I read this book a few years ago and the foul taste it left in my mouth has yet to dissapate. Why is that time and again, Northern European mythology (Celtic as well as Germanic) has taken such a brutal thrashing by modern interpritors and new age fanatics alike? Every religious counter-culture since the 60's has leaned on this kind of nonsense. This work is EXACTLY the kind of book that a beginner should avoid. A good understanding of Germanic mythology is a goal almost completely inaccessable to the interested layman BECAUSE of works like this. Why Books like this are still in print while the very intelegent and well researched (though dated) works of Viktor Rydberg and Jacob Grimm are no longer available I'll never know. I would have given it no stars if the option were available.
This book is written by a fairly well acclaimed Theosophy member. Though they try their hardest to stay objective, I have ^personally found this, and other writings of this vein to either encourage my drive to seek out more details and directions, or completely discourage and frustrate me by stretching the comparisons of belief systems, mythology, and translations a little too far (often leaving a "universalist" taste in the mouth). I RECOMMEND THIS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND/OR AN INTRODUCTION TO THESE STORIES. Her writing layout was nice. This is NOT an intro to Asatru, Odinism, or Germanic Tribalism.
