Customer Reviews

Exploring the Northern Tradition: A Guide to the Gods, Lore, Rites, and Celebrations from the Norse, German, and Anglo-Saxon Traditions

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

There was a time when all of Northern Europe followed a common faith. The people shared a belief in the same Gods, common ethics and common values. A small portion of these beliefs and values have been passed down to us in the Eddas, Sagas and other history. In modern times there are those who still follow the old ways. All modern Heathens (those who follow the Northern Tradition) share a common theology, a common set of core values and a common documented history going back 1000+ years.

In Exploring The Northern Tradition, Galina Krasskova has captured the essence of this theology, values and history in a book that is both highly informative and at the same time enjoyable to just sit and read.

After a brief look at the history of the Northern Tradition, Galina Krasskova introduces us to what might be considered the three major branches of modern Heathenry: the Tribalist, the Universalist, and the Folkish Heathen. We are then introduced to the Theodish Belief ~ a form of Tribal Heathenry, bound together by a "web-of-oaths". Here we see tribal bonds formed between men of varying social status by means of sacred oaths. It is also pointed out that while all Theods are Tribalists, not all Tribalists hold fast to the Theodish Belief.

Galina Krasskova next introduces us to the Cosmology of the Northern Tradition. From Ginungagap to Yggdrasil; and each of the nine worlds, from Midgard to Asgard, to Helheim. We learn the structure of the Universe as it is understood by those who follow the Northern Tradition.

As we continue Exploring The Northern Tradition, Galina Krasskova introduces us to the Gods and Goddesses of our ancestors, of our blood and of the Northern People. But here we have much more than a list of the Gods. For each of the Gods and Goddesses we are offered an invocation as well as their history and stories of their deeds. Consisting of about one-third of the book, this section gives the reader the opportunity to know the Gods and Goddesses that still call to us, even today.

After meeting the Gods of our ancestors we are introduced to concepts unique to the Northern Tradition. Galina Krasskova explains the concept of Wyrd and the Soul Matrix. Heathern ethics and values are explained, giving us an introduction to the Nine Noble Virtues and the 12 AEtheling Thews.

Finally, Exploring The Northern Tradition closes with chapters on the Blot, Symbel, and Personal Devotions.

I found Exploring The Northern Tradition to be well-written, properly researched, informative and enjoyable to read. If you have never experienced the Northern Tradition, here is a guide to let you begin your exploration. If you set sail toward the Northern Star many years ago, Exploring The Northern Tradition will be a reminder of old friends, of the call of the Gods and of the honor and virtues of the people of the Northern Lands.

Highly Recommended !

While I am glad I purchased this book, I think I need to add a note of caution to all the glowing reviews above this one. Gallina has written a very thorough book, with solid descriptions of the different branches of heathenry, but when it comes to describing the Gods and Goddesses I find her a bit fluffy. She is very good at mentioning the lesser known dieties, but this is where the caution comes in: Where we lack lore, she has inserted her own personal experiences, which to me makes this less of an authentic piece of research and more of an unverified personal gnosis.

I wouldn't recommend this as a first book on heathenry, because without a little bit of previous experience it would be difficult to work out the fact from the guesswork. However for somebody who wants a well rounded idea of what's out there, and/or who is able to weed out the good bits, it is a very valuable addition to a home library.

Exploring the Northern Tradition, Galina Krasskova

This is a fairly good introduction to, as the title states, the northern tradition. It gives a basic breakdown of several modern Norse schools of thought ranging from Folkish Tribalism to Universalism, (a.k.a. WICCATRU). While several reviewers criticized the lack of documentation of this book, I found the footnotes to be more than adequate for this "general overview" type of work. I did think that the glossary should have been a little more in-depth. After all this is an introductory book and the target audience generally has little or no idea what your talking about. The bibliography and suggested reading sections were quite good for the beginner. I did like the way the book was presented. Too many Heathen/Asatru/Lore/Saga's etc works fall into one of two formats, the ridiculously cartoonish formats, ("The Rites of Odin" comes to mind) or the massive scholarly & overwhelming tome's of the ancients, (My hardcover copy of "The Kalevala" or "Sagas of the Icelanders" fall into the massive tome category). EtNT's format was non-intimidating, functional and respectful.
Many readers with experience in Heathenry will immediately note a slight to heavy, (depending on your view), WICCAN flavor to the work. This I attribute to the authors former association with that group. While I do not agree with some of the authors "insights" into Heathenism I will agree to disagree. All & all a good starting point and easy read for the beginner.


In Frith,
Spence

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc"
M. Addams

This is one of the best heathen books that I have ever read. It provides a good overview of standard heathen practices and lore but also offers what most books on heathenry don't: meditations, suggestions for devotion rituals, and other things drawn from personal experience. I like that. It helps me discover ways of deepening my own practice.

I have to really disagree with what some of the other reviewers have written. There is nothing Wicca-ish or new age about this book. It does go beyond the usual boring, repetitive parameters of the typical asatru book but I think that's a good thing. Ms Kasskova did start out in a pagan organization but notes in the footnotes that it wasn't a Wiccan organization. I don't think that can be held against her though. Most heathens I know started out christian!

I was really surprised and pleased to find so many Goddesses discussed too (She also discusses many, many Gods), especially Eir. It's very hard to find anything on some of these Goddesses. Very little exists in the lore and no one is ever willing to talk about their experiences. This author makes it very clear where she is talking about standard things and lore and where she is drawing from her personal experience. She also doesn't shy away from talking about controversial topics like animal sacrifice. And I for one found the discussion of the different denominations in heathenry very helpful. Ms Krasskova gives a lot of information that the new comer to heathen religion needs to know. And since the book is called "introduction to rites...etc." it's obviously a beginner's book. I don't think it can be faulted for that, as one reviewer below does.

I give this book five stars. i can't think of a better book to give to someone interested in heathen religion. I wish i had this book when i started out. It would have made things a lot easier. I plan on giving it to all my heathen friends.

This is the book I wish had been available when I was first starting out in Heathenry; it's one of the few resources in print that presents Heathenry as a living faith, with all the essential details a newcomer needs to begin practicing it and interacting successfully with other Heathens.

For too long now, the usual process of absorption into the religion for those of us who get roped in by the Gods has been clumsy, awkward and embarassing. Full of enthusiasm and unable to get decent books on what it means to be Heathen, newbies have tended to jump online and join mailing lists, where they're subjected to an often merciless introductory "hazing" process until they either toughen up and learn to find their own way, or give up and run for the hills. This book hijacks that process by explaining not only the religion itself but the common attitudes and prejudices of its followers in a clear, readable fashion that anyone new to the faith can use as a reliable road map. The reader is introduced to Heathen cosmology and given a tour of the nine worlds as well as the even more confusing varieties of Heathenry, with details about both their roots in the past and current practice. Concepts such as wryd, the Heathen soul matrix, and ethics and values are made easy to grasp. There is a very nice introduction to the holy tides, as well as a thorough explanation of blot and sumbel (the two main Heathen ritual formats) that clarifies the difference between them and gives a blueprint to follow for creating your own.

The highlights of this book for me, however, are the long section introducing the Gods and Goddesses in a vibrant, involving way(and even providing meditations for getting to know many of Them better) and the chapter on personal devotions, an area often neglected in many people's practice of Heathenry. These two chapters alone make this book a must-read for the experienced Heathen as well as the newbie.

It was such a breath of fresh-air to see such a well researched, well-explained, logicallly laid out and conveyed for a general, overall introduction to the massive and somewhat confusing religion known as Heathenry, Asatru, and a few other names/denominational variants as well (Folkish, Theodish, Universalist, etc.). I wish that when I converted to the religion over a decade ago there was such a good primer out then, for had there been I would have been spared numerous headaches.

Before this book, the common advice to potential new adherents of this religion, or to academic researchers was "read the lore, read the histories, then come back and ask us [practioners today] questions." It's like being told to go learn Spanish, by reading Don Quixote in the original even though you've never studied the Spanish language before. This book provides a phenomenal framework from which you'll be able to understand the basic cosmology, basic rites, basic values, and other key concepts such as wyrd that form and shape this vibrant religion.
More importantly, Krasskova makes it clear that there's several Heathen variants or denominations that exist. A fact usually overlooked in other books that deal with this religion. Having been a participant observer, and interviewer of mmany different groups, I can say that she also accurately describes and depicts them.

Without any hesitation I assign this book to new kindred members, or to the students in my classes. The text is invaluable, and I cannot stress enough, highly accessible to both newcomers and those who have been around in this religion for a while.

For anyone just starting to explore this area, this is a good place to start, clear concise a brief concise overview of the early Germanic traditions and beliefs, many which still continue today in some form.
For a more in depth look, or for those who alredy have some knowledge in this area I wood recommened John Lindow's "Norse Mythology, A Guide To The God's, Heroes, Rituals, And Beliefs.
Michael

My first reaction to this book was "why the hell did New Page send this to me?" Normally I have a very narrow selection of books I review, simply because that's what I'm knowledgeable in. Wicca, Druidism, Ritual, Wicca 101 and basics, magick and so on. Northern traditions and Germanic Heathenry is not my forte. I'm so glad I decided to read this book anyhow and not put it on the shelf.

I was concerned since (in my mind) Northern Traditions are the same as the Asatru I have read about and interacted with on a limited scope, and I know next to nothing about Asatru ways. It turns out that I know more than I thought I did, and this book pointed tha out to me.

And THAT is the gem of this book. It is supposed to be a primer for those who don't know anything about Northern Traditions, Asatru, Theodish Belief, Heathenry or any of the myriad practices that are lumped together under that umbrella. It is supposed to be a basic introduction to those practices and a way to educate the masses about their way of belief. And it turns out that I had a heck of a lot of knowledge already.

This book points out that it wasn't only the Viking religions, but all the Scandinavian ways of worship, including the Saxons, the Finish, the Germanics and many others. Since Seax-Wica is based on the Saxons, and they were part of this overriding group, naturally it turns out that some of the lore in Seax-Wica would carry over. It even turns out that a gentleman I know wrote the introduction and a group I interact with on the Seax-Wica list are mentioned. So that was cool.

But what I really really really liked was the chapter on the Deities. I chatted with the author via LiveJournal and she states that she was trying to balance the lore of the deities with the real, living entity that is worshiped now, and that she had a hard time doing it.

I think she struck a happy medium with that section. She did such a good job that while I was reading (and discovering things that I didn't know), each of the deities mentioned were showing up and introducing Themselves to me. I have no clue why they would do this, but *I'm* not going to tell them "no". When I related this and my impressions to the author, she confirmed that my experiences and impressions were pretty much how she saw Them as well.

So these concepts and personalities were not foreign to me. As I kept reading through the book, I felt more and more at home, both with the cosmology and how the groups interacted as well as their history; so on and so forth. I was amazed at how much I knew from my studies in Seax-Wica and through Druidism. Heathenry may not be for me personally, but it is well laid out, logically structured, well described and (as far as I can tell) complete.

I have some problems however. First is that while this book is far from being as jargon intensive as say the Eddas, it still has a lot of terms that a new person may not have seen or heard before. I would suggest a bookmark to the glossary to help the reader keep up with what the author is saying while reading through this the first time.

Another problem is that the deity names change from usage to usage, sometimes within the same entry. It's spelled Odin here, Woden there, Odunn there and Odun over there. (Insert visual of a kid with a pamphlet at a baseball game crying, "Get your Program! Can't keep the Gods straight without a Program!" here.) It can get more than a bit confusing. The author says that it was an attempt to get the reader familiar with the deity names as fast as possible. I think that in a primer of this sort, consistency is the keyword. Yes, list the names in that deity's entry, but spell it one way so people know whom you are talking about.

The last quibble I have is footnotes. She has extensive footnotes. The problem with it is that the footnotes are NOT included with the chapter they are referencing. So while Chapter 3 has over 60 individual footnotes, they are shoved into an appendix in the back. By the time the average reader gets to the footnote, they may not remember where the particular text that the footnote refers to is located in the chapter. That may, however, be the way the publisher printed the book and not a function of what the author did. I would have liked to see the footnotes IN the chapter they come from, so that those who use the footnotes can do so immediately.

All in all, I REALLY like this book. I would award it 5 stars, but looking at those problems I spotted, I'm going to have to give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5. This does not detract from the usefulness of this work and it still fulfills the role the author had for it (education and primer for those who don't know). It is simply points that one must be aware of and be prepared to compensate for while reading.

I am VERY glad I have this now. It will help me in relating to those (non)Godless-heathens out there.

Daven

I have in my 20 years as a heathen read many very good books. This book is excellent in telling the basics of germanic heathen religion. The chapters on "Heathen Ethics and Values", "Symbel", and "Wyrd" are great. I would say this book is a help to new or longtime heathens. I hope Ms. Krasskova writes more on the subject.

This is an outstanding book. Like a previous reviewer, I was impressed by the chapter on deities. It's a refreshing change to read such heartfelt words about the Gods. Even if you don't agree with the author's assessment of various deities or the inclusion of several potentially controversial ones in the chapter, her understanding of Them and Their particular lessons for their Younger Kin should give you some food for thought.

The chapters on heathen ritual explain very well the true meanings of blot and symbel, which sometimes aren't always clear to newcomers or non-heathens. The holiness of the rites is emphasized here in a way that once again, should give readers a thing or two to think about, no matter how many they've already participated in. Also, the chapter on personal devotions is wonderful and should be read by every pagan, whether heathen or not.

This book is probably not going to appeal to those for whom being a heathen is something they do -- but rather, those for whom being heathen is something they *are.* Religious devotion is the primary focus here, which may disappoint those looking for Norse spells or rune lore. This is for those who truly want to worship and honor the Norse/Germanic Gods, the vaettir and their own ancestors, rather than play Viking or dabble in seidr. Also, it's made very clear from the start that heathenry is a religion in and of itself, and NOT merely a Nordic derivative of the neopagan movement; to paraphrase the author, the goals of heathen ritual are different from most of the goals of neopagan practice.

I believe heathens of many years' standing as well as newbies would benefit from reading this. I would also highly recommend it for lending or giving to non-heathen friends and family who want to know more about the religion and its ethics and world-view.