Not yet another revelation of the true nature of the Celtic religious figures, but a study of the literary representation of them throughout the ages. Begins by surveying the folklore, anthropology, and archaeology literature to identify the little uncontested knowledge about them. Then looks at medieval texts; the religious and political agendas underlying the resurgence of interest in 18th-century Britain; and the contemporary image of druids in popular films and television, New Age and Neo-Pagan books, and on-line discussions. Not illustrated. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A remarkable array of people have been called shamans, while the phenomena identified as shamanism continues to proliferate. This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Shamanism contains with examples from antiquity up to today, and from Siberia (where the term “shaman” originated) to Amazonia, South Africa, Chicago and many other places. Many claims about shamans and shamanism are contentious and all are worthy of discussion. In the most widespread understandings, terms seem to refer particularly to people who alter states of consciousness or enter trances in order to seek knowledge and help from powerful other-than-human persons, perhaps “spirits”. But this says only a little about the artists, community leaders, spiritual healers or hucksters, travelers in alternative realities and so on to which the label “shaman” has been applied. This second edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and extensive bibliography. The dictionary contains over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on individuals, groups, practices and cultures that have been called “shamanic”. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Shamanism.

Robert J. Wallis explores the interface between the 'new' and prehistoric shamans of popular culture and anthropology, drawing on interviews with a variety of practitioners, particularly contemporary pagans in Britain and orth America.

Explores the common ground of shamanic traditions and evaluates the diversity of both traditional indigenous communities and individual Western seekers.

What do people think of when they hear the word Druidry? The real questions, not questions about the old men in white robes stereotypes. What makes a Druid? What do they do? Having been a practising Druid for over ten years, Cat Treadwell wondered too. Asked to present a talk at a national Pagan Festival, and unsure exactly what the audience would want to hear, she started a blog, asking friends and colleagues (Muggle and Pagan) what they would like to know about the Druid Path. Two years later, they are still asking. This book answers some of those questions. Cat has compiled and expanded on the common queries (So, do you worship the sun?) as well as the day-to-day aspects of Druidry as a lived path. She reveals how Druidry is constantly evolving to be relevant and accessible in the modern world. ,

In Stations of the Sun and The Triumph of the Moon Ronald Hutton established himself as a leading authority on the historian of Paganism. His wealth of unusual knowledge, complemented by a deep and sympathetic understanding of past and present beliefs that are often dismissed as strange or marginal, and an ability to write lucidly and wittily, gives his work a unique flavour. The essays which make up Witches, Druids and King Arthur cover elegantly and entertainingly a wide range of beliefs, myths and practices.

With their ability to enter trances, to change into the bodies of other creatures, and to fly through the northern skies, shamans are the subject of both popular and scholarly fascination. In Shamans: Siberian Spirituality and the Western Imagination Ronald Hutton looks at what is really known about both the shamans of Siberia and about others spread throughout the world. He traces the growth of knowledge of shamans in Imperial and Stalinist Russia, descibes local variations and different types of shamanism, and explores more recent western influences on its history and modern practice. This is a challenging book by one of the world's leading authorities on Paganism.

Reveals the ancient oracle based on the runic Elder Futhark alphabet of the Norse.

This book surveys the influence of the middle ages, and of medieval attitudes and values, on later periods and on the modern world. Many artistic, political and literary movements have drawn inspiration and sought their roots in the thousand years between 500 and 1500 AD. Medieval Christianity, and its rich legacy, has been the essential background to European culture as a whole.Gothic architecture and chivalry were two keys to Romanticism, while nationalists, including the Nazis, looked back to the middle ages to find emerging signs of national character. In literature few myths have been as durable or popular as those of King Arthur, stretching from the Dark Ages to Hollywood. In Search of the Holy Grail is a vivid account of how later ages learnt about and interpreted the middle ages.

The artist Francis Bacon (1909-1992) and the writer Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) both convey in their work a sense of foreboding and confinement in bleak, ritualistic spaces. This book identifies many similarities between the spaces and activities they evoke and the initiatory practices of fraternal orders and secret societies that were an integral part of the social landscape of the Ireland experienced by both men during childhood. Many of these Irish societies modelled their ritual structures and symbolism on the Masonic Order. Freemasons use the term 'spurious Freemasonry' to designate those rituals not sanctioned by the Grand Lodge. The Masonic author Albert Mackey argues that the spurious forms were those derived from the various cult practices of the classical world and describes these initiatory practices as 'a course of severe and arduous trials'. This reading of Bacon's and Beckett's work draws on theories of trauma to suggest that there may be a disturbing link between Bacon's stark imagery, Beckett's obscure performances and the unofficial use of Masonic rites.