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10 reviews for:
Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies: Shapeshifters and Astral Doubles in the Middle Ages
Claude Lecouteux
3.76 AVERAGE
10 reviews for:
Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies: Shapeshifters and Astral Doubles in the Middle Ages
Claude Lecouteux
3.76 AVERAGE
Interesting read, but the title is somewhat misleading - it’s more about the astral ‘double’ and a bit of shamanism. Also, QUITE dry... the book literally put me to sleep a few times. ;)
As usual, Lecouteux is revelatory, taking understandings from Old Norse sagas to give us a radically different and more profound understanding of some of the common themes of European folklore, in this case through the theme of the "Double". I found this highly convincing for the witch's flight and for werewolves but rather less so for fairies, where only a small part of the fairy mythology is considered. And aren't fairies the Celtic equivalent of Germanic elves?
informative
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
I was barely into this book and thinking this isn't for me... Then the euphemism "as black as an Ethiopian" was used, with no racial context to the topic or relevancy to the situation. That made up my mind of, yeah I'm out.. lmao PASS!
Dense and a bit fragmented, but chock full of wild anecdotes and arcane bits of history.
That title had lead me to believe this was going to be a simple inquiry on the history of folkloric creatures, turns out it's about the soul(s) and its influence on spirituality and superstitions. As such, I can't help but feel a bit more indifferent on the results than I had anticipated. And though it's well-researched it's also a bit messy in presentation for my taste.
It's also worth mentioning that I do not posses the current tools to either confirm or deny the claims made in this book. I wouldn't be surprised if didn't correspond with reality because they're way too convoluted.
So I'm going to give it 2 stars because it didn't convince me, but don't let that stop you from trying it out, it's probably me and not the book.
It's also worth mentioning that I do not posses the current tools to either confirm or deny the claims made in this book. I wouldn't be surprised if didn't correspond with reality because they're way too convoluted.
So I'm going to give it 2 stars because it didn't convince me, but don't let that stop you from trying it out, it's probably me and not the book.
This was an interesting read. It deals with the idea of the Double in Scandinavia in particular and Europe more generally. It explores many different folktales, historic accounts, and other writings to illustrate how we have held onto idea even now though we are less aware of it than our forebears.
The only thing that I don't think quite worked for this book is that in many places you feel as though you entered a conversation that has already been ongoing and you're not quite sure how it got started. Despite this it's an informative read and the topic is fantastic.
The only thing that I don't think quite worked for this book is that in many places you feel as though you entered a conversation that has already been ongoing and you're not quite sure how it got started. Despite this it's an informative read and the topic is fantastic.
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
This book was a complete surprise for me but fascinating. It does presuppose that you are familiar with the concept of the Double and early works by Lecouteaux (I was not but managed to get along just fine). It feels well researched and I found that reading texts about witches, werewolves, and fairies through the lens of a Double completely transformed how I viewed them. I read this for novel research and though I didn't find exactly what I was looking for I enjoyed all the food for thought and discovered a few new story ideas along the way.