A detailed study of the Horned God in the traditions of Britain and Europe, concentrating on the natural and mystical facets of this most compelling and enduring of archetypes.--From publisher description.
"Mardi Gras remains one of the most distinctive features of New Orleans. Although the city has celerated Carnival since its days as a French and Spanish colonial outpost, the rituals familiar today were largely established in the Civil War era by a white male elite." -- back cover.
For centuries, the Feast of Fools has been condemned and occasionally celebrated as a disorderly, even transgressive Christian festival, in which reveling clergy elected a burlesque Lord of Misrule, presided over the divine office wearing animal masks or women's clothes, sang obscene songs, swung censers that gave off foul-smelling smoke, played dice at the altar, and otherwise parodied the liturgy of the church. Afterward, they would take to the streets, howling, issuing mock indulgences, hurling manure at bystanders, and staging scurrilous plays. The problem with this popular account—intriguing as it may be— is that it is wrong.In Sacred Folly, Max Harris rewrites the history of the Feast of Fools, showing that it developed in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries as an elaborate and orderly liturgy for the day of the Circumcision (1 January)—serving as a dignified alternative to rowdy secular New Year festivities. The intent of the feast was not mockery but thanksgiving for the incarnation of Christ. Prescribed role reversals, in which the lower clergy presided over divine office, recalled Mary's joyous affirmation that God "has put down the mighty from their seat and exalted the humble." The "fools" represented those chosen by God for their lowly status.The feast, never widespread, was largely confined to cathedrals and collegiate churches in northern France. In the fifteenth century, high-ranking clergy who relied on rumor rather than firsthand knowledge attacked and eventually suppressed the feast. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century historians repeatedly misread records of the feast; their erroneous accounts formed a shaky foundation for subsequent understanding of the medieval ritual. By returning to the primary documents, Harris reconstructs a Feast of Fools that is all the more remarkable for being sanctified rather than sacrilegious.
Kim Deitch made his name as an “underground” cartoonist — a contemporary of Spiegelman, Crumb, et. al. — but over the last three decades has simply been one of the most vital graphic novelists the medium has to offer, including acknowledged classics such as The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Alias the Cat, and The Search for Smilin’ Ed. His new graphic novel, Reincarnation Stories, feels like the apotheosis of his career, an ambitiously sprawling tour de force exploring the concept of reincarnation. When Deitch was four years old, he began having memories of a time when he wore glasses. The problem was, he had never actually worn glasses. Then, one day, young Deitch is sitting outside his apartment building when an elderly man approaches him, excited. “Is it possible? Sid! SID PINCUS! Good God, man! You’ve changed. You’re smaller! And where are your glasses?” From here, Deitch weaves a dizzying path of reincarnation stories that spans the past, present, and future of human history, with appearances by Frank Sinatra, monkey gods, a forgotten cowboy star of the silver screen, a tribe of Native Americans that successfully resettled on the moon, and a parallel reality where Deitch himself is the megasuccessful creator of a series of kids books about a superhero called Young Avatar, who helps marginalized souls lead better lives and in his secret identity works as a carpenter. Did we mention Deitch’s spiritual nemesis (an incarnation of Judas Iscariot), Waldo the Cat? Deitch’s storytelling mastery has never been more fully on display that this rich tapestry of a graphic novel, certain to be a staple on 2019 “Best of ” year-end lists.
Viewing the Iliad and myth through the lens of modern psychology, Richard Holway exposes sacrificial childrearing practices at the root of competitive, glory-seeking ancient Greek cultures. The Iliad dramatizes and cathartically purges not only strife within and between generations but knowledge of sacrificial parenting. Holway's analysis yields a new reading of the Iliad, from its first word to its last, and a revised account of the family dynamics underlying ancient Greek cultures.
Drawing on broad research, this study explores the different social and theatrical masking activities in England during the Middle Ages and the early 16th century. The authors present a coherent explanation of the many functions of masking, emphasizing the important links among festive practice, specialized ceremonial, and drama. They elucidate the intellectual, moral and social contexts for masking, and they examine the purposes and rewards for participants in the activity. The authors' insight into the masking games and performances of England's medieval and early Tudor periods illuminates many aspects of the thinking and culture of the times: issues of identity and community; performance and role-play; conceptions of the psyche and of the individual's position in social and spiritual structures. Masks and Masking in Medieval and Early Tudor England presents a broad overview of masking practices, demonstrating how active and prominent an element of medieval and pre-modern culture masking was. It has obvious interest for drama and literature critics of the medieval and early modern periods; but is also useful for historians of culture, theatre and anthropology. Through its analysis of masked play this study engages both with the history of theatre and performance, and with broader cultural and historical questions of social organization, identity and the self, the performance of power, and shifting spiritual understanding.
The practice of mask-wearing has a long history, even becoming mandatory in times of global crisis. In this useful contribution to the performing arts curriculum, Maskword: The Background, Making and Use of Masks takes a new look at the creative and timeless art of masks and mask-making, while also exploring their cultural anthropology from prehistory to the present day. Drawing on her extensive experience in professional theatre and running workshops, Foreman promotes the life-affirming qualities of masks, providing us with an invaluable resource for artists and teachers, as well as parents seeking activities for children at home. Eight themed projects use photographs to document masks and mask-making techniques, with each one offering practical advice and design ideas; materials are inexpensive and easy to acquire. With photographs by Richard Penton.
At the secret heart of the Western Mystery Tradition lies the angelic wisdom that forms the teachings of true magick. Drawing from a wide range of sources, this book presents a new and unique overview of Western magick and occultism, exploring how this secret tradition has been inherited from Persian, Chaldean, Canaanite, Egyptian, Arabic, Hebrew and Greco-Roman sources. It also records how this tradition was preserved in the symbols and beliefs of Esoteric Christianity, Gnosticism, Hermiticism, alchemy, medieval magick, the Cabbala, the Tarot, the Grail mythos, the Arthurian legends, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism and some forms of traditional witchcraft. Topics include the origins of angelology; the gnostic myth of the Grigori or fallen angels; the forgotten civilisations of the giant races; the esoteric symbols within Hermeticism and Masonry that reveal the key to understanding the mythic theme of the Luciferian gnosis; the inner mysteries of the Grail; King Solomon's temple as a Goddess shrine; the real identity of the Queen of Sheba; the truth behind the myth of the Garden of Eden and the Fall; the place of the dark moon goddess Lilith in the Luciferian tradition; the symbolism and meaning of the previously forbidden Luciferian occult tradition concerning the Watchers, or fallen angels, and the so-called Prince of Darkness' - revealed to be really the Lord of Light; arcane lore that illuminates several mysterious figures in the Bible whose real significance and identities have been hidden from us for centuries; the real occult secrets of the sacred bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene and the spiritual reality behind the worship of the goat-god Baphomet by the heretical Knights Templar. This is a major work on a subject little known or discussed outside the inner circles of secret societies, occult orders and traditional witch covens. As we enter the 21st century, the information here may prove essential to understanding what is happening in the world today and the future destiny of the human race. It reveals that our modern civilisation is not the product of haphazard cultural phenomena, but its development has been guided and influenced by celestial intelligences who first made contact with humans in prehistory. These teaching angels', as they are called, are still there ready to teach and guide those who recognise their presence. This book contains several appendices that offer ritual practices for those interested in contacting the angelic forces. This is the first book to be written exclusively on the Luciferian gnosis and angelic magick which reveals the real secrets within the Western magical tradition. It provides an important and essential starting point for the reader to delve further into the numinous realm of the angels. The voice of the angels shalt speak unto you and by their signs shall ye know them.