Focusing on a curated selection of pagan art and artifacts, this book
explains the iconography and mystic power of pagan ritual objects from
around the world. Ethan Doyle White identifies three critical elementsof
paganism from classical antiquity to today: polytheism, affiliation with
nature, and witchcraft and divination. Fundamental symbols are
identified and examined closely, and central myths and allegories are
clarified to provide new insights into the philosophies and beliefs of
pagans.
Pagans begins with an introduction that clarifies what we mean by
"pagan." It traces the pre-Christian origins of paganism, the
development of the different aspects of pagan belief over centuries, and
how materials from the pre-Christian religions of Europe, North Africa,
and West Asia are built into the practices of today's Pagans.
The book is organized into three broad sections--"Ancient Ways,"
"Ritual," and "Community"--each containing three themed chapters.For
each chapter, illustrated text is interspersed with double-page
presentations of the key figures, stories, and iconography relevant to
each theme. Readers will not only come to understand the many symbols
that define pagan religions and practices but will also discover the
beliefsand philosophies of pagans from around the world, from polytheism
to pantheism and from magic and ritual to ideas about the afterlife.
This is the second in a series of books on the material and visual
culture of global religions and spiritual traditions, highlighting the
iconography and mystic power of ritual objects and images.
