When
I came to ADF, I came partly because there was something inside of me
that was looking for a way to integrate Germanic with Celtic. After
being entrenched in Germanic Heathenry for almost two decades, and
with only private worship of some Celtic deities, I felt
a great need to work with that side of myself some more. I felt like
I was only watering half of my tree, so to speak, and so it was with
this in mind that I chose 'Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe' to
review.
I have to confess to having read it already back in 2008/2009, but I really don't think I absorbed all that much then. The thing (I find) about reading Davidson, is that she typically grabs you with one topic and then takes you hurtling breakneck speed through a myriad of other topics, which invariably sucks you in but also puts you in danger of not really retaining what you're reading anymore.
'Myths and Symbols of Pagan Europe', if you can somehow avoid Davidson's siren song, is a comprehensive survey and comparison of aspects of Scandinavian and Celtic Pagan religions. It straddles both worlds quite comfortably, holding each religion against the other and further illuminating both in the process.
Beginning with an overview of peoples discussed and sources referred to, Davidson then moves onto a discussion about the places people considered holy, and the holy places that people built. Davidson weighs in on the conflicting records regarding the creation and worship of idols, and the connection between some of these holy sites and the selection or raising up of kings. I especially appreciated her discussion of the aspects of Heathen temples that potentially recreated cosmological order.
In some ways, I find Davidson's writing to be disorganised, especially in comparison with that of writers like Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson, or Erika Timm, however in other ways, there is a logical progression in how the chapters are ordered. Following her discussion on holy places with a discussion on feasting and sacrifice is extremely logical to me as those activities would have taken place in those holy places. What festivals were celebrated and when is an interesting discussion that Davidson tackles head on, sticking to what can be attested to rather than engaging in speculation. The discussion then moves on to ceremonial drinking, hospitality, sacrificial meals, and types of sacrifice. Here though, I really wish she'd devoted an entire section to the subject of horse symbolism and sacrifice.
From the section entitled 'Human Sacrifice', we merge into the chapter entitled 'Rites of Battle' and an excellent discussion of what has been called 'The Cult of the Head'. From dedicated warriors to a comparison of Odin and Lug, and what can only be an overview of a myriad of battle goddesses, this chapter does manage to cover a lot of oft-visited ground while examining facets of war that often remain undiscussed but useful. The discussion of Cú Chulainn's battle rage and the response of the warriors of Emain, I feel, holds potential for the creation of healing rituals for Pagan military dealing with PTSD issues.
It's at this point that Davidson's near flawless merging of topics of earlier chapters becomes less flawless, and more disjointed, moving from battle goddesses to Scandinavian land spirits. This aside, on the whole, the chapter does a good job of examining the various types of land spirit, and their intersections with ancestors and even gods (as in the case of the Tuatha De). I did like the discussion on rebirth, and Lucan's words to the Druids in Pharsalia, 'If we understand your hymns, death is halfway through a long life.' resonate long after reading.
The discussion on foreknowledge and destiny was really excellent, especially the section on divination as a way to find out what happened in the past as opposed to the future. To know the roots of a situation is to understand the situation and how it could develop in the future. This is far more logical to me than actually focusing on the future. Even better was the discussion of magic gaming boards, it's a subject that has become eminently fascinating to me. Again, as with the 'Beheading Game', there is this theme of games and life/death situations that is alien to us now.
The next chapter title, 'The Other World', feels like something of a misnomer, as much of it is dedicated to an exploration of the cosmology, as opposed to being purely an exploration of human interactions with the otherworldly. However, in my opinion, the next chapter more than makes up for the overall strangeness of this one. In 'The Ruling Powers', Davidson starts by engaging in some very much needed discussion of the problems of different scholarly approaches to mythology and folklore. Her points about remaining fluid when examining ideas and beliefs that remained constantly fluid over the course of time, and not trying to force them into schemata such as 'pantheon', or 'abode', or 'functions' are well taken. The rest of the chapter is a comparison of similar Germanic and Celtic gods, and the concluding chapter serves to tie her more detailed arguments into a more general potential overview of both cultures.
On the whole, in spite of the relatively minor issues with organisation, 'Myths and Symbols of Pagan Europe' is a treasure trove of information, that is sadly often overlooked in favour of Davidson's 'Gods and Myths of Northern Europe'. I would most definitely recommend this book to others.
Word count (without quotes) - 925
I have to confess to having read it already back in 2008/2009, but I really don't think I absorbed all that much then. The thing (I find) about reading Davidson, is that she typically grabs you with one topic and then takes you hurtling breakneck speed through a myriad of other topics, which invariably sucks you in but also puts you in danger of not really retaining what you're reading anymore.
'Myths and Symbols of Pagan Europe', if you can somehow avoid Davidson's siren song, is a comprehensive survey and comparison of aspects of Scandinavian and Celtic Pagan religions. It straddles both worlds quite comfortably, holding each religion against the other and further illuminating both in the process.
Beginning with an overview of peoples discussed and sources referred to, Davidson then moves onto a discussion about the places people considered holy, and the holy places that people built. Davidson weighs in on the conflicting records regarding the creation and worship of idols, and the connection between some of these holy sites and the selection or raising up of kings. I especially appreciated her discussion of the aspects of Heathen temples that potentially recreated cosmological order.
In some ways, I find Davidson's writing to be disorganised, especially in comparison with that of writers like Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson, or Erika Timm, however in other ways, there is a logical progression in how the chapters are ordered. Following her discussion on holy places with a discussion on feasting and sacrifice is extremely logical to me as those activities would have taken place in those holy places. What festivals were celebrated and when is an interesting discussion that Davidson tackles head on, sticking to what can be attested to rather than engaging in speculation. The discussion then moves on to ceremonial drinking, hospitality, sacrificial meals, and types of sacrifice. Here though, I really wish she'd devoted an entire section to the subject of horse symbolism and sacrifice.
From the section entitled 'Human Sacrifice', we merge into the chapter entitled 'Rites of Battle' and an excellent discussion of what has been called 'The Cult of the Head'. From dedicated warriors to a comparison of Odin and Lug, and what can only be an overview of a myriad of battle goddesses, this chapter does manage to cover a lot of oft-visited ground while examining facets of war that often remain undiscussed but useful. The discussion of Cú Chulainn's battle rage and the response of the warriors of Emain, I feel, holds potential for the creation of healing rituals for Pagan military dealing with PTSD issues.
It's at this point that Davidson's near flawless merging of topics of earlier chapters becomes less flawless, and more disjointed, moving from battle goddesses to Scandinavian land spirits. This aside, on the whole, the chapter does a good job of examining the various types of land spirit, and their intersections with ancestors and even gods (as in the case of the Tuatha De). I did like the discussion on rebirth, and Lucan's words to the Druids in Pharsalia, 'If we understand your hymns, death is halfway through a long life.' resonate long after reading.
The discussion on foreknowledge and destiny was really excellent, especially the section on divination as a way to find out what happened in the past as opposed to the future. To know the roots of a situation is to understand the situation and how it could develop in the future. This is far more logical to me than actually focusing on the future. Even better was the discussion of magic gaming boards, it's a subject that has become eminently fascinating to me. Again, as with the 'Beheading Game', there is this theme of games and life/death situations that is alien to us now.
The next chapter title, 'The Other World', feels like something of a misnomer, as much of it is dedicated to an exploration of the cosmology, as opposed to being purely an exploration of human interactions with the otherworldly. However, in my opinion, the next chapter more than makes up for the overall strangeness of this one. In 'The Ruling Powers', Davidson starts by engaging in some very much needed discussion of the problems of different scholarly approaches to mythology and folklore. Her points about remaining fluid when examining ideas and beliefs that remained constantly fluid over the course of time, and not trying to force them into schemata such as 'pantheon', or 'abode', or 'functions' are well taken. The rest of the chapter is a comparison of similar Germanic and Celtic gods, and the concluding chapter serves to tie her more detailed arguments into a more general potential overview of both cultures.
On the whole, in spite of the relatively minor issues with organisation, 'Myths and Symbols of Pagan Europe' is a treasure trove of information, that is sadly often overlooked in favour of Davidson's 'Gods and Myths of Northern Europe'. I would most definitely recommend this book to others.
Word count (without quotes) - 925
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