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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Structure of this book is tripartite - Heroes and Ancestors (Lore), Gods and Goddesses (Deities and some practical applications of their worship), and Toasts, Boast and Oaths (Living the Heathen Way).
The introduction to each section within this overall structure is based on an evening meeting of the hypothetical group The Raven Hammer Kindred who follow The Troth. This gives the book a more intimate feel than a merely didactic study of the material.
Overall, I feel Paxson has introduced her subject in an approachable way. It is not scholastic in tone, but rather a gentle introduction for beginners. She gives useful links and resources at the end of the book. I found the ritual elements very useful, and also the explanation of the gods and goddesses and their functions for a modern reader quite compelling.
An easy and enjoyable read.
The introduction to each section within this overall structure is based on an evening meeting of the hypothetical group The Raven Hammer Kindred who follow The Troth. This gives the book a more intimate feel than a merely didactic study of the material.
Overall, I feel Paxson has introduced her subject in an approachable way. It is not scholastic in tone, but rather a gentle introduction for beginners. She gives useful links and resources at the end of the book. I found the ritual elements very useful, and also the explanation of the gods and goddesses and their functions for a modern reader quite compelling.
An easy and enjoyable read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A good introductory book about Heathenism, covering customs, history, deities, beliefs and code of ethics for people in the Northern Tradition. It's a little American in writing style for my taste, with little fictional vignettes at the beginning of each chapter which I found a little annoying but the content of the book is very useful.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have been generous here giving this book a single star, it is complete garbage and I am about to burn the book so as not to insult the Gods by reading it further.
Diana Paxson is an American, so she is filled with the over-zelous enthusiam that seems to infect that nation, leading her to make colourful if misguided suggestions on protocol that seem to me more influenced by 2000 years of Christian doctirne and ritual than by any link to the true Gods and the largely un-recorded rituals of our ancestors.
Diana gives us a colourful narative that runs throughout the book concerning a ficticious group of Asatruen meeting somewhere in California. She tells us their names, tells us of their rituals, what they're wearing, the meals they are eating even the jobs they have and we learn something of their history, all of which is absolutely pointless and not at all instructional. I would guess that we all have febrile imaginations and can construct our own fantasies if we so wish.
She then gives us a brief history of the world and the march of Paganism which again is pretty pointless as I would further suggest that anyone interested in learning more about the true beliefs of our ancestors know something of its history already. She then moves onto the gods themselves and here Diana really lets her imagination run astray. Some of the Gods already have faces, their descriptions having come down to us through the generations via the many stories told and retold by skalds of the past and eventually documented by the likes of Snorri Sturluson. But those Gods who have remained faceless are finally given faces here by Diana. We also get to learn what clothes they wear and the colours of their cloaks. All good stuff - if you're a ten year old doing a school project on the true Gods.
Diana also gives us suggested songs and invocations that may appease the Gods, and may entice them to answer any requests we make of them. Thor for example; we are told that the following song might be worth singing: Thor bashes etins, Thor trashes Trolls!
When he swings his hammer, oh how the thunder rolls - With a crash and a clatter,
Our foes are scattered
From Midguard.
There is a song of equal quality for each of the Gods, and the invocations are equally inspiring. I admit to not having finnished the book and there is the possibility that it improves towards the end, but i doubt it.
Diana Paxson is an American, so she is filled with the over-zelous enthusiam that seems to infect that nation, leading her to make colourful if misguided suggestions on protocol that seem to me more influenced by 2000 years of Christian doctirne and ritual than by any link to the true Gods and the largely un-recorded rituals of our ancestors.
Diana gives us a colourful narative that runs throughout the book concerning a ficticious group of Asatruen meeting somewhere in California. She tells us their names, tells us of their rituals, what they're wearing, the meals they are eating even the jobs they have and we learn something of their history, all of which is absolutely pointless and not at all instructional. I would guess that we all have febrile imaginations and can construct our own fantasies if we so wish.
She then gives us a brief history of the world and the march of Paganism which again is pretty pointless as I would further suggest that anyone interested in learning more about the true beliefs of our ancestors know something of its history already. She then moves onto the gods themselves and here Diana really lets her imagination run astray. Some of the Gods already have faces, their descriptions having come down to us through the generations via the many stories told and retold by skalds of the past and eventually documented by the likes of Snorri Sturluson. But those Gods who have remained faceless are finally given faces here by Diana. We also get to learn what clothes they wear and the colours of their cloaks. All good stuff - if you're a ten year old doing a school project on the true Gods.
Diana also gives us suggested songs and invocations that may appease the Gods, and may entice them to answer any requests we make of them. Thor for example; we are told that the following song might be worth singing: Thor bashes etins, Thor trashes Trolls!
When he swings his hammer, oh how the thunder rolls - With a crash and a clatter,
Our foes are scattered
From Midguard.
There is a song of equal quality for each of the Gods, and the invocations are equally inspiring. I admit to not having finnished the book and there is the possibility that it improves towards the end, but i doubt it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Nonsense
Paxson's book is one of those books which just about everybody trying to get "into" Asatru will come across at the beginning and to be frank it's an awful book: shallow, silly and... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Marcus G
dont even bother
DO NOT EVEN BOTHER! this book is not worth the paper its printed on. it is full of miss information and nonsence. Read more
Published 2 months ago by wulfgar
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