The Banshee by Patricia Lysaght

March 9, 2007 at 3:27 pm (Anthropology, Celtic spirituality and studies, Cryptozoology/Paranormal, Mythology, Paleopagan Cultures)

The Banshee: The Irish Death Messenger
Patricia Lysaght
Roberts Rinheardt, 1997
433 pages

It’s been a few months since I read this, but the information stands out in my mind more than most books do. I’d been talking about it recently, so i decided to go ahead and do my official review of it.

This is by far the most comprehensive, scholarly exploration of Irish banshee lore out there. Tired of fantasy fiction featuring male banshees, and confusion between banshees and other denizens of the Otherworld? This book sets the record straight.

The author draws a lot of her information from two sets of surveys about banshee lore; one is from the turn of the 20th century, and the other is from the 1970s. The surveys targeted regular, everyday people across Ireland in numerous counties, and Lysaght is careful to show the distribution of the respondents. Lysaght herself is concerned less with what mythology books have to say, and more what the common person in the country fo the banshee’s origin believed via oral tradition.

There’s also a lot of discussion as to what the banshee actually is (dead relative, faery woman, etc.) as well as her appearance. Her behavior is also scrutinized, as is the comb that is sometimes featured in anecdotes about her, and whether she is seen, heard or both. And there’s a good talk about the origins of the word bean-sidhe, “faery woman”, and the connotations thereof.

Lysaght has been absolutely meticulous in her research. Primary sources are a definite plus, and her bibliography is quite solid. Her writing style is excellent, too–rather than being bored by dry academic writing, I found myself drawn into her quest to find more information about this enigmatic member of mythology.

Five pawprints out of five.

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Zuni Fetishes – Hal Zina Bennett

February 21, 2007 at 9:38 pm (Animal Magic, Native American cultures, Paleopagan Cultures)

Zuni Fetishes: Using Native American Sacred Objects for Meditation, Reflection, and Insight
Hal Zina Bennett
HarperSanFrancisco, 1993
192 pages

This is a unique book. It combines history and lore about fetishes, tiny stone carved animals, with modern spiritual practices to create a modern paradigm.

Bennett is careful to remind us that what he is teaching is NOT necessarily Zuni tradition, but is inspired by it, and he cites some good sources. His interpretation is practical and spiritual all at once, and is quite accessible by modern pagans.

The author goes over the background of fetishes, emphasizes that they are not merely decorative, and explains the ways that he and others of non-Zuni background use the fetish spirits in evderyday life. He then has a dictionary of tradition-inspired lore about eat fetish, though he does suggest throughout the book consulting the individual fetishes themselves.

A lot of the material may be 101 to those of you who have done a lot of animal magic, particularly that dealing with fetishes and other ritual spirit houses. However, it’s a great book to start out with, and also worth a read even if you’ve some experience. Veyr thorough and well-written, and a unique take on animal totemism.

Five pawprints out of five.

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Buckskin and Buffalo – Colin F. Taylor

February 21, 2007 at 9:25 pm (Anthropology, Artwork, History, Native American cultures, Paleopagan Cultures)

Buckskin and Buffalo: The Artistry of the Plains Indians
Colin F. Taylor
Salamander Books
128 pages

This is an amazingly wonderful book! It features excellent color photos, both full-size and detail, of dozens of circa 19th century Plains Indian works of leather, including shirts, leggings, robes, and other practical artwork. Beadwork, quillwork adn paint adorn these works of buffalo deer, elk, antelope and bighorn sheep hides, and the author selected some astoundingly lovely pieces.

The text that accompanies each one goes into the source, the components, and the cultural significance of both the objects themselves and their adornment, as well as interesting bits of information about certain details, such as a particular type of bead or feather used, or the importance of the piece in its culture. The tribal origins of each entry are also discussed, including cases where the author disagreed with the museum or collection that held the piece, and details explaining why (ie, this detail resembles this tribe instead of that tribe).

Overall, it is a really nicely done work. However, one question is left unasked. We’ve seen the pretty artwork and have learned its immense importance. Now can we please return these to the people to whom they are so very important?

Five pawprints out of five.

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The Witches’ Sabbats – Mike Nichols

February 13, 2007 at 7:07 pm (History, Mythology, Paleopagan Cultures, Wicca and Witchcraft)

The Witches’ Sabbats
Mike Nichols
Acorn Guild Press, 2005
132 pages (not including preface, etc.)

It’s been a good long while since I’ve read anything specifically pertaining to witchcraft; most of my studies and practice in the past few years have been less about religion, and more about practical and metamorphic magic, as well as smatterings of shamanism. But I’d heard some good stuff about this book, and decided to snag a copy for myself.

If you need a really good resource on the history of the eight sabbats, this is your book! I’ve seen a number of books published in recent years on specific sabbats, but they always seme to be stuffed full of prefabricated rituals. This is a wonderfully streamlined book that will be an excellent addition to both beginning and experienced pagans’ libraries; beginners will get a good overview of the origins of the sabbats, while more experienced folk can breeze past the books of pre-written rituals and use the information in The Witches’ Sabbats as inspiration to create their own rituals from scratch.

I won’t fault the book for not having in-text citations because the earliest drafts were written nearly 40 years ago. However, the lengthy bibliography promises many wonderful book hunts, and is additionally a cornucopia of nonfluffy sources. Much of the material in the book originated from essays that may still be found online (including Mike’s own website). However, there is some unique material here. Additionally, for those of us raised on books rather than computers, and whose optical systems are thus conditioned for the visual setup of paper rather than a very long webpage, this is an ideal format. And it won’t run out of power, doesn’t need to be turned on, and is a heck of a lot easier to carry around.

Oh, and for those of you who are in the habit of skipping the foreword and preface? Don’t, especially not with this book–there are some really good pieces of information in them.

My only little bitty quibble is that it’s occasionally quite evident that the chapters were written individually. It’s mentioned a number of times that the Celts started their celebrations the sundown before the big day, something that probably only needs to be mentioned once at the beginning; and he occasionally also refers to something “in another esay” or somesuch.

Still, this is only a tiny complaint, and overall I think this is an awesome book. I can definitely see why the writings are considered classics in the realm of neopaganism, and this is a great way to not only have a convenient, easy-to-navigate, portable version of these writings, but to also give something back to the guy who did all that hard work and who often goes uncredited.

Five celebratory pawprints out of five.

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Primitive Mythology – Joseph Campbell

January 23, 2007 at 7:48 pm (Anthropology, Mythology, Paleopagan Cultures, Psychology)

The Masks of God, Volume 1: Primitive Mythology
Joseph Campbell
Penguin, 1991
528 pages

I’ve used Campbells’ works and derivatives thereof as source material before; however, this is the first time I’ve sat down and read it cover to cover, instead of a chapter here, a section there.

Campbell explores the possible origins of human religion within the evidence left behind by ancestors long dead, both physical and mythological. He studies the value of imagination and metaphor in spiritual experience, and makes a noble effort to reconstruct what may have been the religious beliefs of paleolithic peoples.

The thing I love about his work is that he weaves in anthropology and psychology with mythology to create a multilayered piece of writing that is nothing short of adventurous. Not only does he give thorough explanations for why he makes his theories, but his style evokes the settings for these myths, both the gods themselves and the humans who worshipped them.

Primitive Mythology is an absolute must-read for anyone wanting to get past Neopaganism 101. His history of the various rites that came out of hunter/gatherer and agrarian societies will pretty much put to death any of the “Wicca is as old as the cave paintings!” arguments, but also offer ample material for creating one’s own primitve belief system.

In short, Campbell was a master at what he did, and this book is proof positive of that. Read it, enjoy it, learn from it.

Five pawprints out of five.

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The Oak King, the Holly King and the Unicorn – John Williamson

January 3, 2007 at 5:33 pm (Animal Magic, Artwork, Mythology, Paleopagan Cultures)

The Oak King, the Holly King and the Unicorn: Myths and Symbolism of the Unicorn Tapestries
John Williamson
HarperCollins, 1987
260 pages

This book is a must-read for neopagans. Williamson details a large portion of medieval symbolism that, while superficially Christian, is at the core Greek, Roman, or Northern European in origin, shown through the multilayered iconography of the seven Unicorn tapestries.

He draws from sources thst are generally respected, if sometimes somewhat dated–Frazer, Campbell, Eliade, Graves–as well as lesser known scholars like Ananda Coomeraswamy. This is academic work, not neopagan, though the writing style is incredibly accessible.

Of particular note are the ways the author traces the nonmedicinal meanings of herbs and other plants and why those traits are applied to animals as well. There are some definite surprises–even the Unicorn represents a multitude, from Christ to other dying vegetation deities, from the Sun to the Moon. He weaves in the cycle of the Oak King and the Holly King, supported by the constant presence of those plants in the tapestries at key points. This is sure proof of that particular motif so beloved by many neopagans.

My only complaint is that he recycles quotes throughout the book, but this is an incredibly minor stylistic detail compared to the solidity of the text. This book is essential for those curious about the origins of herbal and animal properties from medieval times, as well as proof of the Oak King/Holly King symbolism as something older than the 20th century.

Five pawprints out of five.

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Medicine Cards – Sams and Carson

December 24, 2006 at 3:31 pm (Animal Magic, Books I Didn't Care Much For, Divination, Native American cultures, New Age, Paleopagan Cultures)

Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals
Jamie Sams and David Carson
St. Martin’s Press, 1999
240 pages plus cards

Note: This review primarily covers the book itself, since the book is necessary for deciphering the meaning of the cards as the authors created them.

Now I know why people warned me about this book.

This is one of the worst cases of cultural appropriation I’ve seen yet. From the overuse of “Medicine” and “Great Spirit” to the assertion that this is genuine Native American spirituality, the whole book is one big hyperromanticization of the “Noble Savage”. This is the idea that all Native Americans were and are still completely entwined with nature in everything they do, and everything is mystical and amazing and there’s of course NO problem whatsoever and everything is hunky-dorey (just ignore the problems on the reservations and in the U.S. legislature, folks!)

One of my biggest problems is that the authors keep referring to “Native American” this and that. However, they’re not specific about what tribe they’re talking about. On page 221, where the bios are, the authors have between them (or so they say) Cheyenne, Crow, Sioux, Seneca, Mayan, Aztec and Choctaw learning and/or influence. Well, that’s a pretty wide variety of individual cultures there, not to mention the subdivisions within each of those tribes! I don’t believe I saw one single instance in the entire book where they referred to a specific tribe. There is no such thing as “Native American” anything–each tribe is a separate culture, not one big homogenized mass.

Of course, not only is the book lacking in-text citations, there’s not even a bibliography. How are we supposed to know where they’re getting their information? Just saying that “I learned it from so-and-so” isn’t good enough.

Additionally, there’s no indication that any of the tribes whose beliefs the authors are supposedly writing about are actually benefitting from the book and deck. Plastic shamanism as its best.

Feel free to read on for some specific examples….

“Every person has nine power or totem animals” (18)

Of course, they don’t say where they got this piece of rather generalized information.

Page 23 has a bunch of questionable mythology about how Native women are all incredibly intuitive and only men have egos.

p. 27 has a *Druidic* card layout (or so they say). What is this doing in a book that’s supposedly on “Native American totemism”?

“Thoth, the Atlantian who later returned as Hermes” (61)

I think that speaks for itself.

“Long ago, in tribal law…” (69)

Which tribe?

“This operation [of always paying for magical servies] is known as the law of the Lynx people, and is practiced by Native American. Gypsy, Sufi, and Egyptian cultures, among others. (109-110)

I’d say where they’re getting their information, but it wouldn’t be polite.

“All of our petroglyphs speak of the Motherland, Mu, and the disaster that brought the red race to North America…” (201)

Again, going to let this speak for itself.

I think you get the picture.

I do have to say that within the individual entries on different animals there are some motes of really good information. However, they’re buried in so much questionable material that I had to stop myself from throwing this book across the room a number of times. If you can swallow pseudo-Native garbage, go for it. Otherwise, avoid.

One plastic-coated pawprint out of five.

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A Circle of Stones – Erynn Rowan Laurie

December 24, 2006 at 3:09 pm (Celtic spirituality and studies, Paleopagan Cultures)

A Circle of Stones: Journeys and Meditations for Modern Celts
Erynn Rowan Laurie
Eschaton, 1995
112 pages

I read this book in a day–but it was anything but a shallow read!

This is excellent Celtic spirituality from a Celtic reconstructionist. If you’re tried of fluffy texts on “Celtic Wicca”, this is the book you need.

Erynn explains how to create and use a devotional circle of beads tied closely to Celtic cosmology, derived from her research on original myth and lore. She devotes a couple of pages to each step of the journey, explaining their origins and how to connect with them in everyday life.

The rest of the book discusses her thoughts and suggestions on honoring the Celtic deities and spirits. It’s quite thorough, and rather than spoonfeeding you, she instead gives you the tools to create your own sacred space.

Erynn’s scholarship is solid, and she is careful to explain that this is the best approximation of Celtic religion that she, in this day and age and with the resources available, could create, instead of taking a bunch of filler and presenting it as the real thing. In addition, she also mentions when certain facets come from a specific group of Celts, such as those on the European continent rather than Ireland. And she does her own translations from Gaelic to English, which I find pretty impressive.

This book is a fine example of a solid scholarly foundation put to practical and spiritual use, even more than a decade after its initial publication. I can hardly wait for Erynn’s book on ogam, due out in 2007!

Five pawprints out of five.

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Ancient Rites and Ceremonies – Grace A. Murray

December 22, 2006 at 2:54 pm (Anthropology, Books I Didn't Care Much For, Paleopagan Cultures)

Ancient Rites and Ceremonies
Grace A. Murray
Senate, 1996
256 pages

I dearly hope that no one ever actually uses this book as a serious source of anything but examples of Anglo-centric anthropology. I originally picked it up in the hopes that it would be a treatise on religious rites of various cultures. Instead, what I got was a book full of horribly condescending discussion of a number of cultures’ practices, few of them religious in nature. There’s a definite tabloid feel to the whole thing, given that the author focused largely on such scandalous topics as cannibalism and foreign sexual practices.

This book was written in 1929, and it’s a perfect example of WASPish prejudice presented as scholarship. Everyone from South Africans to Scandinavians are thoroughly stereotyped and judged against the standards of the writer (who I assume was British). I did get occasional glimpses at her attempts to make the place of women a little more proud, explaining that in certain socieities where women did most of the work, they were exceptionally important.

After the first few pages I read this primarily for the entertainment value. Thankfully, while we’re far from ridding academia of prejudice, things aren’t nearly so blatant as this, and much better sources are available. There is some good information here and there, but it’s so wrapped up in crap and Western bias that as a whole it’s not worth buying it unless you find it at a seriously reduced price.

One and a half pawprints out of five.

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Art and Society in Roman Britain – Jennifer Laing

December 21, 2006 at 10:35 pm (Anthropology, Artwork, Paleopagan Cultures)

Art and Society in Roman Britain
Jennifer Laing
Alan Sutton Publishing, 1998
188 pages

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The author took what could have been really dry material and made it absolutely captivating!

She describes how the Roman occupation of Britain affected the artwork of the region, from the height of the Roman Empire to its decline. Not much is discussed of pre-Roman art except how its influences survived the Romans, but the blending is still there.

Laing shows how the Roman and Celtic styles were uniquely combined according to area and type of artwork. Some, such as mosaics and murals, are almost purely Roman, while items like brooches and other metalwork retain a strong Celtic undertone. Once the Roman grip loosened somewhat, we get to read about how the recession of the Romans and the combination of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon tribal styles affect the local artwork. It also shows how some of what is often stereotyped as purely Celtic is, in actuality, hybridized.

The text is wonderfully easy to read, yet very evocative of the items that are being described. The text is beautifully illustrated with photos and drawings.

This would be an excellent choice for anyone interested in how art reflects societal changes, or Roman or Celtic art and culture.

Five pawprints out of five.

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