Customer Reviews

Echoes from Medieval Halls: Past-Life Memories from the Middle Ages (Did you live then?)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The only reason I gave this great book 4 stars is because its plot takes place in the Medieval Era. For those who do not feel they lived during that time...this book would not be as interesting or intriguing. However if you feel a strong resonance, whether its a positive or negative, to this time Era then buy this book and you will be taken back to that time through the stories of those who actually did live. You will hear how their horrible death, how they found love, how they lost love. Wonderful book!

I've long thought that my medieval tendancies have related to past lives. This book chronicles a study group of medieval reenactors, SCAdians, and Farie folk who are regressed to past lives which occured during the middle ages and then the data is compared with historical fact.

There were a couple of people's stories that I really enjoyed, especially that of Helen. I found these peeks to be entertaining and an interesting glimpse into the lives of ordinary people during the middle ages. Though in the end the author shares many interesting statistics from the study I didn't find there to be any overall conclusion.

Barbara Hall studied a group of Medieval reenactors helping them to explore past lives that may be influencing their current hobby. Many of the past lives are fascinating - some predictably are short and/or boring. Overall this is a very good book that helps us understand what drives historical reenactors and gives us a birds eye view of the hardships of living in the Middle Ages.

As someone who had the thought pop spontaneously into my mind while watching the graphic and brutal medieval warfare of Mel Gibson's movie Braveheart, "Oh no, not again!" I was keenly interested in reading this book. Dr. Lane regressed a number of Renaissance and Medieval Faire hobbyists and found that their current interests correspond to past-life experiences. There is a quality of reality in the descriptions these people make of their recalled centuries-old environments. Everything is there: the dirt and squalor; the clothing and fabric; the relationships between classes; the effects of poor hygiene and little or no medicine. These descriptions really bring one into the past. What I appreciate most about Dr. Lane's writing is her approach of healing the past, so that one may step freely into the future. Five stars.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]