Download or read book Forests of the Vampire written by Charles Phillips and published by Time Life Medical. This book was released on 1999 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's the cultural information that never seems to make it into history books: strange stories, mystic rites, angry gods, vision quests, magic symbols. This series captures, culture by culture, the intersection of imagination, history, wisdom, dream, and reality.

Download or read book Slavic Witchcraft written by Natasha Helvin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-08-06 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A practical guide to the ancient magical tradition of Russian sorcery and Eastern Slavic magical rites • Offers step-by-step instructions for more than 300 spells, incantations, charms, amulets, and practical rituals for love, career success, protection, healing, divination, communicating with spirits and ancestors, and other challenges and situations • Reveals specific places of magical power in the natural world as well as the profound power of graveyards and churches for casting spells • Explores the folk history of this ancient magical tradition, including how the pagan gods gained new life as Eastern Orthodox saints, and shares folktales of magical beings, including sorceresses shapeshifting into animals and household objects Passed down through generations, the Slavic practice of magic, witchcraft, and sorcery is still alive and well in Russia, the Ukraine, and Belarus, as well as the Balkans and the Baltic states. There are still witches who whisper upon tied knots to curse or heal, sorceresses who shapeshift into animals or household objects, magicians who cast spells for love or good fortune, and common folk who seek their aid for daily problems big and small. Sharing the extensive knowledge she inherited from her mother and grandmother, including spells of the “Old Believers” previously unknown to outsiders, Natasha Helvin explores in detail the folk history and practice of Russian sorcery and Eastern Slavic magical rites, offering a rich compendium of more than 300 spells, incantations, charms, and practical rituals for love, relationships, career success, protection, healing, divination, averting the evil eye, communicating with spirits and ancestors, and a host of other life challenges and daily situations, with complete step-by-step instructions to ensure your magical goals are realized. She explains how this tradition has only a thin Christian veneer over its pagan origins and how the Slavic pagan gods and goddesses acquired new lives as the saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. She details how the magical energy for these spells and rituals is drawn from the forces of nature, revealing specific places of power in the natural world as well as the profound power of graveyards and churches for casting spells. She explores the creation of amulets and talismans, the importance of icons, and the proper recital of magical language and actions during spells, as well as how one becomes a witch or sorceress. Offering a close examination of these two-thousand-year-old occult practices, Helvin also includes Slavic folk advice, adapted for the modern era. Revealing what it means to be a Slavic witch or sorceress, and how this vocation pervades all aspects of life, she shows that each of us has magic within that we can use to take control of our own destiny.

Download or read book Slavic Traditions Mythology written by Stefan Cvetkovic and published by . This book was released on 2021-04-17 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Slavic Traditions & Mythology" is the fourth book by Stefan Cvetkovic which sums up his research in the field of Slavic mythology. The book explores the pre-Christian Slavic customs, symbols and myths from the deepest parts of prehistory up to our contemporary folklore. As such it is a book valuable not only to people of Slavic descent who wish to find out more about their roots, but to all European people as it shows that most of the symbols and mythical motifs are actually common to all of Europe, and stem from the same prehistoric root. It is a book which explains all the essential symbols related to the Slavic pre-Christian culture and separates them from the many New Age inventions. Furthermore, this book can serve as a practical tool to anyone who wants to apply the knowledge in his daily life, going through all the major festivals of the calendar and showing how to properly celebrate them, as our ancestors once did. The deities are also explored, clearly defining those of them which were really honoured by the ancient Slavic people, and which ones are results of the misinterpretations of various scholars through history. The myths related to the deities and other mythical beings are explained in detail through a microcosmic and macrocosmic perspective, with a special emphasis on the Slavic ancestral cult as an inseparable element from them. It is a book full of illustrations representing the different chronological variations of the symbols, archaeological finds related to the Slavic cultures, embroidery motifs, tombstones, representations of the deities, and much more. It is not a book which leaves open questions and doubts regarding the Slavic mythology, but provides insight, depth and meaning for one who truly wishes to know the primordial culture of our forebears.

Download or read book Deathless written by Catherynne M. Valente and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2011-03-29 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A glorious retelling of the Russian folktale Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless from Catherynne M. Valente, set in a mysterious version of St. Petersburg during the first half of the 20th century Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century. Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei's beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Russian and Slavic Myth and Legend written by Mike Dixon-Kennedy and published by Abc-Clio Incorporated. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covers the myths and legends of the Russian Empire at its greatest extent as well as other Slavic people and countries. Includes historical, geographical, and biographical background information.

Download or read book Myths and Folk tales of the Russians Western Slavs and Magyars written by Jeremiah Curtin and published by Library of Alexandria. This book was released on 2020-09-28 with total page 595 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ÊI remember well the feelings roused in my mind at mention or sight of the name Lucifer during the earlier years of my life. It stood for me as the name of a being stupendous, dreadful in moral deformity, lurid, hideous, and mighty. I remember also the surprise with which when I had grown somewhat older and begun to study Latin, I came upon the name in Virgil, where it means the Light-bringer, or Morning-star,Ñthe herald of the sun. Many years after I had found the name in Virgil, I spent a night at the house of a friend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, right at the shore of Lake Michigan. The night was clear but without a moon,Ña night of stars, which is the most impressive of all nights, vast, brooding, majestic. At three oÕclock in the morning I woke, and being near an uncurtained window, rose and looked out. Rather low in the east was the Morning-star, shining like silver, with a bluish tinge of steel. I looked towards the west; the great infinity was filled with the hosts of heaven, ranged behind this Morning-star. I saw at once the origin of the myth which grew to have such tremendous moral meaning, because the Morning-star was not in this case the usher of the day but the chieftain of night, the Prince of Darkness, the mortal enemy of the Lord of Light. I returned to bed knowing that the battle in heaven would soon begin. I rose when the sun was high next morning. All the world was bright, shining and active, gladsome and fresh, from the rays of the sun; the kingdom of light was established; but the Prince of Darkness and all his confederates had vanished, cast down from the sky, and to the endless eternity of God their places will know them no more in that night again. They are lost beyond hope or redemption, beyond penance or prayer. I have in mind at this moment two Indian stories of the Morning-star,Ñone Modoc, the other Delaware. The Modoc story is very long, and contains much valuable matter; but the group of incidents that I wish to refer to here are the daily adventures and exploits of a personage who seems to be no other than the sky with the sun in it. This personage is destroyed every evening. He always gets into trouble, and is burned up; but in his back is a golden disk, which neither fire nor anything in the world can destroy. From this disk his body is reconstituted every morning; and all that is needed for the resurrection is the summons of the Morning-star, who calls out, ÒIt is time to rise, old man; you have slept long enough.Ó Then the old man springs new again from his ashes through virtue of the immortal disk and the compelling word of the star. Now, the Morning-star is the attendant spirit or ÒmedicineÓ of the personage with the disk, and cannot escape the performance of his office; he has to work at it forever. So the old man cannot fail to rise every morning. As the golden disk is no other than the sun, the Morning-star of the Modocs is the same character as the Lucifer of the Latins.

Download or read book The Russian Folktale by Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp written by Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp and published by Wayne State University Press. This book was released on 2012-09-12 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vladimir Propp is the Russian folklore specialist most widely known outside Russia thanks to the impact of his 1928 book Morphology of the Folktale-but Morphology is only the first of Propp's contributions to scholarship. This volume translates into English for the first time his book The Russian Folktale, which was based on a seminar on Russian folktales that Propp taught at Leningrad State University late in his life. Edited and translated by Sibelan Forrester, this English edition contains Propp's own text and is supplemented by notes from his students. The Russian Folktale begins with Propp's description of the folktale's aesthetic qualities and the history of the term; the history of folklore studies, first in Western Europe and then in Russia and the USSR; and the place of the folktale in the matrix of folk culture and folk oral creativity. The book presents Propp's key insight into the formulaic structure of Russian wonder tales (and less schematically than in Morphology, though in abbreviated form), and it devotes one chapter to each of the main types of Russian folktales: the wonder tale, the "novellistic" or everyday tale, the animal tale, and the cumulative tale. Even Propp's bibliography, included here, gives useful insight into the sources accessible to and used by Soviet scholars in the third quarter of the twentieth century. Propp's scholarly authority and his human warmth both emerge from this well-balanced and carefully structured series of lectures. An accessible introduction to the Russian folktale, it will serve readers interested in folklore and fairy-tale studies in addition to Russian history and cultural studies.

Download or read book In a Certain Kingdom written by Nicholas Kotar and published by Waystone Press. This book was released on 2021-12-21 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Giants larger than mountains, shapeshifting warrior mages, outlaws who can whistle you to death ... Welcome to the wild world of Russian epic poetry! The traditional epic heroic tales of Russia have been told and retold for centuries. They tell of a half-legendary Russia where princes and dragons, warriors and magicians coexist. But they are more than a glimpse into Russia's past. These are tales that excite and move, that give courage and resilience to anyone, no matter what your age or your background. These are rousing tales of battles won and lost, of loves succeeding over impossible odds, of ancient demons and dragons finding their match in simple men and women of unexpected strength. Ilya Muromets, Nikita the Tanner, Dobrynia the dragon-killer... Russian readers have known and loved these characters for centuries. It's time for you to join them! Epic Heroes of the Rus is a collection of tales retold by Nicholas Kotar, author of the Raven Son epic fantasy series. Filled with whimsy, humor, and adventure, they are sure to delight lovers of classic fairy tales and readers of fantasy the world over. Buy In a Certain Kingdom: Epic Heroes of the Rus today to be transported to a world you may never want to leave!

Download or read book Slavic Mythology written by Jan Hanuš Máchal and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2023-12-14 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Slavic Mythology is a comprehensive study on myths, folklore and legends of the Slavic people settled in Eastern and Central Europe with a meticulous approach to the spirits and ghouls found in Slavic mythical beliefs. Thorough and comprehensive research covers various aspects of the theme, from stories of spirits of the dead, through folk tales of gods and beings of the households, forests and water, to legends of Slavic gods. The study comprehends the mythology of Slavic people of the Elbe river and the Russians, with a glance at the Baltic mythology.

Download or read book Slavic Gods and Heroes written by Judith Kalik and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-07-11 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a radical reinterpretation of the Slavic pagan religion made on the basis of a thorough re-examination of all reliable sources. What did Slavic pagan religion have in common with the Afro-American cult of voodoo? Why were no Slavic gods mentioned before the mid-tenth century, and why were there no Slavic gods at all between the Dnieper and the Order? Why were Slavic foundation legends similar to the totemic myths of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian Steppe, and who were Slavic Remus and Romulus? What were the Indo-European roots of Slavic hippomantic rituals, and where was the Eastern Slavic dragon Zmey Gorynych born? Answers to these and many other provocative questions can be found in this book.

Download or read book Russian Folk Belief written by Linda J. Ivanits and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-03-04 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A scholarly work that aims to be both broad enough in scope to satisfy upper-division undergraduates studying folk belief and narrative and detailed enough to meet the needs of graduate students in the field. Each of the seven chapters in Part 1 focuses on one aspect of Russian folk belief, such as the pagan background, Christian personages, devils and various other logical categories of the topic. The author's thesis - that Russian folk belief represents a "double faith" whereby Slavic pagan beliefs are overlaid with popular Christianity - is persuasive and has analogies in other cultures. The folk narratives constituting Part 2 are translated and include a wide range of tales, from the briefly anecdotal to the more fully developed narrative, covering the various folk personages and motifs explored in Part 1.

Download or read book Slavic Folklore written by Natalie Kononenko and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 2007-09-30 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Slavic folklore has great cultural significance and international influence. Written for students and general readers, this book offers a brief but thorough introduction to Slavic folklore. Included are explanations of the different types of Slavic folklore, the role of Slavic folklore in literature and popular culture, and the state of criticism and scholarship on this field of interest. The volume provides numerous examples and cites print and electronic sources for further reading. The people of Eastern Europe have a long and rich cultural history. Central to that history are the folktales, traditions, and customs of the region. Some elements of Slavic folklore, such as vampire legends and Easter eggs, are well known, while others are more obscure. And when the Slavs came to America, they brought much of their folklore to the new world, where it continues to flourish today. This book is a short but thorough introduction to Slavic folklore. Written expressly for students and general readers, it systematically overviews Slavic folklore. It discusses the many different types of folklore and summarizes scholarship and research on the subject. It provides a wide range of texts and examples from the Slavic folk tradition and explores the role of Slavic folklore in literature and popular culture. The volume cites numerous print and electronic sources and closes with a glossary and selected, general bibliography. Literature students will enjoy learning about Slavic tales and customs, while students in social studies classes will learn more about the culture of Eastern Europe.

Download or read book Slavic Soul Myths and Legends written by J L Jaroslavs and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-18 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What distinguishes "Slavic Mythology" from other books of this type available is the user-friendly language of the stories presented, devoid of scientific, often difficult to understand terms. This publication is a collection of fictional stories illustrating the content of Slavic myths, but all the cultural and historical components of the texts contained therein - the names of deities and demons, their attributes and behavior - are consistent with scientific knowledge. In conjunction with an attractive and transparent form of narration, this makes this book attractive not only to researchers of the history of the Slavs, but also fans of fantasy literature, computer games and all activities that reconstruct the past.The book contains over 30 legends, tales and myths from Polish, Czech and Russian Ukrainian Slovak mythology.Based on the beliefs of the Slavs.

Download or read book The Three Golden Hairs written by Carolyn Emerick and published by Carolyn Emerick. This book was released on with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: European Fairy Tales Series Vol 6 The Three Golden Hairs" is a fairy tale recorded from Czech storytellers in the 19th century. This book discusses several topics to help shed the historical and mythical insight into this tale. The early history of the Slavic people as well as their conversion to Christianity is explored. The phenomenon called "Dvoeverie," or the Slavic dual faith, is explained. We look at what is known about Slavic myth and how it lingered on in the folk consciousness. Further, the relationship between the ethnic-Germans and the Czechs is mentioned. Elements of Germanic myth found within this tale are overviewed, and differences between the Czech and German variations of the story are highlighted to discuss the evolution of myth and folklore. We will look at the figure of Baba Yaga, and how she makes an appearance in this tale - even though she appears very different here than in other fairy tales. Baba Yaga's origins as an ancient mother goddess is discussed. Other Slavic mythical elements that present in this text are also discussed. Finally, the book ends with the author's retelling of "The Three Golden Hairs." This volume is illustrated throughout.

Download or read book In The Forests Of Serre written by Patricia A. McKillip and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2003-06-03 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the tales of World Fantasy Award-winning author Patricia McKillip, nothing is ever as it seems. A mirror is never just a mirror; a forest is never just a forest. Here, it is a place where a witch can hide in her house of bones and a prince can bargain with his heart...where good and evil entwine and wear each others' faces... and where a bird with feathers of fire can quench the fiercest longing...

Download or read book Woodruff s Guide to Slavic Deities written by Anita Allen and published by Woodruff's Guide. This book was released on 2020-09-02 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new and refreshing look at the ancient beliefs of the people that lived in the Slavic lands. A religion rooted in balance, connection and the Earth. Explore these different faces of deity: Veles, the teacher of magic and lord of the animals; Zhiva, the radiant goddess of life, love and justice; Mat Zemla, who is the "moist Mother Earth" and more! Approximately 32 million people in the United States identify as having Slavic heritage and yet most of them have probably never heard of the native gods of their homeland. As more people look to find their own connection to earth spirituality they have only to look to the indigenous religion of their heritage. There is little available in English on these beliefs and the little that has been published is often tainted with white supremacist agendas. Come learn about the deities of the Slavic lands. Woodruff is an academic, an interfaith minister and a practicing Lemko bosorka. Her intense research and multi-disciplinary approach has broken new ground and resulted in same amazing new discoveries about this ancient religion.

Download or read book A Dagger in the Winds written by Brendan Noble and published by Frostmarked Chronicles. This book was released on 2021-06-15 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An outcast cursed since birth. A witch chosen by a goddess. Torn apart by fate, together, can they save their tribe from eternal winter? All Waclaw has ever dreamed of is belonging and purpose. Except he's never actually dreamed. Each night, his soul leaves his body, allowing him to wander invisibly until he wakes. He'd do anything to know why. Even give a blood offering to the goddess of winter and death. As a priestess of spring, there's no one Otylia hates more than the winter goddess-except maybe her once best friend Waclaw. It's been four years since she saved Waclaw's life using forbidden magic. Her thanks? Abandonment. Winter stole her mother just weeks later, and Waclaw never came. But when Otylia discovers Waclaw bearing the winter goddess's mark on what should be the first day of spring, she realizes the horrific truth: Winter will not end, and Waclaw is her only hope of discovering why. Embark on an epic journey through a world rooted in Slavic mythology and folklore that has powerful gods, menacing beasts, cursed forests, forbidden romance, and plenty of secrets to uncover.