Heathen, Hindoo, Hindu


Book Description

Heathen, Hindoo, Hindu is a groundbreaking analysis of American representations of religion in India before the turn of the twentieth century. Before Americans wrote about "Hinduism," they wrote about "heathenism," "the religion of the Hindoos," and "Brahmanism." Americans used the heathen, Hindoo, and Hindu as an other against which they represented themselves. The questions of American identity, classification, representation and the definition of "religion" that animated descriptions of heathens, Hindoos, and Hindus in the past still animate American debates today.




The Heathen School


Book Description

Longlisted for the 2014 National Book Award The astonishing story of a unique missionary project—and the America it embodied—from award-winning historian John Demos. Near the start of the nineteenth century, as the newly established United States looked outward toward the wider world, a group of eminent Protestant ministers formed a grand scheme for gathering the rest of mankind into the redemptive fold of Christianity and “civilization.” Its core element was a special school for “heathen youth” drawn from all parts of the earth, including the Pacific Islands, China, India, and, increasingly, the native nations of North America. If all went well, graduates would return to join similar projects in their respective homelands. For some years, the school prospered, indeed became quite famous. However, when two Cherokee students courted and married local women, public resolve—and fundamental ideals—were put to a severe test. The Heathen School follows the progress, and the demise, of this first true melting pot through the lives of individual students: among them, Henry Obookiah, a young Hawaiian who ran away from home and worked as a seaman in the China Trade before ending up in New England; John Ridge, son of a powerful Cherokee chief and subsequently a leader in the process of Indian “removal”; and Elias Boudinot, editor of the first newspaper published by and for Native Americans. From its birth as a beacon of hope for universal “salvation,” the heathen school descends into bitter controversy, as American racial attitudes harden and intensify. Instead of encouraging reconciliation, the school exposes the limits of tolerance and sets off a chain of events that will culminate tragically in the Trail of Tears. In The Heathen School, John Demos marshals his deep empathy and feel for the textures of history to tell a moving story of families and communities—and to probe the very roots of American identity.




Heathenry & The Sea


Book Description

Since the revival of Heathenry in the second half of the 20th century, much has been written about how the spiritual beliefs held by the people of Northern Europe in the early medieval period can be applied to our lives today. You will find books that explain the practicalities of modern Heathen ritual practices and how they compare to those conducted by our ancestors, books on the many deities and spirits and how they are still relevant today, and still more on how texts like the Hávamál can be applied to modern-day life. One area that has not been explored in as much detail up to this point is the relationship between Heathenry and the sea. This seems to be a glaring omission given how important the sea was to our Heathen ancestors. For many of our Scandinavian ancestors seafaring was a way of life. The sea was also important to others such as the Angles, Saxons and Jutes who took to the waves for a new life in the British Isles, and the Frisians who had an intimate relationship with the sea thrust upon them thanks to the low-lying lands they inhabited. This book explores many aspects of our relationship with water as humans and as Heathens. Drawing on sources from a wide range of disciplines, Heathenry & The Sea examines how water featured in the spiritual world view of our ancestors from the earliest humans, through the Heathen period and in to the Christianisation of Europe, whilst also bringing the discussion right up to date with the experiences of modern Heathens, as well as some of the scientific explanations for these intrinsic connections with water.




Heathen Soul Lore


Book Description

This is Book II of the Heathen Soul Lore series, which follows after Book I, entitled "Heathen Soul Lore Foundations: Ancient and Modern Germanic Pagan Concepts of the Souls." To understand and work with the book you now hold, you will need to be familiar with the material in Book I, or else refer to the relevant articles on my website, HeathenSoulLore.net. In "Heathen Soul Lore: A Personal Approach," we move from the conceptual and theoretical levels of soul lore discussed in Book I, to comprehensive personal and practical levels of Heathen spiritual understanding. Here are explanations of the souls, based on research presented in Book I, but tailored to modern Heathen life. Guidelines and exercises are provided to promote deep, personal exploration of each of the souls, and lead to an understanding of the roles each soul plays in our daily life, our character, actions, choices and decisions. Each chapter about the individual souls is accompanied by a bind-rune to promote meditation on the nature of that soul, for those who have knowledge of rune-lore. When we become Heathen, we gradually become aware of a whole different world-view, one that includes views of what our souls are, and how they interact with all other beings and other Worlds of the cosmos. Who are each of your souls? They are complex beings, and getting to know each of them is like getting to know another person, but a person who is yourself, expanded in directions you may not have known were there. This book offers ways to explore and grow your souls in a Heathen context, and to integrate your conscious connections with them into your daily life. Reviewing Book I of this series: "There's a wonderful shaping and hope-bringing quality to the work here that I think will play a key role in helping to move Heathenry towards something deep and infinitely satisfying. It's really hard to overstate the impact this book could have." --Cat Heath, author of "Elves, Witches & Gods: Spinning Old Heathen Magic in the Modern Day."




The Holy Wild


Book Description

Ode to Our Wild Feminine Souls This provocative book invites you to create your own spiritual path based on often-suppressed ancient principles and contemporary practices. Using the elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) rather than traditional patriarchal hierarchies, this 'holy book' is designed to connect each individual to their universal — but often denied — powers. Wild woman Danielle Dulsky takes you deep as she explores and embraces sacred feminine archetypes such as the Mother Goddess, the Crone, and the Maiden. Join her as she guides you to envision and explore a world that enriches and supports your spirit, body, and mind as well as our global community and the Earth.




Why Does the Heathen Rage?


Book Description

It is twenty-four years since the First Crusaders conquered Jerusalem. Robert of Bures is a young knight whose father rose to power and prosperity in the new Crusader kingdom, and whose uncle died in battle with the Saracens. Nothing matters more to him than defending the Holy Sepulcher, the tomb of Jesus Christ, more sacred than any shrine in Christendom. Robert has been a trusted retainer to Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem, a veteran of the First Crusade who now rules the beleaguered Christian outpost in the Holy Land, but his friendship with the King's daughter, the beautiful and headstrong Princess Melisende, is growing unfittingly close. In Aleppo, the Turkish warlord Balak has raised a vast Saracen army and promises to drive the Christians into the sea. King Baldwin II is short of men and funds, yet his faith in God in unshakable, and he inspires passionate loyalty in his troops. His daughter Melisende feels the weight of the future pressing down upon her, for her father has no son, and she is heir to a Kingdom that her people believe would be better inherited by a warrior prince. Why Does the Heathen Rage? explores a magnificent but rarely examined chapter in Crusades history. The Kingdom of Jerusalem is young, and beset from all sides with enemies. In the face of unending trials, King Baldwin II and his knights fight with zeal, ready to die for the city that Christ made sacred with his blood: Jerusalem.




A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru


Book Description

Asatru Then and Now From its pre-Christian beginnings to its contemporary practitioners, Heathenry has long fascinated people from every corner of the world. Written from the unique perspective of a Heathen gythja, or Godwoman, A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru shows how to bring the beliefs and traditions of this ancient faith into your life today. In this complete guide to Asatru, you will discover: The mythology, folklore, and historical sagas of Northern European Heathens How to conduct rituals for birth, naming, entry into adulthood, weddings, divorces, funerals, and holy days Practical techniques for meditation, trance-work, prayer, and working with runes and charms Heathen perspectives on the nature of time, creation, worship, ethics, oaths, and hospitality An in-depth glossary, index, pronunciation guide, and bibliography for further study




A Heathen's Guide Experiences & Advice On Magic & Spiritworking


Book Description

A Heathen's Guide is a work that took five to seven years to make. It is the compendium of experiences that I've had with the Norse gods and spirit work. This book is designed to act as a guide to magic & spirit work, so that it may provide insight to practitioners, new or old, with how to worship and connect to the old gods. It contains instructions of such work and precautions you should take, along with my own opinions of the Heathen community at large and devotionals to the gods I honour.




The Heathen Anthology


Book Description

THE HEATHEN ANTHOLOGY is the first collection of popular heathen and pagan lyrics by the greatest poets in the English language. Expressing the entire range of heathen emotions, passions and beliefs, these literary pioneers envisaged a glorious future for those of us who have survived what has been called the Period of Dual Faith. Many of these writers thought of themselves as Christians, but still wrote sincere heathen verse when the spirituality of their ancestors called to them. Others were proudly pagan all along. The legacy of these timeless intellects is embodied in this collection of the very best of English heathen poetry.




The Last Heathen


Book Description

In 1892, the Bishop of Tasmania set sail for Melanesia with the intent of rescuing islanders from lives of fear, black magic and cannibalism. Over 100 years later, his great grandson, Charles Montgomery, followed the bishop’s route through the South Pacific, seeking out the spirits and myths his missionary forebear had sought to destroy. Montgomery explored remote shores where gospel and empire never took hold. He rubbed shoulders with barefoot preachers, witch doctors and gun-toting rebels, only to discover that the pagan spirits were more tenacious than the missionaries had imagined. Melanesians had stirred Jesus and Mary into an already spicy broth of ancestor worship, ghosts, shark gods and magic. Through confrontations with a bizarre cast of characters—the randy ethnographer, the soft-talking assassin, the leper prophet—the journey becomes a debate on the nature of magic, myth and faith, and a metaphor for the transforming power of story. The Last Heathen marks the debut of an exciting young writer who charts his adventures with passion, insight and grace.