Product Description

40 per cent to resalers/ 25 per cent single copy other discounts by arrangement

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #316001 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Review
"...the contents are stimulating stuff even though they may be somewhat different to what you might expect if you are familiar with the contents of the Poetic and Prose Eddas and the Sagas..." - Alfred Godwin, Runa, Issue 15, 2004.

Mr. E. Max Hyatt, author of
"A very inspirational work.... I (along with everyone present) soon became spellbound by it...."

Mr. Ralph Harrison, writer for
"ranges far and wide on Odinist themes, from the errors of monotheism to Ragnarok"

Customer Reviews

For the student of Norse Paganism/Secret Societies
According to Hannah Arendt, "real power begins where secrecy begins." The Odin Brotherhood--a pagan secret society devoted to Odin, Thor, Sif, and the other deities of Norse tradition--takes secrecy seriously. Organized in 1421, the Brotherhood continues the old ways. A warrior's religion, members honor the gods by fostering "thought, courage, honor, light, and beauty." This non-fiction work describes their beliefs and practices.

Mystical Odinism
No book on the subject of Odinism/Asatru has remained in print longer (The Odin Brotherhood book has been through five editions with two publishers since 1992 and has never been out of print), and no book on Odinism has inspired more controversy.

This work, packed with information in an easily accessible dialogue form, details the existence of an Odinist secret society that has been in existence since 1421. Critics scoff, but the Odin Brotherhood exists!

In addition to providing their history, the author details the beliefs and rituals of the group. In contrast to the "neo-pagan" groups, the rituals of the Odin Brotherhood are precisely worded rituals grounded in richly symbolic actions. This, for example, is their funeral rite:


AUTHOR: Tell me about your death ritual.

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: When an Odinist dies, one who shares his secret knowledge will perform a special ceremony. This ceremony is called "The-Rite-of-Nanna."

AUTHOR: Please describe it to me.

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: The celebrant (the person performing the rite) must declare in the presence of the corpse the ancient words: The warrior named ________is dead. Behold the hero! He (she) died the death of a master--not a servant! Then, facing the sun, the celebrant, makes this declaration: The warrior named_________is dead. Behold the hero! Even as the wild flowers return in the spring, so shall he (she) return!

AUTHOR: And is the body cremated or inhumed?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: In ancient times, the body was incinerated. In the current age, however, the body of the dead Odinist must be placed in a standing position in a mound of earth.

AUTHOR: Why are the remains buried upright? It is interesting that Michel de Notredame--the fabled Nostradamus--was entombed in a vertical position.

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: Upright is the posture of a warrior. When a man stands erect, he is poised for action.

AUTHOR: After the warrior is inhumed, is the ceremony finished?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: No. The celebrant will conclude the ceremony by burying three objects in the mound with the remains.

AUTHOR: What are the objects?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: One is an acorn. This will cause a mighty oak to mark the site of the grave.

AUTHOR: And the second object?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: A tablet made from the purest lead. If the time is winter, the tablet will be "reddened" with the blood of a living animal and will bear a personal communication to the deceased.

AUTHOR: And the third object?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: The celebrant must insert a broken monolith of solid gold into the mound. This monolith always bears an inscription.

AUTHOR: What does the inscription declare?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: The following words are engraved in the gold: The warrior named ______is dead. Behold the hero! He (she) lives in a new form!

AUTHOR: Why is the monolith broken?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: For the deceased to enjoy the grave goods in the next world, the goods must first be "killed." Breaking (or burning) is a way of killing an object.

AUTHOR: How large is the monolith?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: Typically, the monolith is the size of a man's fist. Sometimes, however, it is much larger.

AUTHOR: What is the largest of which you have knowledge?

THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD: According to our legends, the three founders of the Odin Brotherhood ("Mocking-Defiance," "The-Power-of-Innocence," and "Desire-to-Rebel") were buried together in a special mound called "The-Mountain-of-Promise." Tradition states that each of the three monoliths placed with their bodies was the size of a living man.

Baldr-Dash
Fantasist's dream ,realist's nightmare. A step up from the graphic novel, a childlike and disappointing read. Obviously a book written to entice the impressionable. A story Hollywood could be interested in, however, this is the Star Trek of paganism.