Bogowie: A Study of Eastern Europe's Ancient Gods

Bogowie: A Study of Eastern Europe's Ancient Gods
Author: T.D. Kokoszka
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Total Pages: 444
Release: 2023-08-25
Genre: History
ISBN: 1803412860

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T.D. Kokoszka grew up in Texas with a Jewish mother and a Polish-American father. While he was aware of roots going back to Eastern Europe from both families, he found it hard to learn very much about them. He knew that Polish people would whack one another with palm leaves around Easter, and he knew that his great-grandmother purportedly believed in forest spirits known as borowy. However, it wasn't until he was in his teens that he became vaguely aware of an ancient people known as the Slavs who gave rise to the Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Slovakian, Slovene, and Czech languages. It quickly became clear to him that this was a family of cultures currently under-represented in popular culture, and even in western scholarship. Not simply a regurgitation of scholarship from the Soviet period - and presenting new analyses by using previously neglected resources - Bogowie: A Study of Eastern Europe's Ancient Gods offers one of the most painstaking scholarly reconstructions of Slavic paganism. These new resources include not only an overview of folklore from many different Slavic countries but also comparisons with Ossetian culture and Mordvin culture, as well as a series of Slavic folktales that Kokoszka analyzes in depth, often making the case that the narratives involved are mythological and shockingly ancient. Readers will recognize many European folktale types and possibly learn to look at these folktales differently after reading this book.

A Study of Household Spirits of Eastern Europe

A Study of Household Spirits of Eastern Europe
Author: Ronesa Aveela
Publisher: Bendideia Publishing
Total Pages: 358
Release: 2018-12-07
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1949397629

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Do you love all things paranormal? What you know about the spirit world is about to change as you discover these nine unusual household spirits. Author Ronesa Aveela grew up in Bulgaria, spellbound by her grandmother’s tales of spirits and other creatures that haunted the countryside. Some scary. Some friendly. All fascinating. She shares those and others in this series of studies about Eastern European mythology and folklore—a rich, colorful blend of Christian and pagan tales, customs, and rituals. Many have lost their original significance, but others are still practiced—especially in remote, rural locations. Household Spirits, the first book in the series, takes you on a journey of discovery of spirits closest to home. You’ll learn historical facts, discover intriguing and horrifying stories, and enjoy beautiful illustrations to gain a complete experience of these elusive house spirits. Here are a few tidbits about what you can expect to find within the book’s pages: Builders often measure passersby with string or “capture” their shadow in the mortar of a wall to make structures strong. Forgetting to wash your dishes at night and leaving your house messy anger a Kikimora, and she’ll get her revenge. Have you heard of the Bannik? Taking a steam bath will never be the same again after you learn about his habits. Household Spirits is an enlightening nonfiction cultural study in the Spirits and Creatures series. If you like impeccable research, chilling stories, and clever humor, then you’ll love Ronesa Aveela’s educational folklore series. Explore the pages of Household Spirits today to discover a world of wonders.

The Gods of the Ancient Slavs

The Gods of the Ancient Slavs
Author: Myroslava T. Znayenko
Publisher: Slavica Publishers
Total Pages: 320
Release: 1980
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

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A Study of Rusalki - Slavic Mermaids of Eastern Europe

A Study of Rusalki - Slavic Mermaids of Eastern Europe
Author: Ronesa Aveela
Publisher: Bendideia Publishing
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2020-02-17
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 194939798X

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Seductive. Beautiful. Dangerous! Or are they innocent and looking for love? Discover the allure of Slavic mermaids - Rusalki. If Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had grown up in Eastern Europe, his soul would have longed for the secrets of the rivers, lakes, and marshes, rather than the sea. And the pale, beautiful maidens residing there would have been the ones who sent “a thrilling pulse” through him, instead of the heart of the great ocean. And who are these lovely maidens? … Rusalki, a Slavic version of mermaids. If only the modern-day Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” had been born one of them. She would already have had legs, and not a fish tail, and wouldn’t have had to give up her voice! Well, maybe. It’s more than legs that makes the Rusalki different from what you know about mermaids. · Discover their origins. · Learn how to protect yourself from their enchantments. · Read about terrifying encounters. Through folklore, literature, music, videos, and illustrations, you’ll uncover the secrets of these spirits who have haunted Eastern Europe for centuries. The “Spirits and Creatures” series has been called “brilliant,” “fascinating,” “well researched,” “humorous,” “intriguing,” “engaging,” “lyrically written,” “beautifully organized,” and “informative.” It’s the perfect book for those who want to learn about Eastern European folklore, but don’t want to read a dry, academic book.

The Last Goddess

The Last Goddess
Author: Kateřina Tučková
Publisher: AmazonCrossing
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2022-05
Genre:
ISBN: 9781542036382

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Dora grows up hearing stories of the "goddesses" who were said to prophesize, conjure love and curses and, through divine connection, cure the damages of the spirit and the body. Now an academic, Dora is researching the goddess tales, but preserving ancient knowledge and untold truths yields a stunning discovery. One that reaches back to the witch trials of the seventeenth century through Nazi Germany and to the mysteries of her own family's past. Embarking on an emotional journey, Dora is about to find out how deeply and fatefully she is entwined with secret tradition.

The Slavic Religion in the Light of 11th- and 12th-Century German Chronicles (Thietmar of Merseburg, Adam of Bremen, Helmold of Bosau)

The Slavic Religion in the Light of 11th- and 12th-Century German Chronicles (Thietmar of Merseburg, Adam of Bremen, Helmold of Bosau)
Author: Stanisław Rosik
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 451
Release: 2020-03-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004331484

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In this volume, Stanisław Rosik focuses on the meaning and significance of Old Slavic religion as presented in three German chronicles (those of Thietmar, Adam of Bremen, Helmold) from the 11th and 12th century.

Men Like Gods

Men Like Gods
Author: Herbert George Wells
Publisher:
Total Pages: 344
Release: 1923
Genre:
ISBN:

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Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe

Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe
Author: Kaarina Aitamurto
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2014-10-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1317544625

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The resurgence of religiosity in post-communist Europe has been widely noted, but the full spectrum of religious practice in the diverse countries of Central and Eastern Europe has been effectively hidden behind the region's range of languages and cultures. This volume presents an overview of one of the most notable developments in the region, the rise of Pagan and "Native Faith" movements. Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe brings together scholars from across the region to present both systematic country overviews - of Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, and Ukraine - as well as essays exploring specific themes such as racism and the internet. The volume will be of interest to scholars of new religious movements especially those looking for a more comprehensive picture of contemporary paganism beyond the English-speaking world.

Studies Into the Balts' Sacred Places

Studies Into the Balts' Sacred Places
Author: Vykintas Vaitkevičius
Publisher: British Archaeological Reports Oxford Limited
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2004
Genre: History
ISBN:

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Up to now, the ancient Balts' sacred places have typically been described according to the few known written sources, referencing mostly the same few examples of investigated monuments. A non-systematic approach is the main problem that has prevented us from using this valuable base of sources for the investigation of the Balts' religion and mythology. The aim of this work is therefore to examine various scientific information, to classify the Balts' sacred places in Lithuania according to type, to point out the main types and groups of sacred places, and moreover, to analyse their religious and historic contexts. The Balts' sacred places are examined systemically: typologically, according to complex archaeological, historic, ethnologic, linguistic, folkloristic scientific methods and the cartographic analysis of monuments. The results of these examinations are then compared to other data about the Balts and their neighbours the Slavs, Germans and Finno-Ugrians.

Cosmopolitanism, Nationalism, and Modern Paganism

Cosmopolitanism, Nationalism, and Modern Paganism
Author: Kathryn Rountree
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 283
Release: 2016-12-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1137562005

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This volume explores how Pagans negotiate local and global tensions as they craft their identities, both as members of local communities and as cosmopolitan “citizens of the world.” Based on cutting edge international case studies from Pagan communities in the United States, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Malta, it considers how modern Pagans negotiate tensions between the particular and universal, nationalism and cosmopolitanism, ethnicity, and world citizenship. The burgeoning of modern Paganisms in recent decades has proceeded alongside growing globalization and human mobility, ubiquitous Internet use, a mounting environmental crisis, the re-valuing of indigenous religions, and new political configurations. Cosmopolitanism and nationalism have both influenced the weaving of unique local Paganisms in diverse contexts. Pagans articulate a strong attachment to local or indigenous traditions and landscapes, constructing paths that reflect local socio-cultural, political, and historical realities. However, they draw on the Internet and the global circulation of people and universal ideas. This collection considers how they confound these binaries in fascinating, complex ways as members of local communities and global networks.