Can you suggest a good book on Paganism?

[AgadorSparticus]

All this talk about Christmas and subsequently Paganism has peaked my interest.

[silverweb]

1. Oh, where to start!

Here's a thread from the Ancient Wisdom forum discussing the very same subject:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=262x38

Happy reading!

:hi:

[AgadorSparticus]

2. thanks! this is so interesting.

:hi:

[silverweb]

3. You're welcome.

It is interesting, too. The more you read, the more you want to learn.

Oh, another fascinating book that I don't think made it into that thread is A Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, compiled by Barbara G. Walker.

[AgadorSparticus]

4. I am betting that much of western society is based on paganism

and yet I know so little of it. I am interested in finding the history behind many of the modern day traditions. Also, I am always open to studying different perspectives on spirituality and religion.

[pelagius]

5. You should probably ask for books about paganisms...

Although the neo-pagan reconstructionists tend to have a fairly syncretic tendency, the ancient religions were very much time and culture-based. For example, my ancestors from the British Isles and Scandinavia were undoubtly pagan, but they had very different belief systems, cosmologies, and gods.

[AgadorSparticus]

6. it's the ancient religions that i'm really interested in. so i will look

it up from various cultures and continents.

[Dead_Parrot]

7. Joseph Cambell...

A number of books on comparative paganism, from the middle-east to europe, including how they have been re-shaped over the years. He also had the advantage of not being activley pagan himself, so he's (fairly) detached on the matter.