Viking Spirit

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The Viking Spirit

Author : Daniel McCoy
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781533393036
Total Pages : 318 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (93 download)

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Book Synopsis The Viking Spirit by : Daniel McCoy

Download or read book The Viking Spirit written by Daniel McCoy and published by . This book was released on 2016-06-01 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Viking Spirit is an introduction to Norse mythology like no other. As you'd expect from Daniel McCoy, the creator of the enduringly popular website Norse Mythology for Smart People (Norse-Mythology.org), it's written to scholarly standards, but in a simple, clear, and entertaining style that's easy to understand and a pleasure to read. It includes gripping retellings of no less than 34 epic Norse myths - more than any other book in the field - while also providing an equally comprehensive overview of the fascinating Viking religion of which Norse mythology was a part. You'll learn about the Vikings' gods and goddesses, their concept of fate, their views on the afterlife, their moral code, how they thought the universe was structured, how they practiced their religion, the role that magic played in their lives, and much more. With its inclusion of the latest groundbreaking research in the field, The Viking Spirit is the ultimate introduction to the timeless splendor of Norse mythology and religion for the 21st Century.

Summary of Daniel McCoy's The Viking Spirit

Author : Everest Media,
Publisher : Everest Media LLC
ISBN 13 : 1669365352
Total Pages : 69 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (693 download)

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Book Synopsis Summary of Daniel McCoy's The Viking Spirit by : Everest Media,

Download or read book Summary of Daniel McCoy's The Viking Spirit written by Everest Media, and published by Everest Media LLC. This book was released on 2022-03-26T22:59:00Z with total page 69 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The longship sways on the windy sea like a seer in a trance. After days of hard rowing, the crew is exhausted. They had set sail from the western coast of Scandinavia several days ago, bound for the eastern coast of England. #2 The Vikings landed in a deserted town, and began to search it. They found a large ornate building in the center of the city, and entered it. The building was more lavish than anything Sverrir had ever seen, and the townspeople had apparently brought all of their valuables into it. #3 The townspeople of Bebbanburg perform a strange gesture that involves touching one of their hands to four different parts of their torso and head as the Vikings begin to hew down anyone who stands in their way. The Vikings suffer heavy losses in the battle, and most distressingly for Sverrir, Hauk falls after having fought valiantly. #4 The poem was so intricate and learned that the simple warriors could not understand parts of it. The king was said to be a descendent of Odin, and his generosity was unparalleled. The raid was presented as an unmitigated, glorious victory.

Viking Spirit

Author : Susan Schaffner
Publisher : AuthorHouse
ISBN 13 : 1504975855
Total Pages : 482 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (49 download)

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Book Synopsis Viking Spirit by : Susan Schaffner

Download or read book Viking Spirit written by Susan Schaffner and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2016-03-17 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Crisscrossing eight centuries, Alison and Eirik Sigmusson live extraordinary lives. Ties to their pasttheir ancient Viking pastdraw them into dire family situations, but later day realities are just as perilous. Their idyllic days in Mexico turn deceptive as Eirik is unwittingly accused of thievery and murder, but with the magic of a silver bracelet Alison frees him and justice prevails. From one predicament into another, they are summoned back to medieval Sudrland, (Scotland), where Eiriks brother, Sigmus, and his wife, Asta, must defend their beloved estate, Cairnby Manor, and their Icelandic farmstead, Thjorsardal. Present and past collide as Eirik contends with Mexican pearl thieves and Sigmus fights for control of his property. Still, the threads of love and loyalty cannot be broken nor the power of destiny thwarted when Eirik and Sigmus battle to restore their rights to the manor and farmstead. Swords clash. Victories are hard-fought. Losses are many as blood runs red. The final stand for Sigmusson honor, of love lost and found, are part of Viking Spirit: Sagas End.

Myths of the Pagan North

Author : Christopher Abram
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1847252478
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (472 download)

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Book Synopsis Myths of the Pagan North by : Christopher Abram

Download or read book Myths of the Pagan North written by Christopher Abram and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2011-05-05 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An engaging account of the world of the Vikings and their gods.

Barbarian Rites

Author : Hans-Peter Hasenfratz
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1620554488
Total Pages : 171 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (25 download)

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Book Synopsis Barbarian Rites by : Hans-Peter Hasenfratz

Download or read book Barbarian Rites written by Hans-Peter Hasenfratz and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-06-23 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the untamed paganism of the Vikings and the Germanic tribes prior to the complete Christianization of Europe • Explores the different forms of magic practiced by these tribes, including runic magic, necromancy (death magic), soul-travel, and shape-shifting • Examines their rites of passage and initiation rituals and their most important gods, such as Odin, Loki, and Thor • Looks at barbarian magic in historical accounts, church and assembly records, and mythology as well as an eyewitness report from a 10th-century Muslim diplomat • Reveals the use and abuse of this tradition’s myths and magic by the Nazis Before the conversion of Europe to Christianity in the Middle Ages, Germanic tribes roamed the continent, plundering villages and waging battles to seek the favor of Odin, their god of war, ecstasy, and magic. Centuries later, predatory Viking raiders from Scandinavia carried on similar traditions. These wild “barbarians” had a system of social classes and familial clans with complex spiritual customs, from rites of passage for birth, death, and adulthood to black magic practices and shamanic ecstatic states, such as the infamous “berserker’s rage.” Chronicling the original pagan tradition of free and wild Europe--and the use and abuse of its myths and magic by the Nazis--Hans-Peter Hasenfratz offers a concise history of the Germanic tribes of Europe and their spiritual, magical, and occult beliefs. Looking at historical accounts, church and assembly records, mythology, and folktales from Germany, Russia, Scandinavia, and Iceland as well as an eyewitness report of Viking customs and rituals from a 10th-century Muslim diplomat, Hasenfratz explores the different forms of magic--including charms, runic magic, necromancy, love magic, soul-travel, and shamanic shape-shifting--practiced by the Teutonic tribes and examines their interactions with and eventual adaptation to Christianity. Providing in-depth information on their social class and clan structure, rites of passage, and their most important gods and goddesses, such as Odin, Loki, Thor, and Freyja, Hasenfratz reveals how it is only through understanding our magical barbarian roots that we can see the remnants of their language, culture, and dynamic spirit that have carried through to modern times.

Odin

Author : Diana L. Paxson
Publisher : Weiser Books
ISBN 13 : 1633410439
Total Pages : 364 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (334 download)

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Book Synopsis Odin by : Diana L. Paxson

Download or read book Odin written by Diana L. Paxson and published by Weiser Books. This book was released on 2017-09-01 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Paxson provides songs, rituals, magical exercises, and practical advice to help you develop your own personal relationship with the Lord of Runes.” —Judika Illes, author of Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells Odin is arguably one of the most enigmatic and complex characters in Norse mythology. Revered since the Viking Age, Odin has been called the greatest of the gods—the god of words and wisdom, runes and magic, a transformer of consciousness, and a trickster who teaches truth. He is both war god and poetry god, and he is the Lord of Ravens, the All- Father, and the rune master. Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, and Norse Magic is the first book on Odin that is both historically sourced and accessible to a general audience. It explores Odin’s origins, his appearances in sagas, old magic spells, and the Poetic Edda, and his influence on modern media, such as Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Each chapter features suggestions for rituals, exercises, and music, so readers can comprehend and become closer to this complicated god. Author Diana Paxson, an expert on Viking-era mythology, provides a complete portrait of Odin and draws on both scholarship and experience to provide context, resources, and guidance for those who are drawn to work with the Master of Ecstasy today. “This remarkable book is at times ribald and reverent, worldwise and innocent, pragmatic and idealistic, as needed to masterfully show the ways of a very complex God.” —Ivo Domiguez, Jr, author of Keys to Perception

A Handbook to Eddic Poetry

Author : Carolyne Larrington
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1316720853
Total Pages : 675 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (167 download)

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Book Synopsis A Handbook to Eddic Poetry by : Carolyne Larrington

Download or read book A Handbook to Eddic Poetry written by Carolyne Larrington and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-08-19 with total page 675 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first comprehensive and accessible survey in English of Old Norse eddic poetry: a remarkable body of literature rooted in the Viking Age, which is a critical source for the study of early Scandinavian myths, poetics, culture and society. Dramatically recreating the voices of the legendary past, eddic poems distil moments of high emotion as human heroes and supernatural beings alike grapple with betrayal, loyalty, mortality and love. These poems relate the most famous deeds of gods such as Óðinn and Þórr with their adversaries the giants; they bring to life the often fraught interactions between kings, queens and heroes as well as their encounters with valkyries, elves, dragons and dwarfs. Written by leading international scholars, the chapters in this volume showcase the poetic riches of the eddic corpus, and reveal its relevance to the history of poetics, gender studies, pre-Christian religions, art history and archaeology.

The Viking Heart

Author : Arthur Herman
Publisher : Mariner Books
ISBN 13 : 1328595900
Total Pages : 519 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (285 download)

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Book Synopsis The Viking Heart by : Arthur Herman

Download or read book The Viking Heart written by Arthur Herman and published by Mariner Books. This book was released on 2021 with total page 519 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From a New York Times best-selling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist, a sweeping epic of how the Vikings and their descendants have shaped history and America

The Last Berserker

Author : Angus Donald
Publisher : Canelo
ISBN 13 : 1800321864
Total Pages : 509 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (3 download)

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Book Synopsis The Last Berserker by : Angus Donald

Download or read book The Last Berserker written by Angus Donald and published by Canelo. This book was released on 2021-02-11 with total page 509 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ‘Donald is a writer not only at the top of his game, but of the game’ Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series ‘Donald delivers a masterclass’ Theodore Brun, author of A Burning Sea 'A gory, gleeful treat' The Times The greatest warriors are forged in the flamesTwo pagan fighters 771AD, Northern Europe. Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir are journeying south into Saxony. Their destination is the Irminsul, the One Tree that links the Nine Worlds of the Middle-Realm. In this most holy place, they hope to learn how to summon their animal spirits so they can enter the ranks of the legendary berserkir: the elite frenzied fighters of the North. One Christian king Karolus, newly crowned King of the Franks, has a thorn in his side: the warlike Saxon tribes on his northern borders who shun the teachings of the Church, blasphemously continuing to worship their pagan gods. An epic battle for the soul of the North The West’s greatest warlord vows to stamp out his neighbours’ superstitions and bring the light of the True Faith to the Northmen – at the point of a sword. It will fall to Bjarki, Tor and the men and women of Saxony to resist him in a struggle for the fate of all Europe. Praise for The Last Berserker ‘Donald has taken the legendary berserkers, those frothing-at-the-mouth shield-biters, and made them human, which once again proves that Donald is a writer not only at the top of his game, but of the game ... It is a wonderful, rich and violent brew. I welcome Angus Donald to the shield wall of Viking fiction like a thirsty man welcomes a mead-brother to the feast ... A tale worthy of the skalds’ Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series ‘With The Last Berserker, Donald has given us the first cut of some serious Dark Age beef. By turns heart-racing, intriguing, and touching, this is not a book for the faint-hearted – I can’t wait for more’ Theodore Brun, author of A Burning Sea ‘The Last Berserker strikes with the thundering power of Thor's hammer... rich with the earthy depth, historical detail, intrigue, violence and adventure that we expect from Donald. But it is Bjarki and Tor that make The Last Berserker stand out... Donald's masterful creations will live on in the imagination long after the final page’ Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles 'A wonderful, blood-soaked tale of redemption and revenge, set amidst the eighth century clash of civilisations between Pagan Vikings and Christian Franks, by a master of the genre’ Saul David, author of Zulu Hart 'Loved this tale of a berserker facing up against the tidal wave of Charlemagne’s expansion. Great characters, brilliantly paced and explosive, gritty battle-scenes. Highly recommended' John Gwynne, author of Malice ‘Well researched detail and stunning battle scenes make The Last Berserker a white knuckle ride. A thrilling, up-all-night read’ C. R. May, author of The Day of the Wolf 'I loved it. Bjarki and Tor are great characters, instantly relatable. The depth of the immersion in their world and their values gives the book authenticity and weight' Cecelia Holland, author of The Soul Thief

The Viking Way

Author : Neil S. Price
Publisher : Oxbow Books Limited
ISBN 13 : 9781842172605
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (726 download)

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Book Synopsis The Viking Way by : Neil S. Price

Download or read book The Viking Way written by Neil S. Price and published by Oxbow Books Limited. This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Magic, sorcery and witchcraft are among the most common themes of the great medieval Icelandic sagas and poems, the problematic yet vital sources that provide our primary textual evidence for the Viking Age that they claim to describe. Yet despite the consistency of this picture, surprisingly little archaeological or historical research has been done to explore what this may really have meant to the men and women of the time. This book examines the evidence for Old Norse sorcery, looking at its meaning and function, practice and practitioners, and the complicated constructions of gender and sexual identity with which these were underpinned. Combining strong elements of eroticism and aggression, sorcery appears as a fundamental domain of women's power, linking them with the gods, the dead and the future. Their battle spells and combat rituals complement the men's physical acts of fighting, in a supernatural empowerment of the Viking way of life. What emerges is a fundamentally new image of the world in which the Vikings understood themselves to move, in which magic and its implications permeated every aspect of a society permanently geared for war. In this fully revised and expanded second edition, Neil Price takes us with him on a tour through the sights and sounds of this undiscovered country, meeting its human and otherworldly inhabitants, including the Sámi with whom the Norse partly shared this mental landscape. On the way we explore Viking notions of the mind and soul, the fluidity of the boundaries that they drew between humans and animals, and the immense variety of their spiritual beliefs. We find magic in the Vikings' bedrooms and on their battlefields, and we meet the sorcerers themselves through their remarkable burials and the tools of their trade. Combining archaeology, history and literary scholarship with extensive studies of Germanic and circumpolar religion, this multi-award-winning book shows us the Vikings as we have never seen them before.

Children of Ash and Elm

Author : Neil Price
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 0465096999
Total Pages : 629 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (65 download)

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Book Synopsis Children of Ash and Elm by : Neil Price

Download or read book Children of Ash and Elm written by Neil Price and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2020-08-25 with total page 629 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive history of the Vikings -- from arts and culture to politics and cosmology -- by a distinguished archaeologist with decades of expertise The Viking Age -- from 750 to 1050 -- saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples into the wider world. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they ranged from eastern North America to the Asian steppe. But for centuries, the Vikings have been seen through the eyes of others, distorted to suit the tastes of medieval clerics and Elizabethan playwrights, Victorian imperialists, Nazis, and more. None of these appropriations capture the real Vikings, or the richness and sophistication of their culture. Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology and religion, their material world. Known today for a stereotype of maritime violence, the Vikings exported new ideas, technologies, beliefs, and practices to the lands they discovered and the peoples they encountered, and in the process were themselves changed. From Eirík Bloodaxe, who fought his way to a kingdom, to Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, the most traveled woman in the world, Children of Ash and Elm is the definitive history of the Vikings and their time.

Norse Mythology

Author : Mary Litchfield
Publisher : Arcturus Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1788883535
Total Pages : 424 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (888 download)

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Book Synopsis Norse Mythology by : Mary Litchfield

Download or read book Norse Mythology written by Mary Litchfield and published by Arcturus Publishing. This book was released on 2018-01-16 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The myths and legends of the Norsemen have entertained both old and young alike for hundreds of years. This fascinating collection contains stories retold from the Icelandic Eddas, the principal sources of knowledge of Norse mythology, and the Sagas of the ancient world of the Vikings. Following the deeds of the powerful Norse gods, such as Odin, Thor and Loki, and filled with a host of fantastic creatures and objects containing magical properties, the tales in Norse Mythology will conjure up a world of heroism and romance that will enthrall readers.

Norse Myths & Tales

Author : Flame Tree Studio (Literature and Science)
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1787552608
Total Pages : 480 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (875 download)

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Book Synopsis Norse Myths & Tales by : Flame Tree Studio (Literature and Science)

Download or read book Norse Myths & Tales written by Flame Tree Studio (Literature and Science) and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-12-15 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Curated new Myths and Tales. Lively, stark and formidable, the imagery of Norse mythology storms through this classic collection. The fierce glory of Odin, Frey, Loki and their fellow gods of Asgard are featured here with all the great adventures, from Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, to the endings of Ragnarok. And from the fabled Bifrost to the forging of Thor’s hammer, each Viking legend is riven with a vitality that speaks to us still. The latest title in Flame Tree's beautiful, comprehensive series of Gothic Fantasy titles, concentrates on the ancient, epic origins of modern fantasy.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse

Author : Peter Matthiessen
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101663170
Total Pages : 1774 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by : Peter Matthiessen

Download or read book In the Spirit of Crazy Horse written by Peter Matthiessen and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1992-03-01 with total page 1774 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An “indescribably touching, extraordinarily intelligent" (Los Angeles Times Book Review) chronicle of a fatal gun-battle between FBI agents and American Indian Movement activists by renowned writer Peter Matthiessen (1927-2014), author of the National Book Award-winning The Snow Leopard and the novel In Paradise On a hot June morning in 1975, a desperate shoot-out between FBI agents and Native Americans near Wounded Knee, South Dakota, left an Indian and two federal agents dead. Four members of the American Indian Movement were indicted on murder charges, and one, Leonard Peltier, was convicted and is now serving consecutive life sentences in a federal penitentiary. Behind this violent chain of events lie issues of great complexity and profound historical resonance, brilliantly explicated by Peter Matthiessen in this controversial book. Kept off the shelves for eight years because of one of the most protracted and bitterly fought legal cases in publishing history, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse reveals the Lakota tribe’s long struggle with the U.S. government, and makes clear why the traditional Indian concept of the earth is so important at a time when increasing populations are destroying the precious resources of our world.

Norse Mythology

Author : Neil Gaiman
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393609103
Total Pages : 250 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (936 download)

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Book Synopsis Norse Mythology by : Neil Gaiman

Download or read book Norse Mythology written by Neil Gaiman and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2017-02-07 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and “one of the modern masters of fantasy writing,” (Huffington Post) a dazzling, witty telling of the Norse myths. "A lively, funny, and very human rendition of Thor the thunder god, his father Odin, and the dark-hearted trickster Loki (plus countless other gods and monsters)." — Petra Mayer, NPR Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

Norse Magic

Author : D. J. Conway
Publisher : Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN 13 : 9780875421377
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (213 download)

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Book Synopsis Norse Magic by : D. J. Conway

Download or read book Norse Magic written by D. J. Conway and published by Llewellyn Worldwide. This book was released on 1991 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Elves and dwarves, gnomes and frost giants...Norse mythology is filled with tales of such supernatural beings, nature spirits, and powerful deities. Many people know that the Norse people were fierce warriors, but did you know that they were powerful magicians as well? Norse Magic has everything you need to learn in order to begin practicing Norse spirituality. Discover the history and religion of the Vikings, including Norse mythology, seasonal festivals, and magical techniques. If you are interested in practicing Norse Wicca, you'll learn about the three-fold goddess and the god, as well as how to celebrate the holidays, all from the perspective of Norse Paganism. Discover the secrets of herb magic, cauldron magic, cord magic, elf magic, dwarf magic, and more. These magical techniques are presented in a clear, step-by-step format. The practice of Norse magic enlists the help of the Asa-Gods, Light Elves and good Dwarves. It elicits aid from dead ancestors and the rulers of the Elements. It is an active magic, reserved for participants, not bystanders. In order to work the magic of this system you must attune yourself to the powers of the Elements, calling upon the Asa-Gods and other supernatural beings. Norse Magic includes complete instructions, exercises, and rituals for this technique. The Norse Pagans were one of the last European societies to convert to Christianity, but their Pagan mythology and magic survived and continues to thrive. Norse Magic is your key to the study and practice of this powerful and ancient spiritual system.

The Age of Spiritual Machines

Author : Ray Kurzweil
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101077883
Total Pages : 404 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis The Age of Spiritual Machines by : Ray Kurzweil

Download or read book The Age of Spiritual Machines written by Ray Kurzweil and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Bold futurist Ray Kurzweil, author of The Singularity Is Near, offers a framework for envisioning the future of machine intelligence—“a book for anyone who wonders where human technology is going next” (The New York Times Book Review). “Kurzweil offers a thought-provoking analysis of human and artificial intelligence and a unique look at a future in which the capabilities of the computer and the species that invented it grow ever closer.”—BILL GATES Imagine a world where the difference between man and machine blurs, where the line between humanity and technology fades, and where the soul and the silicon chip unite. This is not science fiction. This is the twenty-first century according to Ray Kurzweil, the “restless genius” (The Wall Street Journal), “ultimate thinking machine” (Forbes), and inventor of the most innovative and compelling technology of our era. In his inspired hands, life in the new millennium no longer seems daunting. Instead, it promises to be an age in which the marriage of human sensitivity and artificial intelligence fundamentally alters and improves the way we live. More than just a list of predictions, Kurzweil’s prophetic blueprint for the future guides us through the inexorable advances that will result in: • Computers exceeding the memory capacity and computational ability of the human brain (with human-level capabilities not far behind) • Relationships with automated personalities who will be our teachers, companions, and lovers • Information fed straight into our brains along direct neural pathways Eventually, the distinction between humans and computers will have become sufficiently blurred that when the machines claim to be conscious, we will believe them.