Celtic and Scandinavian Religions - Softcover

J.A. MacCulloch

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0897334345 ISBN 13: 9780897334341

Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers, 1998

Synopsis

In this unique study, the author compares Celtic mythology and religion with the beliefs of early Scandinavian society. This book is intended both for the general reader and for the student. The general reader will find in it enough to satisfy his intellectual curiosity regarding what and how the Celtic people thought and worshipped, including those who lived in Britain before and after the Roman conquest. It is also intended to give the general reader some account of the religious beliefs and practices of the Scandinavians, many of whom, as Vikings or Northmen, raided our shores and held sway in parts of Britain for several centuries.

About this title

Product Description:

A study of the disparate religions and mythologies which have dominated Celtic and Scandinavian regions.

From the Publisher:

Synopsis
In this unique study, the author compares Celtic mythology and religion with the beliefs of early Scandinavian society.

Vikings and Norsemen who raided British shores ruled parts of Britain for centuries. The religion of the Scandinavians was the same as the religious beliefs and practices of their fellow Teutonic and Germanic tribes, and their chief deities and religious rituals were like those of Teutonic people anywhere.

Characteristically, their gods were not invisible nor theoretical, but rather were based on phenomena which they could see or which seemed to positively affect their lives in one way or another: for example, the sun and moon and fire. And they had no interest in sacrifices nor did they have Druids to regulate worship or religious rituals.

Scandinavian sources are fairly abundant—the poetry and prose of the Eddas, literature which is evoked by Wagnerian opera. In addition, readers will find that the sections of this volume that deal with Scandinavian religion also serve as an introduction to Old Norse texts.

As he does in all his mythological studies, MacCulloch describes the complexities of disparate religions with the utmost clarity.

About this edition

• Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0897334345
• ISBN 13: 9780897334341
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 180