The Masks of Odin: Wisdom of the Ancient Norse [Paperback]

Elsa-Brita Titchenell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2008

Herein the Norse Edda is scrutinized and its tales of gods and heroes, elves and dwarfs are decoded, using theosophical keys, to yield an overview of cosmic cycles of life on the many levels of the World Tree. The myths contain ribald humor as well as grand inspiration. Elsa-Brita Titchenell's commentary and her fresh translation of the principal lays of the Poetic or Elder Edda provide a key to understanding the timeless wisdom of the bards of every land.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elsa-Brita Titchenell (née Bergqvist) was born in Uppsala, Sweden in 1915. She attend­ed French schools in Stockholm and in the then international city of Shanghai, China, before completing her formal ed­ucation in England. In 1937 she joined the staff of the Royal Swedish Legation and Consulate General in Shanghai where, during World War II and the Japa­nese occupation, she worked to amelio­rate conditions of allied internees.
 In 1948 she immigrated into the ­United States to serve at the International Head­quarters of the Theosophical Society, now located in Pasadena. For eight years she was also on the administrative staff of California Institute of Technology, retiring from its Department of Astro­physics in 1980. Elsa-Brita Titchenell was Associate Editor of Sunrise magazine from 1989 until her death in 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Theosophical Univ Pr; 4th printing edition (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911500731
• ISBN-13: 978-0911500738
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Revisionism in action, February 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Masks of Odin: Wisdom of the Ancient Norse (Paperback)

Starting with Balder as the Sun God, this book manages to go even further downhill in regard to the lore of Asatru. The authors are entitled to their interpretation, but should make that clear, not pass off their writings as lore.

24 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars OBJECTIVE UNIVERSALISM?, September 25, 2000

By 

"doregret" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Masks of Odin: Wisdom of the Ancient Norse (Paperback)

This book is written by a fairly well acclaimed Theosophy member. Though they try their hardest to stay objective, I have ^personally found this, and other writings of this vein to either encourage my drive to seek out more details and directions, or completely discourage and frustrate me by stretching the comparisons of belief systems, mythology, and translations a little too far (often leaving a "universalist" taste in the mouth). I RECOMMEND THIS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND/OR AN INTRODUCTION TO THESE STORIES. Her writing layout was nice. This is NOT an intro to Asatru, Odinism, or Germanic Tribalism.

26 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Germanic Myths yet again hideously distorted, April 7, 2002

By 

A. Holt "holtingar" (Pennsylvania, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Masks of Odin: Wisdom of the Ancient Norse (Paperback)

This work is flawed in one fundamental area - research.
Drawing conclusions about the deeper meaning conveyed by Eddaic poetry means nothing unless you examine it in the language in which it was composed.
A good understanding of Germanic mythology is a goal almost completely inaccessable to the interested layman because of the recent proliferation of works like this.
I would have given it no stars if the option were available.