A clear, concise, and detailed historical exploration of the eclectic and arcane visual and material culture of the occult.
Focusing on a carefully curated selection of esoteric art and artifacts, Occult explores the meaning and mystic power of occult manuscripts, ritual objects, and symbols from around the world.
Recent years have seen a growing tension between religion and science as more and more people have asked themselves a fundamental question: is there a supernatural realm that intervenes in daily life? To many it certainly feels so - but what if the religious impulse has another, rational, explanation?
David Lewis-Williams explores how science developed within the cocoon of religion and then shows how the natural functioning of the human brain creates experiences that can lead to belief in a supernatural realm.
Such belief gives rise to creeds, a development examined here in the light of critical episodes in world history, from rivalries between Platonists and Aristotelians to the discoveries of Charles Darwin.
Archaeology reveals activities one can label religious many tens of thousands of years ago and the author shows that mental imagery can be detected in widely separated religious communities such as Hildegard of Bingen's in medieval Europe or the San hunters of southern Africa.
The white-clad Druid wielding a golden sickle and conducting secret ceremonies in remote forest glades is a familiar figure in art and literature. But just how accurate is this view when compared with actual evidence from the past? Were the Druids barbaric head-hunters involved in human sacrifice? Or were they wise and benevolent healers who could interpret omens and predict the future? In this rich and fascinating account, lavishly supported by beautiful illustrations, Miranda Green unravels the truth about the Druids. Examining the archaeological evidence, Classical commentaries and early Welsh and Irish myths, she shows that the Druids were fully integrated into Celtic society as judges, teachers, healers, magicians, philosophers, religious leaders and fomenters of rebellion. Including sections on the Classical texts and first-hand accounts of ancient Druids, archaeological evidence, Druidical sacrifice, sanctuaries, shrines, and witches, this book traces the history of the Druids from ancient times to the present day. Modern Druidism and its links with Stonehenge and Avebury receive full coverage and a directory of modern Druidical societies reveals a worldwide phenomenon.
Special features cover the celebrity Druids, ranging from Winston Churchill, to William Blake, to William Wordsworth. Complete with timeline and a gazeteer, this meticulously researched book should appeal to scholars, New Age enthusiasts and all those who are fascinated by the Druids and their world.
Illustrated by three different painters, the Hours of Simon de Varie was long thought to be irrevocably dismembered. During the 17th century, it was split into three sections, two went to the Royal Library at The Hague, and one was believed lost until it surfaced in a private collection in 1984, and was then acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum. A special collaboration between these two institutions has reassembled the lost manuscript, enabling the reader to view the book as it was created. A private, devotional text for a wealthy crown officer under Charles VII and Louis XI of France, the Hours of Simon de Varie is beautifully decorated with painted initials and ornate borders, elaborated with flowers, birds, animals, grotesques and the mottoes, devices and coats of arms of the book's owner. Jean Fouquet was the foremost artist of the 15th-century France, and the rediscovery of the manuscript's lost third portion brought to light the first new miniatures by him to have been found in 80 years. All the illustrated pages are reproduced in colour facsimile, together with some text pages and comparative illustrations.
Scholarly essays detail the modern rediscovery of the Hours; its patronage and origins; its contents, form and distinctive style. It is also a fascinating window into the culture and society of its time.
