Gras Top Nine Heathen Books

Because my List of Recommended Heathen Reading keeps getting longer, Ive put together a shorter list to in an effort to help someone who is brand-new to all of this and doesnt know where to start. Lets begin with the

Top Three Books for the Neophyte Heathen

Kevin Crossley-Holland, The Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings. Modern retelling of the Norse myths. Beautifully written and accurate. Penguin; ISBN 0-14-00.6056-1. Snorri Sturluson, Edda, translated by Anthony Faulkes. Written by a 13th-century Icelander, this invaluable work contains much of the surviving information about Norse mythology. Everyman's Library, J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd: London; ISBN 0-460-87185-4. The Poetic Edda, translated by Carolyne Larrington. A collection of medieval poems about Germanic gods and heroes. Many of the poems are thought to date from heathen times. Oxford University Press: Oxford; ISBN 0-19-282383-3. These three books will give you the basics of Norse mythology. The additional books below will give you a broader perspective on Germanic culture and religion.

Six More Books

Beowulf. The great epic poem of the Anglo-Saxons. Any recent verse translation (there are several) should be fine. H.R. Ellis Davidson, Gods and Myths of the Viking Age. Written by an eminent scholar, this book is a good introduction to the academic perspective on Norse religion. [Was previously published as Gods and Myths of Northern Europe.] Bell Publishing: New York; ISBN 0-517-336448. R.I. Page, Chronicles of the Vikings: Records, Memorials and Myths. This anthology of Viking-Age writings is the best single source I know of for getting a feel for the Norse world-view. British Museum Press: London; ISBN 0-7141-0564-3. Rudolf Simek, Dictionary of Northern Mythology; translated by Angela Hall. Detailed entries, with references, on all aspects of Germanic religion. An indispensable reference work. D.S. Brewer: Woodbridge, Suffolk; ISBN 0-85991-513-1. Snorri Sturluson, Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway; translated by Lee M. Hollander. This tome contains several sections that reveal heathen practices or beliefs. University of Texas Press: Austin; ISBN 0-292-73061-6. Tacitus, The Agricola and the Germania, translated by H. Mattingly. Best primary source for the beliefs of the early Germanic tribes. Penguin.

2000 by Ann Gra Sheffield. All rights reserved.