{"product_id":"wyrd-ecology-9780197804926","title":"Wyrd Ecology","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWithin contemporary Heathen communities, the Old English term wyrd is used to refer to the web of relations that connect all threads of existence. Inspired by pre-Christian traditions of Northern Europe, Heathens give gifts, toasts, and offerings to foster a sense of connection with other humans and the more-than-human world. In Wyrd Ecology, author Barbara Jane Davy posits that these ritual activities are not merely isolated exchanges but rather a means of sustaining entire relational systems, in turn inspiring givers and receivers to participate out of a desire for meaningful connection.Davy utilizes research from two years of participant observation in a Heathen community in Ontario, Canada to show how ritual activities deepen practitioners'' sense of appreciation for what they have already received and instil a desire to give back. Davy illustrates how making offerings and giving gifts is important not only because of what people might believe about the gods, but because it gives people a sense of relatedness with their world. Ritual practices may thus play a critical role in instilling an ecological conscience and can encourage ethical relations and pro-environmental behavior.","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51358979686743,"sku":"9780197804926","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780197804926.jpg?v=1754123072","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/wyrd-ecology-9780197804926","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}