History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook

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A must-have for classical & esoteric boffins
note: this is a sourcebook, not a story book!

Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195151232

Book Description

In a culture where the supernatural possessed an immediacy now strange to us, magic was of great importance both in the literary and mythic tradition and in ritual practice. Recently, ancient magic has hit a high in popularity, both as an area of scholarly inquiry and as one of general, popular interest. In Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds Daniel Ogden presents three hundred texts in new translations, along with brief but explicit commentaries. This is the first book in the field to unite extensive selections from both literary and documentary sources. Alongside descriptions of sorcerers, witches, and ghosts in the works of ancient writers, it reproduces curse tablets, spells from ancient magical recipe books, and inscriptions from magical amulets. Each translation is followed by a commentary that puts it in context within ancient culture and connects the passage to related passages in this volume. Authors include the well known (Sophocles, Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Virgil, Pliny) and the less familiar, and extend across the whole of Greco-Roman antiquity.

Customer Reviews:

A must-have for classical & esoteric boffins.......2007-10-10

Daniel Ogden is so dedicated to his efforts of collection. I kept taking this out of the library for weeks at a time before I realized I could just purchase it. A must-have for anyone studying the classics for fun, research or enrichment.

note: this is a sourcebook, not a story book!.......2004-10-21

If you're not involved in research or the scholarly pursuit of this subject, or if you don't enjoy reading footnotes and obscure annecdotes, then this is not the book for you. However, that said, this is the only book I've come across with such a detailed account of the subject. I've used this text again and again for research and reference. Ogden's commentary on the texts is precise and to the point, too. I'd highly recommend this book, but just know what it is before you buy it.

Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World)

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Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World)

Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover

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Celtic Myth & Magick: Harness the Power of the Gods and Goddesses (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magic Series) (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magic Series)

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This is the book that got me serious,
Good for those who thrive on tripe
Great introduction to the subject-a usable workbook
A surprising helpful book
Yes, it DOES matter

Celtic Myth & Magick: Harness the Power of the Gods and Goddesses (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magic Series) (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magic Series)
Edain McCoy
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
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ASIN: 1567186610

Customer Reviews:

This is the book that got me serious,.......2007-08-01

I was given this book, by an aquaintance. One of those people that shows up in your life, helps you and moves on. I'd always been interested in Witchcraft, but never did anything about it. I look upon this book as a resource, it does give some ritual and pathworkings, but more than that it is an encyclopedic reference to the Celtic pantheon and is a great book to pique the interest and imagination of those interested in the Celtic branch of the craft. I keep my dog eared copy on the book shelf with pride.

Good for those who thrive on tripe.......2006-12-05

Slapping the name Celtic on a book title does not make it so. This is just another of many psuedo-magic fluff and nonsense wiccan wannabe books mass produced to fill the troughs of those who would rather preen and put on a veneer. This book is merely a rehash of rehash cloaked in bright blessings and make believe fairy dust. A great book for posuers and those who would rather make up things than actually build on foundations of true believers. Chalk up another one for those out to inflate their egos or make a quick buck.

Great introduction to the subject-a usable workbook.......2006-11-08

In an arena that has produced tension between those who seek to rebuild 'Celtic' like a static museum display and those who strain to hear the voice of the Lady and the Lord in their Celtic mileu, this book is a valuable tool to really get to the heart of Celtic spirtuality.

Far removed from the camp of those practioners who want everything they do or believe backed up by archeology and literature, Edain McCoy's book is about understanding the spirit of the Tuatha Dé Danann (children of the goddess Danu)by understanding the mythology, how it evolved, and how it can work for us today. I realize that Celtic reconstructionists may balk at this, but this is about the voices we hear today, in a living faith, not a hair-splitting treatise on just what was the 'hero's portion' on a roasat pig.

The book has several pathworking journeys to get you started on guided meditations with Celtic dieties and heroes, guides to celebrating the sabbats and esbats, indexed lisitngs of goddesses and gods, and a vast list of correspondences that would make Aleister Crowley proud.

For those of us who want to work with the living God & Goddess, this book is an essential. Easy to dive into, it rewards careful study and will continue to be a valuable reference in the future. I first read it about two years ago, and it was pivitol in redefining my magickal path to a beautiful and enriching journey.

A surprising helpful book.......2006-01-25

It isn't often that modern Celtic practitioners, especially those of a more scholastic leaning, praise any book by Llywellyn. Most of their books seem geared to cash in on whatever is the current rage in occultism and the publisher seems to be the last stop for some writers who could not get published elsewhere. But every once in a while, the publisher does get something right and that is the case here. While McCoy is not to be praised for her depth of scholarship, she is to be acknowledged for her wealth of practical, working, magickal knowledge as presented here. For those working on learning mental discipline, Chapter Two presents a wealth of usable knowledge about meditation and attunement to energies which I have not seen so clearly presented before. While the Pathworking exercises are too long to be practical for a single session, they are interesting introductions to this technique. The rituals are basic Wiccan, but she clearly says so and urges the practitioner to write their own. And, finally, the dictionary of Celtic myths and legends contain hundreds of useful entries, more than I have ever seen anywhere, and not only give the bare bones of their myth, but presents how they can be used in ritual and magick, something dryer texts never mention. Most books I read and get a little knowledge from, but then they go to the book shelf of things I have already read, likely never to be opened again. This book will be one of the few that I will keep as a reference and close by, so that I can work with more of a plethora of deities with more confidence and more results.

Yes, it DOES matter.......2004-01-16

Those of you who don't think that there is anything particularly wrong with just how much McCoy errs in this book dishonour the very people that you only claim to honour. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves...but not half so much as McCoy for tossing out this rubbish just to make a quick quid by riding the newest wave of 'Celtomania'.

HEKA - THE PRACTICES OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RITUAL AND MAGIC

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Not really worth it - A Priestess Of Isis
A Magical Book at last!

HEKA - THE PRACTICES OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RITUAL AND MAGIC
David Rankine
Manufacturer: Avalonia
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ASIN: 1905297076

Book Description

The religious and magical practices of the ancient Egyptians have had a profound and lasting effect on the world. Egypt has been described as the "mother of magicians". To appreciate the Egyptian view of magic, we need to accept that to the Egyptians magic was not considered strange or eccentric, but was a part of daily life, to which everyone resorted. Magic blended seamlessly with religion and medicine, being seen as part of a holistic worldview. In this volume these magical and religious practices are explored, from both a historical and practical perspective. The practices are explored from an ancient Egyptian worldview, taking into consideration that the Egyptian culture spread over a period of more than 3000 years. The Egyptians saw the universe as being made of four worlds - the everyday world we live in, the underworld, the sky and the heavens. Subject covered in this book include: -What is Heka? -Ancient Egyptian Worldviews -The Gods and Goddesses of Magic -Symbolism - Colours & Sacred Numbers -The Tools Used -Sacred Words & Gestures -Statues & Masks -Crystals & Other Materials used in Heka -Incenses & Perfumes -Food & Wine used in Offerings & at Feasts -The Ancient Egyptian Magical Calendar -Purification, Sacred Space & Rituals David Rankine is based in London (UK) and is a respected authority on spiritual & magical practices. He is the author of many books, including Climbing the Tree of Life, Circle of Fire & The Guises of the MorrÃgan. This book, HEKA - The Practices of Ancient Egyptian Magic, is the result of careful research & practical work and is highly recommended to students wishing to pursue practical work within this system.

Customer Reviews:

Not really worth it - A Priestess Of Isis.......2006-10-08

I was really excited about ordering this book, but when it came i was dissapointed before i opened it. It was this tiny, skinny little package. I opened it and read it in about an hour. It has bits and pieces of useful and NON-redundant information but not worth the almost thirty dollars. What a rip off.

The author also was severly biased toward the goddess Maat, and he was rather incorrect with his descriptions about the god/desses. I dont think he had his facts straight either. He gives a slight feeling that Maat is more important than any other god (and also provides more ritual for her), and he also portrays Isis as a conniving, tricking, she-devil. And anyone who knows Her knows it is quite the opposite. (Not to get off subject, but i highly recommend the book "Isis Magic" by M. Isidora Forrest. It talks about the real egyptian magic and a lot of hard work was done so she could get accurate historical information. It has alot about Ancient Egypt in it.)

All in all, the book had very slim pickins. It had small tidbits here and there of good info. The only thing i found to be of great value was the tables he has about the correspondances of the god/desses. Like colors and vegetables. But there werent that many god/desses he had in his book. He has very little rituals (i think 3) and doesnt go into spells really. I recommend "Ancient Egyptian Magic and Divination", "Egyptian Paganism for beginners", and Rosemary Clarks "Sacred Magic Of Ancient Egypt." And if you care "Circle Of Isis", because the info isn't really Isis-y that much at all. It has INVALUABLE information about most of the panthenon.

Dont buy this book. Rent it from the library. I would have returned it, but thats a hassle and I'm a book pack-rat. Seriously not worth more than $10.00. All of the info you could EASILY find on the internet.

I hope this review will help you, and i know its a contrast to the first one, but i didnt think it was fair of that review. (I seriously think that Daivd Rankine or one of his pals wrote it) Because of the first good review i thought this would be an awesome book. (if you dont know anything about Ancient Egypt, i guess it'd be okay. But take it with a grain of salt) And its nowhere near awesome. Take my word for it. Spend your money on better books. You can email me if you'd like at vampirefamine@comcast.net. Thanks, Happy Amazoning.

A Magical Book at last!.......2006-04-19

Like with with many of David Rankine's books this book is packed with well researched, sound historical and practical information. If you are a neo-pagan fluffy looking for a book telling you that Isis is great or that Sekhmet is the only Goddess worth calling upon, this book is not for you.

If however, you are looking for something from which to draw both inspiration and information for your magickal and spiritual work with the Egyptian Gods, using ceremonies, techniques and spells as they were performed by the Ancient Egyptian people (rather than the romantic views held by some neo-pagans in regards to the temple religions of Egypt) then you will love this book and find it to be an invaluable source.

"The influence of Egyptian magic has persisted through to the present day" (from the author introduction) a true enough statement, which in its own way encapsulates the value of this book.

In my opinion, there are many who would benefit from reading this book and having it to hand as a reference work when writing and researching ceremonies.

Rankine includes a great deal of information on useful correspondences, including food, minerals, crystals etc. There is no padding in this book, the information is provided in a straight forward way without the need for embelishment and speculation.

For me this book deserves ***** stars as this is the type of book I would like to see more of in the magickal / pagan market today. There are too many books providing speculative and inspired material as fact, leading to misinformation being perpetuated as fact. It is refreshing to be able to read a book which is different and which looks at the historical information, academic research, as well as practical aspects of the Egyptian world with fresh eyes.

The bibliography, nearly 6 pages of type, illustrates the level of research which went into producing this work. The author's passion for the mysteries of the ancient Egyptian spiritual path is clear throughout. His emphasis on the much neglected, but very important Goddess of Truth and Balance, shows that he has grasped the deeper mysteries of the tradition. The latter will also be of interest to those persuing an interest in the Golden Dawn and Thelemic traditions of Magick.

The book is illustrated with some line drawings and is presented in a format which makes it easy to find what you are looking for.

A most excellent book, yet again! Thank you.

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Not Bad, Not Great
Ancient christian Magic is not so magical to me
Yes, There was Christian Magic
Abracadabra
Magic versus Ritual

Ancient Christian Magic
Marvin W. Meyer , and Richard Smith
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691004587

Book Description

This thought-provoking collection of magical texts from ancient Egypt shows the exotic rituals, esoteric healing practices, and incantatory and supernatural dimensions that flowered in early Christianity. These remarkable Christian magical texts include curses, spells of protection from "headless powers" and evil spirits, spells invoking thunderous powers, descriptions of fire baptism, and even recipes from a magical "cookbook." Virtually all the texts are by Coptic Christians, and they date from about the 1st-12th centuries of the common era, with the majority from late antiquity. By placing these rarely seen texts in historical context and discussing their significance, the authors explore the place of healing, prayer, miracles, and magic in the early Christian experience, and expand our understanding of Christianity and Gnosticism as a vital folk religion.

Customer Reviews:

Not Bad, Not Great.......2006-08-03

I bought this book hoping for more information on Catholic and Christian folk magic and folk ways. This is deffinently more of a "ceremonial" type book calling on various spirits and angels. There also aren't many amulets presentes as the back of the book boasts, nor are there complete prayers, rather fractions of several prayers with many blanks left in between.

Ancient christian Magic is not so magical to me.......2003-10-03

The authors did an incredible job on getting the information for the book--I salute them, but I am kind of disappointed in the book. The magic used is not to me so magical, but more like prayers, actually (it seems to me, but someone else rightfully might disagree with me). I am not a practicing Christian magician, so that might influence how I feel about the book. The book, however, makes a great collection item for my magical library. I say go ahead and buy the book at least to get a good idea of christian magic.

Yes, There was Christian Magic.......2003-09-22

If all one wants to do is decide if there was such a thing as Christian magic, this book is not for them. Instead such a person ought to read C K Barrett's _New Testament Background_. Barrett includes half a dozen sample texts along with texts which illuminate other aspects of Christian origins.

What the reader gets in this book is Coptic and Greek texts of ritual power, i.e. magic. There are spells of healing and spells of protection from harm. There are also curses. In one text a woman named Mary appeals to three archangels to "bring away" a woman by the name of Martha. Mary's appeal is rather vicious in that she seeks to have Martha suffer an ulcerous tumor or to pour forth worms. It is significant that Mary considers this "punishment" for Martha. She then appeals to "lord Jesus Christ" to dissipate any hope that Martha might have.

Personally I find magical incantations distasteful. They represent the worst in people. What can not be gained by the legitimate rules of a society are attempted to be gained by invoking the power of a supernatural being. Such selffishness would not seem to be in alignment with what Christianity proclaims.

Meyer has collected a number of Coptic texts from the early centuries of Christianity which are texts of ritual power. Since there are thousands of un-recorded Coptic texts in the Berlin Museum alone, one can not say that Meyer has a comprehensive collection. Nevertheless he has collected texts for diverse situations and events. And most helpfully, he has added numerous notes to help the reader toward understanding.

Abracadabra.......2003-06-12

With so much interest in things magical (from card games to Harry Potter) and mystical (from Celtic chants to Zen monastic biographies) I have been surprised that this book is not better known, and yet it remains, despite a prestigious university press pedigree (Princeton University Press) and marketing by one of the powerhouses of publishing (HarperCollins, their HarperSanFrancisco division here) a relatively unknown text. Not perhaps coincidentally, many of the texts contained herein were, for most of Christian history, relatively unknown. Indeed, it is virtually unknown that, in many parts of Christendom, magic was not only tolerated, but expected of the priestly class; miracles, after all, often seem magical events, much to the chagrin of rational theologians who try to explain them metaphorically, symbolically, or any way other than as Houdini-esque happenings.

In particular, the Coptic Christians, who were concentrated mostly in Egypt, spreading (as all Christians were wont to do) throughout the Roman and non-Roman world from a centre not too far from Alexandria, one of the major cities of the world of the time. The Coptics never really died out, but always remained a strange Christian aberration from orthodoxy on the fringes of East and West. The texts contained in `Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power', by Marvin Meyer and Richard Smith, come from these people.

These texts contain the whole slate of magical utterances -- rites, spells, amulets, curses, recipes. The magical practices contained herein include a spell for protection against headless powers, an invocation to a thundering power to perform every wish (shades of the `Prayer of Jabez' here), an amulet to protect against the mischief of evil spirits, and even an erotic spell for a ma to obtain a male lover (lest we think that modern controversies in the church have no historical bases or parallels).

Lest we think that the magical period of Christianity was only in the remotest of history, this collection includes texts as early as the first century after the time of Jesus to the twelfth century -- more than half the span of Christian history. Almost all texts are from Egypt, centre of the Coptic and Gnostic communities.

The users of these texts, the authors contend, had the same disdain for 'magic' as traditional Christians have for 'magic' today -- magic is usually assumed to be alien, evil, something dark and probably demonic. Yet, these texts were used in much the same way, with an intention rooted in Christianity that somehow would serve to make the practice acceptable, even holy.

Within this text are 135 Coptic texts. They originated in Old Coptic, Greek, and Gnotic texts. This volume combines them in three sections.

Ritual Power in Egypt
These texts come from various sources, manuscripts held in museums all over the world, including the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris, texts from Cairo, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Florence, and Oslo, and of course, the Nag Hammadi collection.

Other interesting texts in this section spells for seeking vengeance, spells for ascending through the heavens, spells to drive out demons and various amulets and prayers.

Coptic Texts of Ritual Power
Most of these texts are individual constructs; i.e., spells or curses from a particular person to a particular person or need. However, many are templates, with placeholders or blanks to be filled in later. Often these (perhaps a precursor to indulgences later) were for sale. There are spells to help a woman conceive, and spells to help a woman avoid pregnancy. There are several spells and charms to woo a woman; there are several curses directed at barreness and impotence. Life was harsh!

Coptic Handbooks of Ritual Power
This section consists of masters and collections, like the cookbook from Cairo, and the hoards, portfolios and books of spells held at other major museums. `In a world where ritual dominated the resolution of most crises in life, these handbooks seem to have been a prized component of private collections and the mainstay of temple libraries ` Many of these collections were loose-leaf collections, and sometimes short on Christian imagery. `While this neglect of Christian traditions might suggest that the handbooks' owners worked independently from the monasteries, it may also reflect the type of language and symbolism that worked in the villages beyond the monasteries.'

Unlike our sense of magic as being something devious or sneaky, in fact magic has more often intended to be useful and practical. Thus, these rituals were meant to invoke power and meaning into the lives of those using it .

Addendum
A joy of a book will have a bibliography, an index, and appendices that give further guidance. This book magically has much here to commend it. It does lack an index, which is less critical here than in many texts, but one would hope that a future edition would have one.

The appendix contains previously unpublished Coptic texts from the Beinecke Library at Yale. These are annotated but not translated, so brush up your ancient languages for this one. Thirty pages of textual notes expand the translations in the earlier sections. A good glossary is provided, which is useful for this and other Coptic and Gnostic texts. The bibliography is a gem, and one could devote years to follow-up research based on the hundreds of items contained herein.

The book is not lavishly illustrated, but it does have original drawings, a few photographic representations, and original language sections that enhance the readability. This is a book which is both scholarly and fun, interesting and educational. Mysterious combination, indeed!

Magic versus Ritual.......1999-09-25

In an environment where `what we do is religion and what they do is magic' attitude, these compilers prefer to speak of `ritual' as a less value-ridden word and since the spells relate to that sphere of life we call `religion' the sub-title may be a more appropriate description. There are 135, dating from the first 1000 years of Christianity, in English, with notes and written originally on papyrus, parchment, rag paper, pottery or bone. There are love spells, healing spells, sexual spells, protective spells, spells to drive out demons, spells for a good singing voice or to silence a dog, and curses. A book for specialists.

Ancient Magic and Ritual Power (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World (Reprint), V. 129)

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Ancient Magic and Ritual Power (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World (Reprint), V. 129)

Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0391041525

Book Description

This volume contains a series of provocative essays that explore expressions of magic and ritual power in the ancient world. The essays are authored by leading scholars in the fields of Egyptology, ancient Near Eastern studies, the Hebrew Bible, Judaica, classical Greek and Roman studies, early Christianity and patristics, and Coptology. Throughout the book the essays examine the terms employed in descriptions of ancient magic. From this examination comes a clarification of magic as a polemical term of exclusion but also an understanding of the classical Egyptian and early Greek conceptions of magic as a more neutral category of inclusion. This book should prove to be foundational for future scholarly studies of ancient magic and ritual power.

Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity (Magic in History Series)

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Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity (Magic in History Series)
Naomi Janowitz
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0271021470

Book Description

In the waning years of the Roman Empire, Jews, Christians, and pagans alike used rituals to bridge the gap between the human and the divine. Depending on one's point of view, however, such rituals could be labeled negatively as "magic" or positively as "theurgy." This has led to numerous problems of interpretation, including marginalizing certain ritual practices as magic or occult while privileging others as genuine or orthodox. In Icons of Power, Naomi Janowitz sifts through the polemics to make sense of the daunting mosaic of religious belief and practice in Late Antiquity.

From rabbis who ascended to heavenly places, to sorcerers seeking to harm enemies with spells, to alchemists working metals to purify the soul, Janowitz reveals how ritual practitioners held common assumptions about why their rituals worked and about how to perform those rituals. Indeed, such assumptions were so much a part of the inherited mentality of the age that they were, for the most part, never explained—and this is precisely what Janowitz accomplishes in Icons of Power. By shifting the discussion out of the rhetoric of "magic" or "mysticism" and describing the mechanisms of ritual with semiotic terms, she moves us beyond the value-laden terminology of ancient polemicists and modern scholars so that we can better see how these rituals worked and how they affected the social identities of their followers.

Book Description

Between Magic and Religion represents a radical rethinking of traditional distinctions involving the term religion in the ancient Greek world and beyond, through late antiquity to the seventeenth century. The title indicates the fluidity of such concepts as religion and magic, highlighting the wide variety of meanings evoked by these shifting terms from ancient to modern times. The contributors put these meanings to the test, applying a wide range of methods in exploring the many varieties of available historical, archaeological, iconographical, and literary evidence. No reader will ever think of magic and religion the same way after reading through the findings presented in this book. Both terms emerge in a new light, with broader applications and deeper meanings.

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