Athoroughreferencetothemanydeities,magicalbeings,mythicalplaces,andancientcustomsoftheNorseandGermanicregionsofEurope-Exploresthelegendsandoriginsofwell-knowngodsandfiguressuchasOdin,Thor,Krampus,andtheValkyries,aswellasabroadrangeofmagicalbeingssuchastheElfKing,theLorelei,thePerchten,dwarves,trolls,andgiants-Drawsuponawealthofwell-knownandraresources,suchasthePoeticEddaandTheDeedsoftheDanesbySaxoGrammaticus-Examinesfolktales,myths,andmagicalbeliefsfromGermany,Austria,Switzerland,Denmark,Finland,Sweden,Norway,Iceland,andEnglandThelegendsoftheNorseandGermanicregionsofEurope--spanningfromGermanyandAustriaacrossScandinaviatoIcelandandEngland--includeabroadrangeofmythicalcharactersandplaces,fromOdinandThor,toberserkersandValhalla,totheValkyriesandKrampus.Inthisencyclopedia,ClaudeLecouteuxexplorestheorigins,connections,andtalesbehindmanygods,goddesses,magicalbeings,rituals,folkcustoms,andmythicalplacesofNorseandGermanictradition.MorethanareferencetotheAesirandtheVanirpantheons,thisencyclopediadrawsuponawealthofwell-knownandraresources,suchasthePoeticEdda,theSagaofYnglingarbySnorriSturluson,andTheDeedsoftheDanesbySaxoGrammaticus.BeyondthefamousandinfamousNorsegodsandgoddesses,Lecouteuxalsoprovidesinformationonlesser-knownfiguresfromancientGermanicpagantraditionsuchastheElfKing,theLorelei,thePerchten,landspirits,fairies,dwarves,trolls,goblins,bogeymen,giants,andmanyotherbeingswhoroamthewild,aswellaslengthyarticlesonwell-knownfiguresandeventssuchasSiegfried(SigurdinNorse)andRagnar繹k.Theauthordescribestheworshipoftheelementsandtrees,detailsmanymagicalrituals,andshareswildfolktalesfromancientEurope,suchasthestrangeadventureofPeterSchlemihlandthetaleoftheCursedHuntsman.HealsodispelsthefalsebeliefsthathavearisenfromtheNazihijackingofGermanicmythologyandfromitslongtimesuppressionbyChristianity.CompletewithrareillustrationsandinformationfromobscuresourcesappearingforthefirsttimeinEnglish,thisdetailedreferenceworkrepresentsanexcellentresourceforscholarsandthoseseekingtoreconnecttotheirpaganpastsandrestoretheoldreligion.
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