and the Norse and Saxon gods with other early civilizations and classical sources from Pliny; Tacitus and Ravenna to the Old Testament. From the world tree Yggdrasil to its gods and creatures; from the Norse creation myths to the cataclysmic Ragnarok; from magic charms to ritual practices; The Viking Gods by Marion Pearce is an evocative journey through the rich tapestry of Norse paganism; history and cosmology; illustrated with numerous original line drawings by visionary artist Emily Carding. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marion Pearce is the author of numerous articles on Celtic; Norse and Roman history and culture published in magazines in the UK and internationally. She is the editor of Pentacle Magazine; the biggest independent pagan magazine in the UK; which she founded in 2002; and was formerly the editor of Pagan Dawn; the magazine of the Pagan Federation.
#508203 in Books Causeway Press 1995-12-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .77 x 5.53 x 8.25l; .67 #File Name: 1898787468224 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Leaves me thirsting for moreBy MossieI bought this book because my ancestors were mostly Scots Irish and I wanted to lean more about them.I loved the background information in Billy's book that tells about the character and beliefs of the Scots Irish and the Presbyterians.I thought that more data about the common every day Scots Irish Immigrants to America shoud have been the main focas of the book.It's interesing to know that many of the immigants became famous; but I'm not as intested in them as I am the ordinary people. After all; we can read about them in almost any American history book.I stopped reading the book after the background information. It didn't go far enough into those details for me.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. so I read it in small doses so I can take in the information better.By A. WallisVery interesting and informative. A little tough to get through; so I read it in small doses so I can take in the information better.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Billy Kennedy has written 4 books about the Scots-Irish.By sako96Billy Kennedy has written 4 books about the Scots-Irish. I have them all.Unfortunately the information is mostly redundant. They should have allbeen combined into one larger volume.
