Product Description

Imagine the forest. As darkness falls, the somber beeches disappear in misty twilight and shadows seem to gather under their branches. Far away, the blackbird's call tells of the coming of the night. The birds cease their singing, silence descends, soon the beasts of the night will make their appearance. Between tangled roots, hidden by nettles and brambles, the earth seems to ripple. A few humps of earth seem to emerge from the ground. They are the last traces of burial mounds, of mounds, which were tall and high 2500 years ago. Many of them have disappeared, hidden by tangled roots of beech and oak, ploughed flat by careless farmers, others again show caved-in tops where grave robbers have looted the central chamber. The locals shun these hills. There are tales that strange fires can be seen glowing on the mounds, and that on spooky nights, great armed warriors arise from their resting places. Then the doors to the deep are thrown open and unwary travelers have to beware of being invited into the halls of the dead and unborn. Here the kings of the deep feast and celebrate, time passes differently and strange treasures may be found. Who knows the nights when the gates are open? Who carries the primrose, the wish-flower, the strange blossom that opens the doors to the hollow hills?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #416587 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 556 pages

Review
Praise for earlier Jan Fries books: Helrunar: '...eminently practical and certainly breaks new ground.' Ronald Hutton (author Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles) Recommended by The Cauldron

About the Author
Author of Visual Magick: a manual of freestyle shamanism; Helrunar: a manual of rune magick; Seidways: shaking swaying and serpent mysteries; Living Midnight: three movements of the Tao.

Customer Reviews

An Essential Celtic Reference Work
Cauldron of the Gods is a useful and fascinating work on ancient Celtic magical practices and traditions by one of the best writers in the field of esotericism. Not only does Jan Fries provide us with many interesting points from an archaeological perspective, but also gives in depth commentary on Gaelic and Welsh mythological tales and druidic verse. The author's sense of humour shines through as usual (often irreverent, but always entertaining)to make this a thoroughly worthwhile read.