Paganism @lemmy.ml illi @lemm.ee 5mo ago

Any good recommendations for books (or other sources) on pagan traditions and beliefs?

I'd br interested in what you'd consider a good book (or other sources) on various pagan beliefs and traditions that you would recommend.

I'm personally interested in European pagan traditions - be it Norse, Celtic, Germanic, Slavic (bonus points for Slavic!) - but would love to leave the topic open to others as well, just to make it interesting for people with different intrests.

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Tellstones: Runic Divination in the Welsh Tradition by Adam Byrn Tritt One of the only books on the subject and widely regarded as the best.
- Welsh runes?
  
  Yep, similar but very different to Nordic runestones.
That's too broad so I'll pretend you asked "What are some sources to learn about authentic Slavic paganism?"

As with all things paganism, beware of claptrap; there's always someone talking shite with no citations. Watch for American or English people with no qualifications in history, linguistics, or archæology, and no peer-reviewed publications who overuse the words "spiritual" and "nature".

Everything always comes from primary sources, though primary sources are usually inaccessible to most people. In the Slavic case, there's quite a bit of archæological evidence (idols like the Zbruch Idol), and texts like the Russian Primary Chronicle and the letopis genre, and oral folk evidence.

The evidence from historical linguistics (e.g. gods' names preserved in modern words) was best analysed by Roman Jakobson in Volume VII of his collected works.

Chapter VIII of Marija Gimbutas's The Slavs is about religion and is 20 pages long – worth a read regardless of what you think about Marija Gimbutas.

Linda J. Ivanits' 1989 book Russian Folk Belief (on annas-archive dot org as an epub) is a grand little general work, covering the bases: Slavic creation myths, witchcraft, all based on interviews/oral tradition.

Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Slavic-religion

The Mythology of all Races is one of the go-to sources I listed here and has a section on Slavic Mythology: https://archive.org/details/mythologyofall03gray

Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives (on annas-archive dot org): Chapter Six, The Revival of Ukrainian Native Faith, is about 30 pages and covers neopaganism

Studia Mythologica Slavica seems to be the main journal on the subject, correct me if I'm wrong. Articles in English and Slovenian: https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/sms – You can search the journal, e.g. a search for the god Triglav

There's a bunch more if you can speak Polish or Russian.
- That's too broad so I'll pretend you asked "What are some sources to learn about authentic Slavic paganism?"
  
  You found me out. That was the question that promted me, but I made it a bit broader as the other traditions would interest me as well, though I'm of Slavic descent so this is something I have greater interest in.
  
  I also figured Slavic stuff is niche within a niche, so rather than ending up with a thread with no answers, might as well ask more broadly for others to find something nice for them amd me possibly broadening my horizons,
  
  Anyway, thanks for the tips!

13 comments