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megami's review
3.0
A very odd book - I found it in equal parts entertaining and frustrating. It introduced me to many ideas about Nordic mysticism and 'heathenry' that I had not before heard of or thought about, and did so in an entertaining way. So as a social history of the revival of interest in ancient Nordic culture, the vikings, and shamanism was good.
However the author has a habit of talking about sources that are, shall we say, not really credible. He weaves established historical and geographical fact with nationalist, fantastical and sometimes outright crazy ideas and rarely differentiates between the two. So the book becomes a mash-up between an ethnographical study, a personal recording of ideas and ... a round-up of outlandish theories.
Thing is, for all it's faults I am going to give it three stars because there was some work of interest in here, and the topic is interesting. I just hope I come across a better book on the subject some time soon.
However the author has a habit of talking about sources that are, shall we say, not really credible. He weaves established historical and geographical fact with nationalist, fantastical and sometimes outright crazy ideas and rarely differentiates between the two. So the book becomes a mash-up between an ethnographical study, a personal recording of ideas and ... a round-up of outlandish theories.
Thing is, for all it's faults I am going to give it three stars because there was some work of interest in here, and the topic is interesting. I just hope I come across a better book on the subject some time soon.
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