Ancient religions and Mythologies Books
Archaeopress NVMINA MAGNA: Roma e il culto dei Grandi Dei di
Book SynopsisThe cult of the Great Gods of Samothrace, which became popular starting as early as the 7th century BC in the eastern Mediterranean, is characterised by regional differences concerning cultural manifestations and relationships with local deities. Confused and identified with the so-called Cabiri, these deities had their main sanctuaries on the islands of Samothrace and Lemnos and in Thebes, in Boeotia. The connection between these deities and others like Dioscuri, Penates and Lares and their protective function seem to be a key to understanding the complex syncretism that characterises the cult of the Great Gods from the period of Roman conquests in the Eastern world. The literary sources seem to highlight, in fact, in the period in which the interests in the Eastern world are crucial to the foreign policy of Rome, an evident attempt to identify the Kabiroi of Samothrace with typically Roman gods like Lares and Penates. The aim of this book is to underline the main aspects of the cult in light of the influences of Roman cultural and mythological substratum. Il culto dei Grandi Dei di Samotracia, diffuso nel Mediterraneo orientale a partire almeno dal VII secolo a.C., è caratterizzato da differenze nei diversi bacini geografici, sia per ciò che concerne le manifestazioni culturali, sia per quanto riguarda i rapporti con le divinità locali. Confusi ed identificati con i cosiddetti Cabiri, queste divinità avevano i loro principali santuari sulle isole di Samotracia e Lemno e a Tebe di Beozia. La loro connessione con i Dioscuri, i Penati e i Lari e la loro funzione protettiva sembrano essere la chiave di lettura per comprendere il complesso sincretismo che caratterizza il culto dei Grandi Dei a partire dalla conquista romana del Mediterraneo occidentale. Le fonti letterarie sembrano evidenziare, infatti, nel periodo nel quale le azioni di politica estera di Roma si concentrano in Oriente, una forte volontà di identificare gli dei di Samotracia con divinità tipicamente romane come Lari e Penati. Lo scopo di questo libro è quello di mettere in evidenza i principali aspetti del culto attraverso l’analisi delle influenze del sostrato culturale e mitologico di Roma.Table of Contents1. …Und niemals wissen, was sie sind! Origine e sviluppo del culto dei Cabiri e dei Grandi Dei nel Mediterraneo orientale; 2. Lari, Penati e Grandi Dei di Samotracia a Roma tra la media e la tarda età repubblicana; 3. Lapis nigellus. L’introduzione del culto della Magna Mater a Roma e in Italia ; 4. L’atrium della villa di Oplontis: l’autocelebrazione di un devoto ai Grandi Dei di Samotracia?
£28.50
Camel Publishing House The Arabian Nights Entertainments
Book Synopsis
£12.97
Wessex Astrologer Ltd The Lunar Mansions Guide: Rediscovering the
Book SynopsisThis book will provide you with the long-lost key to the traditional Western lunar mansions, also once known as the Manzils. In 'The Lunar Mansions Guide: Rediscovering the Western Lunar Zodiac', Oscar Hofman retrieves and regenerates this old and important technique which, in Western astrology at least, has become almost obsolete. His investigations were based on the critical evaluation of old texts, and on his extensive knowledge of the fixed stars, their natures and especially their mythological stories. The result of his hard work is demonstrated here in copious case studies, showing that the method is a wonderful tool suitable for use in natal, electional and predictive astrology. 'The Lunar Mansions Guide' makes the perfect companion to Oscar's previous book, 'Fixed Stars in the Chart', and will be welcomed by seasoned students as well as those who are new to the technique of lunar mansions.
£16.65
Andromeda Publishing Ltd Wicca Starter Kit: A Beginners' Guide to Wicca
Book Synopsis
£15.74
Reuts Publications Goddess of the North
Book Synopsis
£16.49
De Gruyter History and Literature of Early Christianity
Book SynopsisThis work has established itself as a classical text in the field of New Testament studies. Written in a readable, non-technical style, it has become an indispensable textbook and reference for teachers, students, clergy, and the educated layperson interested in a scholarly treatment of the New Testament and its background in the Judaic and Greco-Roman world.
£49.05
De Gruyter Cesti: The Extant Fragments
Book SynopsisIulius Africanus (3rd cent.) is a fascinating writer in a period of transition. Widely travelled, he belongs to the intellectual élite of the second sophistic. His two main works present a similar encyclopedic approach, but very different contents. He can be considered the “father of Christian chronography”, since he authored the first Christian world chronicle (Chronographiae). However, he also wrote a comprehensive and multifaceted manual of many fields of knowledge, where the religious character is open to debate. The preserved fragments of the Cesti treat military, technical, medical and many other topics. These texts are presented in an entirely new critical edition. The transmission of the texts as well as questions of authenticity are highly complex. Compared to the previous edition (Vieillefond 1970), considerable progress has been reached in terms of both, quantity and quality of the material. Hitherto unknown texts have been included, and in the case of dubious authorship all necessary information is provided for a realistic picture of the transmission. In the introduction, all relevant channels of transmission are discussed. The edition is accompanied by notes and a new English translation.
£156.15
De Gruyter The Bible, Qumran, and the Samaritans
Book SynopsisDiscoveries on Mount Gerizim and in Qumran demonstrate that the final editing of the Hebrew Bible coincides with the emergence of the Samaritans as one of the different types of Judaisms from the last centuries BCE. This book discusses this new scholarly situation. Scholars working with the Bible, especially the Pentateuch, and experts on the Samaritans approach the topic from the vantage point of their respective fields of expertise. Earlier, scholars who worked with Old Testament/Hebrew Bible studies mostly could leave the Samaritan material to experts in that area of research, and scholars studying the Samaritan material needed only sporadically to engage in Biblical studies. This is no longer the case: the pre-Samaritan texts from Qumran and the results from the excavations on Mount Gerizim have created an area of study common to the previously separated fields of research. Scholars coming from different directions meet in this new area, and realize that they work on the same questions and with much common material.This volume presents the current state of scholarship in this area and the effects these recent discoveries have for an understanding of this important epoch in the development of the Bible.
£85.50
Dolmen Publicacoes Cernunnos: Devocionário Pagão
Book Synopsis
£10.05
Stockholm University Press The Hostages of the Northmen: From the Viking Age
Book Synopsis
£18.00
HarperCollins India Mahagatha: Puranon se 100 kahaniyan
Book Synopsis
£17.50
Rupa Publications India Language of the Immortals
Book SynopsisSanskrit has long been celebrated as one of the building blocks of Indian civilization, and is venerated in temples, scriptures, and classical literature. In Language of the Immortals, renowned scholar and critic G. N. Devy uncovers the astounding paradox of Sanskrit.
£20.80
Crossed Crow Books Your Book of Shadows
Book Synopsis
£16.14
University of California Press The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas in Late
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Cobb’s book is a valuable introduction to the reception history of stories related to the martyrdom of Perpetua and her companions, especially for students and others new to the traditions surrounding their cult." * Reading Religion *"This volume is a crucial addition to any personal or institutional library for the study of Perpetua and Felicitas, early Christian martyrs and their legacies, the connection between textual evidence and material culture, Christianity in late antiquity, and more." * Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments General Introduction Part One. The Accounts of the Martyrdom 1. Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas (Latin) 2. Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas (Greek) 3. Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas AActs of Perpetua and Felicitas B Part Two. The Interpretations of the Martyrdom 4. TertullianOn the Soul 55 (excerpt) 5. Augustine Sermon 280 Sermon 281 Sermon 282 Sermon 282auct On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (excerpt) Expositions on the Psalms (excerpt) Sermon 159A 6. Pseudo-AugustineSermon 394 Sermon 394A On the Feast Day of Saint Victoria (Mai 66) 7. Treatise on the Feast Day of Perpetua and Felicitas 8. Quodvultdeus On the Barbaric Age I 9. Pseudo-FulgentiusOn Job and Blessed Perpetua 10. References to the Passion in Other Martyr Accounts Martyrdom of Polyeuctus Martyrdom of Procopius of Scythopolis Part Three. The Celebrations of the Martyrs 11. Martyrs' Burials of the Codex-Calendar of 354 12. Syriac Martyrology 13. Liber genealogus 14. Martyrology of Jerome 15. Fasti Vindobonenses priores and posteriores 16. Prosper Chronicle 17. Calendar of Willibrord 18. The Gelasian Sacramentary 19. BedeMartyrology of Bede On the Reckoning of Time 20. Martyrology of Tallaght 21. Félire of Oengus the Culdee Part Four. The Representations of the Martyrs 22. Arcosolium of the Coemeterium Maius (Rome, Italy) 23. Basilica Maiorum (Tunis, Tunisia) and Victor of Vita 24. Arcosolium of Saints Marcus and Marcellianus (Rome, Italy) 25. Sarcophagus (La Bureba, Spain) 26. Basilica Sant’Apollinare Nuovo (Ravenna, Italy) 27. Archiepiscopal Chapel (Ravenna, Italy) 28. Basilica Eufrasiana (Poreč, Croatia) Index
£64.00
Cornell University Press On Greek Religion
Book SynopsisA provocative and wide-ranging entrée into the world of ancient Greek religion.Trade ReviewAlthough one might expect a mere survey from the title, Parker delivers far more than a beginners' summary. Rather, this book is a probing exploration of the methodological and interpretive difficulties associated with Greek religion from the eighth through the second centuries BCE.... This work provides a wealth of insights from one of the leading experts in the field. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *On Greek Religion has all the virtues we have come to appreciate in his writings: a fruitful blend of the factual and theoretical; a simultaneous inclination towards and distrust of categories, schemes, and generalities; scrupulous attention to detail; an awareness of what we do and do not and cannot know about Greek religion; precise and generous but not uncritical discussions of others' views; the integration of literary and epigraphical sources; common sense; and a lively style with touches of whimsy. -- Jon D. Mikalson * The Classical Journal *This book derives from the Townsend Lectures given by Parker at Cornell in 2008, but its style is not noticeably different from that of Parker's two previous books.... Its scope is wider than those two works, both chronologically, dealing with material from the eighth to the second century BC, and geographically, covering the entire Greek world. Its ambition is also greater, in that its seven chapters and five appendices aim to provide an interpretation of Greek religion as a whole.... This is a very important book that everyone working in the field of Greek religion will have to read. -- Hugh Bowden * The Journal of Hellenic Studies *This book is an important step in its author's scholarly journey in the field of ancient Greek religion.... This work is outstandingly well-informed, well-written, clever and also very cautious. -- Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *This work, derived from a series of lectures given by the author at Cornell University in 2008, offers a discussion on a series of central questions in the domain of Greek religion. R. Parker achieves his goal with much maestria in this work, which is proof of an excellent knowledge of Greek religion, both ancient evidence and equal historiography, to which he returns frequently. To enrich his reflections, the author systematically echoes various interpretations of the issues he tackles, thus giving breadth to his analysis. All of these qualities make On Greek Religion an indispensable text for specialists in Ancient Greek religion, who will find in it abundant material for reflection. -- Stéphanie Paul * L'Antiquité Classique *Table of Contents1. Why Believe without Revelation? The Evidences of Greek Religion 2. Religion without a Church: Religious Authority in Greece 3. Analyzing Greek Gods 4. The Power and Nature of Heroes 5. Killing, Dining, Communicating 6. The Experience of Festivals 7. The Varieties of Greek Religious ExperienceAppendices 1. Seeking the Advice of the God on Matters of Cult 2. Accepting New Gods 3. Worshipping Mortals, and the Nature of Gods 4. Types of Chthonian Sacrifice? 5. The Early History of Hero CultBibliography Index
£23.99
Llewellyn Publications,U.S. By Oak, Ash and Thorn: Modern Celtic Shamanism
Book SynopsisShamanism begins as a personal revelation and inner healing, then evolves into a striving for balance and healing into the Earth itself. Many spiritual seekers are interested in shamanism because it is a spiritual path that can be followed in conjunction with any religion or other spiritual belief without conflict. Shamanism has not only been practised by Native Americans and African cultures - for centuries, it was practised by the Europeans, including the Celts. This text presents a workable, modern form of Celtic shamanism that should help raise the reader's spiritual awareness. The book offers specific exercises and techniques to develop spiritual awareness and ties with the natural world: shape-shifting; divination by the Celtic Ogham alphabet; Celtic shamanic tools; travelling to and using magick in the three realms of the Celtic otherworlds; empowering the self; and journeying through meditation.
£15.29
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Sacred Actions Journal
Book SynopsisAn indispensable companion to Sacred Actions that offers neopagans and Earth-based spiritual practitioners prompts for reflecting on sacred actions in the eightfold wheel of the year through writing, meditation, and creation.
£14.39
The Cleft
Book SynopsisDoris Lessing, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, invites us to imagine a mythical society free from sexual intrigue, free from jealousy, free from petty rivalries: a society free from men.An old Roman senator embarks on what may be his last endeavour: the retelling of the story of human creation. He recounts the history of the Clefts, an ancient community of women living in an Edenic, coastal wilderness, in the valley of an overshadowing mountain. The Clefts have no need, or knowledge, of men childbirth is controlled through the cycles of the moon, and their children are always female. But with the birth of a strange, new child a boy the harmony of their community is thrown into jeopardy.At first, the Clefts are awestruck by this seemingly malformed child, but as more and more of these threateningly unfamiliar males appear, they are rejected, and are exposed on the nearby mountainside, sacrificed to the patrolling eagles overhead. Unbeknownst to the Clefts, however, these baby males survive, aided by the eagles, and thrive on the other side of the mountain. It is not until a curious young Cleft named Maire goes beyond the geographical, and emotional, divide of the mountain that this disquieting fact is uncovered forcing the Clefts to accept the prospect of a now shared world, and the possible vengeance of the wronged males.In this fascinating and beguiling novel, Lessing confronts head-on the themes that inspired much of her early writing: how men and women, two similar and yet thoroughly distinct creatures, manage to live side by side in the world, and how the specifics of gender affect every aspect of our existence.Trade Review‘Lessing skilfully manipulates multiple perspectives…a bold, inventive and challenging book from a writer who continues to enlighten and astonish as she approaches her tenth decade.’ Independent 'A work of elegance, wit, humour and mystery. It may even be considered, one day, as one of her finest works…This is a deeply serious novel, but it's also humane, warm and witty…Doris Lessing, in her ninth decade, is writing fiction that is as hypnotic, perceptive and original as any wunderkind a quarter her age' Glasgow Herald ‘The author's reach continues to thrill…there's witchery in the Old She yet.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A narrative with the compelling stamp of Lessing's late tales.’ The Times ‘Doris Lessing writes movingly of the human desire for change…she conveys a powerful belief in the impermanence of any situation in which human beings find themselves and the paradoxically unchanging nature of human relations.’ Observer ‘Lessing's engaging tale is told with the simplicity of an aural history committed to memory.’ New Statesman ‘Her prose is pleasingly incantatory…the novel has a pleasing gravitational pull on a purely poetic level.’ Metro ‘Lessing writes, as ever, with such calm and assured authority…a fascinating, at times disturbing book; one can't imagine any other writer bringing it off.’ The Scotsman 'Lessing has always observed human behaviour with the dispassionate eye of a Martian naturalist…Her prose thrives on a bigness which comes from her imaginative origins on the Veld of her African childhood, and her rangy plots take vast, fast strides over the horizon, collapsing lifetimes like pocket telescopes …”The Cleft” is a return to…the Tempest-like condensation of themes that has always enlarged her work' Times Literary Supplement
£9.99
Princeton University Press The Origins of Monsters
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Few archaeologists would venture into as many regions or across as many disciplinary boundaries as David Wengrow does in his eloquent and ambition analysis."---Christina Riggs, Times Literary Supplement"The Origins of Monsters is a fascinating exposition of the archaeology of the ancient world as a topic that has current resonance. Well written and presented, wonderfully informed and confident, it is well placed to achieve Wengrow's worthy ambition to start a particular dialogue between disciplinary approaches to the topic of monsters."---Michael Punt, Leonardo Reviews
£31.50
Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. Earth Woman Tarot Deck
Book Synopsis
£23.16
University of California Press The Homeric Hymns A Translation with
Book SynopsisThe Homeric Hymns have survived for two and a half millennia because of their captivating stories, beautiful language, and religious significance. This book incorporates twenty-eight new lines in the first Hymn to Dionysos, along with expanded notes, a new preface, and an enhanced bibliography.Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Map Introduction 1. Dionysos 2. Demeter 3. Apollo 4. Hermes 5. Aphrodite 6. Aphrodite 7. Dionysos 8. Ares 9. Artemis 10. Aphrodite 11. Athena 12. Hera 13. Demeter 14. Mother of the Gods 15. Herakles 16. Asklepios 17. Dioskouroi 18. Hermes 19. Pan 20. Hephaistos 21. Apollo 22. Poseidon 23. Zeus 24. Hestia 25. The Muses, Apollo, and Zeus 26. Dionysos 27. Artemis 28. Athena 29. Hestia and Hermes 30. Gaia 31. Helios 32. Selene 33. Dioskouroi 34. Xenoi Notes Select Bibliography Glossary
£18.90
Cornell University Press On Greek Religion
Book SynopsisA provocative and wide-ranging entrée into the world of ancient Greek religion.Trade ReviewAlthough one might expect a mere survey from the title, Parker delivers far more than a beginners' summary. Rather, this book is a probing exploration of the methodological and interpretive difficulties associated with Greek religion from the eighth through the second centuries BCE.... This work provides a wealth of insights from one of the leading experts in the field. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *On Greek Religion has all the virtues we have come to appreciate in his writings: a fruitful blend of the factual and theoretical; a simultaneous inclination towards and distrust of categories, schemes, and generalities; scrupulous attention to detail; an awareness of what we do and do not and cannot know about Greek religion; precise and generous but not uncritical discussions of others' views; the integration of literary and epigraphical sources; common sense; and a lively style with touches of whimsy. -- Jon D. Mikalson * The Classical Journal *This book derives from the Townsend Lectures given by Parker at Cornell in 2008, but its style is not noticeably different from that of Parker's two previous books.... Its scope is wider than those two works, both chronologically, dealing with material from the eighth to the second century BC, and geographically, covering the entire Greek world. Its ambition is also greater, in that its seven chapters and five appendices aim to provide an interpretation of Greek religion as a whole.... This is a very important book that everyone working in the field of Greek religion will have to read. -- Hugh Bowden * The Journal of Hellenic Studies *This book is an important step in its author's scholarly journey in the field of ancient Greek religion.... This work is outstandingly well-informed, well-written, clever and also very cautious. -- Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *This work, derived from a series of lectures given by the author at Cornell University in 2008, offers a discussion on a series of central questions in the domain of Greek religion. R. Parker achieves his goal with much maestria in this work, which is proof of an excellent knowledge of Greek religion, both ancient evidence and equal historiography, to which he returns frequently. To enrich his reflections, the author systematically echoes various interpretations of the issues he tackles, thus giving breadth to his analysis. All of these qualities make On Greek Religion an indispensable text for specialists in Ancient Greek religion, who will find in it abundant material for reflection. -- Stéphanie Paul * L'Antiquité Classique *Table of Contents1. Why Believe without Revelation? The Evidences of Greek Religion 2. Religion without a Church: Religious Authority in Greece 3. Analyzing Greek Gods 4. The Power and Nature of Heroes 5. Killing, Dining, Communicating 6. The Experience of Festivals 7. The Varieties of Greek Religious ExperienceAppendices 1. Seeking the Advice of the God on Matters of Cult 2. Accepting New Gods 3. Worshipping Mortals, and the Nature of Gods 4. Types of Chthonian Sacrifice? 5. The Early History of Hero CultBibliography Index
£81.00
Cornell University Press Akhenaten and the Religion of Light
Book SynopsisAkhenaten, also known as Amenhotep IV, was king of Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty and reigned from 1375 to 1358 B.C. E. Called the "religious revolutionary," he is the earliest known creator of a new religion. The cult he founded broke with...Trade ReviewIn Akhenaten and the Religion of Light, Erik Hornung,...explores the metaphysical and religious dimensions of Akhenaten's 'perestroika'... shows how psychological and medical interpretations of Akhenaten's portraits based on a literal reading of their anatomy-bending style have often fed dubious moral presumptions....'Ugly' and 'sick' Hornung tells us were the most common epithets applied to Amarna art by scholars at the turn of the century. -- Lawrence Osborne * Lingua Franca *This short and eminently readable translation... focuses on the nature of Akhenaten's religion, religious beliefs, and cultic practices, bringing together concepts and discussions from a wide range of scholarly writing. -- Susan Tower Hollis, SUNY Empire State College * Journal of the American Oriental Society *
£19.94
John Wiley and Sons Ltd A Companion to Roman Religion
Book SynopsisA comprehensive treatment of the significant symbols and institutions of Roman religion, this Companion places the various religious symbols, discourses, and practices, including Judaism and Christianity, into a larger framework to reveal the sprawling landscape of the Roman religion.Trade Review"This Companion will in fact be sustaining company as we try to read these signs to find the meaning that compelled such commitment." (Phoenix, 2011) Table of ContentsList of Figures x List of Maps xiii Notes on Contributors xiv Acknowledgments xix Abbreviations xxi Maps xxviii 1 Roman Religion – Religions of Rome 1 Jörg Rüpke 2 Approaching Roman Religion: The Case for Wissenschaftsgeschichte 10 C. Robert Phillips, III Part I Changes 29 3 The Religion of Archaic Rome 31 Christopher Smith 4 Pre-Roman Italy, Before and Under the Romans 43 Olivier de Cazanove 5 Urban Religion in the Middle and Late Republic 58 Eric Orlin 6 Continuity and Change: Religion in the Augustan Semi-Century 71 Karl Galinsky 7 Religions and the Integration of Cities in the Empire in the Second Century ad: The Creation of a Common Religious Language 83 William Van Andringa 8 Old Religions Transformed: Religions and Religious Policy from Decius to Constantine 96 Hartmut Leppin 9 Religious Koine and Religious Dissent in the Fourth Century 109 Michele Renee Salzman Part II Media 127 10 The History of Roman Religion in Roman Historiography and Epic 129 Denis Feeney 11 Religion and Roman Coins 143 Jonathan Williams 12 Reliefs, Public and Private 164 Katja Moede 13 Inscriptions as Sources of Knowledge for Religions and Cults in the Roman World of Imperial Times 176 Rudolf Haensch 14 Religion in the House 188 Annemarie Kaufmann-Heinimann Part III Symbols and Practices 203 15 Roman Cult Sites: A Pragmatic Approach 205 Ulrike Egelhaaf-Gaiser 16 Complex Rituals: Games and Processions in Republican Rome 222 Frank Bernstein 17 Performing the Sacred: Prayers and Hymns 235 Frances Hickson Hahn 18 Music and Dance: Forms of Representation in Pictorial and Written Sources 249 Friederike Fless and Katja Moede 19 Sacrifices for Gods and Ancestors 263 John Scheid Part IV Actors and Actions 273 20 Religious Actors in Daily Life: Practices and Related Beliefs 275 Nicole Belayche 21 Republican Nobiles: Controlling the Res Publica 292 Veit Rosenberger 22 Emperors: Caring for the Empire and Their Successors 304 Peter Herz 23 Urban Elites in the Roman East: Enhancing Regional Positions and Social Superiority 317 Athanasios Rizakis 24 Living on Religion: Professionals and Personnel 331 Marietta Horster Part V Different Religious Identities 343 25 Roman Diaspora Judaism 345 Jack N. Lightstone 26 Creating One’s Own Religion: Intellectual Choices 378 Attilio Mastrocinque 27 Institutionalized Religious Options: Mithraism 392 Richard Gordon 28 The Romanness of Roman Christianity 406 Stefan Heid Part VI Roman Religion Outside and Seen from Outside 427 29 Exporting Roman Religion 429 Clifford Ando 30 Religion in the Roman East 446 Ted Kaizer 31 Roman Religion in the Vision of Tertullian 457 Cecilia Ames Bibliography 472 General Index 511 Index of Personal Names 526 Index of Places 537
£37.95
Concrescent Press The Book of The Great Queen
£44.89
Pan Macmillan The Masque of Africa
Book SynopsisV. S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession.His novels include A House for Mr Biswas, The Mimic Men, Guerrillas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for In a Free State. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include Among the Believers, Beyond Belief, The Masque of Africa, and a trio of books about India: An Area of Darkness, India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now.In 1990, V. S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 20Trade ReviewCompelling, insightful, often somberly beautiful. * Sunday Telegraph *Naipaul travels, he asks, he listens attentively and, above all else, he notices, often seeing what others do not or cannot. That acute gift has never left him . . . he is sustained by the old ideal of unadorned truth-telling. * New Statesman *The quality of Naipaul’s writing – simple, concise, engaging – rarely varies . . . Above all, Naipaul’s latest African journey is eyewitness reporting at its best. * Time *
£12.34
Princeton University Press Gods and Robots
Book SynopsisTraces the story of how ancient cultures envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices and human enhancements, sharing insights into how the mythologies of the past related to and shaped ancient machine innovations.Trade Review"One of BookAuthority’s Three Best New Robotics Audiobooks To Read in 2019""Absorbing. . . . [Mayor is] an accessible and engaging writer."---Peter Thonemann, Wall Street Journal"In her new book, Gods and Robots, Adrienne Mayor draws comparisons between mythical androids and ancient robots and the AI of today. . . . Through detailed storytelling and careful analysis of popular myths, Mayor urges readers to consider lessons learned from these stories as we set about creating a new world with AI. . . . Wonderful storytelling, thorough research, and impressive expertise."---Sarah Olson, Science"A fascinating unpacking of ancient myths that feature robots and other lifelike beings, some of which bear an eerie resemblance to modern technology. . . . In her insightful analyses of these tales, Mayor is approachable and engaging, and she infuses many familiar stories with new energy in the context of technology. She adroitly explores the ethical aspects of artificial life, addressing big questions about sentience and agency through the lens of ancient ideas. She also makes a convincing argument that these imagined machines anticipated advances that are considered cutting-edge today. Ultimately, she leaves readers in awe of these thinkers who dreamed of ‘androids’ long before it was conceivable to build them. A collection of wondrous tales that present ancient myths as the proto-science fiction stories they are." * Kirkus *"The Greeks thought of everything, including sci-fi tropes such as androids and artificial intelligence, according to this lively study of mythology and technology. . . . Mayor’s exploration of the endless inventiveness of the Greek imagination makes for an engrossing read." * Publishers Weekly *"It is a place where megalomaniac leaders with an insatiable appetite for knowledge develop artificial intelligence and robots that pose grave dangers to humanity. Silicon Valley? No, Greek mythology."---Mark Bridge, The Times"Dr. Mayor urges top tech bosses to closely analyse the stories of the Greeks as we close in on a future dominated by automated technologies."---Harry Pettit, Daily Mail"This is an excellent source book for confronting political and technological hubris then and now, the earliest arguable traces of modern fears."---Peter Stothard, The Spectator"The Greeks [Mayor argues] envisioned . . . advanced technological artifacts driven by internal machinery [and] establishes the engineered nature of androids like Talos and Pandora. [Her] close analysis finds echoes of real historical techniques [and] nicely refutes those critics who might claim that artificial life achieved through engineering was an idea beyond the conceptual horizon of the ancients."---William A. Wilson, Weekly Standard"[An] astonishing chronicle."---Barbara Kiser, Nature"Adrienne Mayor entertainingly re-examines the various versions of these myths that survive in written and visual form and speculates about their origins." * The Economist *"In Gods and Robots, Adrienne Mayor describes how, more than 2,500 years before the modern computer, people told tales of autonomous machines that could labor, entertain, kill and seduce. . . . 'The age-old stories,' she writes, 'raise questions of free will, slavery, the origins of evil, man’s limits, and what it means to be human.'"---Matthew Hutson, Washington Post"In a breezy and thought-provoking account, Mayor describes how ancient Greek, Roman, Indian and Chinese myths expressed hopes and fears about human-made life long before conversational robots and computer chess champions flexed their algorithms."---Bruce Bower, Science News"[A] brilliant book." * Enlightened Economist *"In her remarkable book Gods and Robots: Machines, Myths, and Ancient Dreams of Technology, Stanford Professor Adrienne Mayor gives a literate and creative history of the notion of delegating power and giving orders to man-made entities."---Michael Munger, American Institute of Economic Research"Beautifully written."---Candida Moss, Daily Beast"[A] masterful retelling of ancient tales."---Clara Bosak-Schroeder, Bryn Mawr Classical Review"There is much to intrigue the general reader, with enough to challenge the more academic reader."---Cath Milnes, Classics for All Reviews"Mayor’s account works so well . . . because she assembles . . . fragments of images to generate a rich visual tapestry . . . The greatest strength of Gods and Robots is that it gives us a framework and a set of familiar stories with which we can negotiate our own times."---Michael John Goodman, British Society for Literature and Science"Gods and Robots turned out to be a fascinating book on an unusual subject." * The Inquisitive Biologist *"Adrienne Mayor writes jargon-free prose laced with wit."---Barry Baldwin, Fortean Times"The questions [Mayor] raises are significant and timely."---Ivana Petrovic, Greece and Rome"This is a wonderful ‘eureka’ book for anyone in search of the deep origin story of robotics and AI . . . and a possible epiphany for Marvel fans and science-fiction and fantasy readers looking for more back story on their favorite superheroes."---Emily E. Auger, Mythlore Journal"Gods and Robots is an excellent discussion of ancient ideas of technology and the potential such technology had to transform the ancient world and to inform the contemporary one. . . .[this book provides] a key introduction to the field of classical reception."---Alan Chadwick, Journal of Classics Teaching"Gods and Robots is an absorbing study of ancient mythological and historical automata that explores their origins and significance in the ancient and modern worlds. It will intrigue anyone interested in mythology, ancient and modern robotics, and the genesis of artificial intelligence."---Georgina J. Henderson, Technology and Culture
£22.50
Viking Society for Northern Research Thor the Windraiser and the Eyrarland Image
Book Synopsis
£11.40
Eworld Signs & Symbols of Primordial Man: The Evolution
Book Synopsis
£17.05
Julia Scott Art Inc Charmed Book of Shadows Replica
£104.50
£20.69
University of California Press Demons in the Details
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Origin Stories 2. Classification Matters 3. How to Avoid Demonic Dangers 4. Legal Demons 5. Serving the Rabbinic Project 6. Exorcising Demons Conclusion Bibliography Subject Index Index of Jewish Sources
£64.00
University of California Press The History of the Church
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Students of ancient Christianity and general readers will find here a lucid translation and a helpful guide to the study of an important source for early Christian history." * Church History and Religious Culture *"This outstanding version will soon become standard in courses, for it is in every way superior to its competition." * Review of Biblical Literature *"Schott's translation was a bold undertaking; it has generated a monumental achievement. It certainly deserves to become the next generation's standard English version of Eusebius' History." * Studies in Late Antiquity *"A singular achievement in Eusebian studies. . . . This volume will become the standard translation." * Journal of Classics Teaching *"This new translation offers contemporary readers an accessible text with insights into the cultural and social influences that shaped Eusebius’ story of Christianity." * Reading Religion *"A remarkable work of scholarship. . . . Schott’s translation has certainly become the first I turn to." * Ancient Jew Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Abbreviations General Introduction the ecclesiastical history Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Book 6 Book 7 Book 8 Book 9 Book 10Appendix A. Maps Appendix B. Eusebius’s Bishop Lists and Chronology Glossary Selected Bibliography Index Nominum (Index of Names) Index Locorum (Eusebius’s Sources)
£14.24
Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. The Old Ways
Book SynopsisEmbrace the old ways with the new as you develop your own vibrant hedge witchcraft tradition.
£15.99
Equinox Publishing Ltd The Spider Dance
Book SynopsisBased on ethnographic research among contemporary Pagan communities in Southern Italy (Salento, Apulia), The Spider Dance challenges (uni)linear ideas and experiences of time and temporality by showing the interconnectedness of alternative historicities, healing, and place-making among persons engaged in reviving, continuing, or re-creating traditional Pagan practices. The Spider Dance looks at local Pagans and at their ritual practice and interpretation of the traditional dance and music called pizzica. Pizzica is associated with tarantismo, a phenomenon present in that area for hundreds of years and attested until the second half of the XX century. Affecting mostly (but not only) women, tarantismo has been described in the form of malaise and physical suffering thought to be provoked by the bite of tarantula spiders and cured with pizzica music and dance. At the turn of the century tarantismo disappeared and new forms, called neotarantismi, emerged. The Spider Dance describes a novel "spiritual" form of neotarantismo and highlights its connections with contemporary forms of magic and healing. The relevance of The Spider Dance is not limited to a description of particular Pagan groups and practices. It also makes some key practical and theoretical contributions to the anthropological study of magic, of contemporary religions, of "historicities," and to scholarly debates around complementary medicine and "well-being," in Italy and abroad.
£67.50
Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. Llewellyns 2026 Magical Almanac
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£13.59
Penguin Books Ltd Pagans and Christians
Book SynopsisFrom the second century AD to the conversion of the first Christian emperor, Constantine, Robin Lane Fox''s Pagans and Christians in the Mediterranean World gives a fascinating new perspective on an extraordinary era. The transition from pagan to Christian in the ancient Mediterranean world was a process whose effects we still live with today. How did this monumental conversion come about? How did Christianity compare and compete with the pagan gods in the Roman Empire? This scholarly work, from award-winning historian Robin Lane Fox, places Christians and pagans side by side in the context of civic life and contrasts their religious experiences, visions, cults and oracles. Leading up to the time of the first Christian emperor, Constantine, the book aims to enlarge and confirm the value of contemporary evidence, some of which has only recently been discovered. ''This brilliant book is a wholly unexpected and central contribution to its subje
£17.09
Juggernaut Publication Escape the Bakasura Trap
£13.99
Penguin Random House India The Mahabharata Vol 7
Book SynopsisThe Mahabharata is a story of war between cousins, the Pandavas and Kouravas, centered on conflicts of dharma with no clear right or wrong. Characters face immense and varied dilemmas, showcasing every human emotion. Bibek Debroy's acclaimed translation captures the epic's enduring hold on imagination.
£14.99
Penguin Random House India The Mahabharata
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£17.95
Penguin Books Ltd Life and Afterlife in Ancient China
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe story of China is written in the objects buried in its tombs over many millennia, but for most of us they are as hard to read as Chinese characters. Jessica Rawson is the master-interpreter. In a dozen tombs she tells the story of China across thousands of years, pointing out again and again the profound ways in which the Chinese are not like us. If you want to understand China today, start by visiting these twelve tombs in the enlightening company of Jessica Rawson. A dozen tombs - an underground journey to the heart of China. -- Neil MacGregorTime and time again, Jessica Rawson has demonstrated her extraordinary ability to explain the unfamiliar in terms that everyone can understand. Life and Afterlife in Ancient China is a perfect book for someone new to China. Unusually, it is also ideal for the more knowledgeable because it offers such an up-to-date portrayal of the complex relations between the ancient Chinese and their neighbors -- Valerie Hansen, author of The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization BeganNo book better attests to the most basic point of history - and not just China's - that we are profoundly shaped by our cultural heritages. Rawson's lucid and intimate account of the extraordinary contents of twelve ancient tombs stretching four millennia into the past brings readers inside Chinese culture and mentality in ways that instruct, surprise, and delight. A masterwork -- Timothy Brook, author of Vermeer's Hat and Great StateJessica Rawson understands the long history of China through a lifetime's engagement with its ancient sites and artefacts. Her book evokes both the internal dynamics and external influences of China's deep past with great clarity, allowing us to appreciate their continuing force and importance to the present -- Chris Gosden, Professor of European Archaeology, University of OxfordA distinguished art historian ... Rawson succeeds in distilling and animating a great deal of dry scholarship ... impressive and engaging. -- Robert Bickers * Literary Review *majestic history -- Andrew Robinson * nature *insightful ... Jessica Rawson has the ability to bring an unfamiliar subject to life ... rich ... an invaluable book for anyone wishing to learn more about the future of China by exploring its diversity and glorious ancient past. -- James Lin * BBC *
£34.00
Linden Publishing Co Inc Myths of Love: Echoes of Ancient Mythology in the
Book SynopsisDr. Ruth Westheimer, America'';s favorite sex therapist, analyzes ancient myth and its relevance to 21st century relationships in her new book Myths of Love: Echoes of Greek and Roman Mythology in the Modern Romantic Imagination. From humanity'';s earliest beginnings, people have puzzled over the dual nature of love. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, love was sweet, but it was also irrational, cruel, and often deadly. Faced with the terrible paradox of love, classical civilization produced some of the most psychologically insightful myths of all time - stories of classic archetypes such as Narcissus, Helen of Troy, and Venus and Adonis. Dr. Ruth and classical scholar Jerome E. Singerman insightfully examine the underlying psychology of the ancient myths and explain why their universal appeal has shaped the imagination of Western civilization for millennia. Myths of Love traces how these myths of endured in literature and art across the centuries and how they still influence how we think about sex and relationships today. Surveying a vast range of Greek and Roman literature from Homer to Ovid,''Myths of Love'' retells and reconsiders the full gamut of human sexual experience, from the tenderest expressions of married love to the savage, self-destructive passions of narcissism on jealousy. Bridging high culture and pop culture, ''Myths of Love'' reveals the secret connections between classic literature and today''s popular novels and films. A stimulating blend of art, science, ancient religion, and the passions and contradictions of the human heart, ''Myths of Love'' is a smart and sexy revisit to the roots of Western culture''s eternal fascination with love.
£16.19
Mandrake of Oxford Deep Magic Begins Here: Tales & Techniques of
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£13.49
Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd. Shiva
Book SynopsisIn this book, read three stories from Shiva''s adventure-filledife. Find out the tale behind the origin of the river Ganga and what role Shiva had to play in it; how the Shivaingam avatar of Shiva came about and how Shiva destroyed three demons with one arrow. Beautifully retold by Subhadra Sen Gupta and accompanied by Tapas Guha''s magnificent illustrations, this book will beoved by every child.
£9.34
Museum Tusculanum Press Lay Belief in Norse Society 1000-1350
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£45.89
Museum Tusculanum Press Lotus and Laurel: Studies on Egyptian Language
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£61.19
Oxford University Press Magika Hiera
Book SynopsisThis is a collection of essays by leading American and European scholars. Its purpose is to remedy the tendency among scholars working in Greek Religion to ignore the evidence for what have traditionally been called magical practices in ancient Greece. Because this neglect seems to arrive from adherence to a preconceived notion about a clear dichotomy between magical and religious ritual, the editors focus on the relationship between these two areas.Trade ReviewThis excellent and thought-provoking book will be indispensable to all who study Greek religion. It draws on a wealth of illuminating primary material and the bibliographies are a model of completeness. * Simon Pulleyn, Merton College, Oxford, The Classical Review, Vol. XLII, '92 *This useful and unusual work is highly technical and is aimed at a scholarly, not a general, audience ... highly recommended reading for classicists and students of religion and classical antiquity. * James E. Seaver, University of Kansas, History, Summer 1992 *
£41.79
Oxford University Press Dictionary of Roman Religion
Book SynopsisLong overshadowed by Greek mythology or treated peripherally in gernal texts on the ancient Roman world, Roman religion is finally accorded its due in this unique reference work. While perhaps most familiar in the context of Greek-influenced gods, Roman religious life in fact encompassed a tremendous variety of deities, rites, and belief systems. From the Celtic god Abandinus to the pagan historian Zosimus, Dictionary of Roman Religion contains more than 1,400 entries. Among the topics covered are deities and spirits, festivals, sacrifices, temples, altars, cult objects, burial rites, writers on religion, and historical religious events. Different religions within the Roman world, such as Mithraism, Druidism, Judaism, and Christianity, are also discussed. Entries range from brief definitions to concise essays reflecting important aspects of religious practice, and most include suggestions for further reading in addition to a complete bibliography.An essential reference for students, re
£14.99
