Booklist The materials on this booklist are divided into three categories: those which you must have to work from, those which you should have to work from, for which equivalents can be subsituted, those which are generally worthless, but ought to be read so that when people come up to you with crazed ideas due to innocently having read and believed an inferior text, you will know where they got them and can gently disabuse them of errors, and those which are fiction. Do not be overwhelmed by the size of the investment implied by this booklist. You do not need to buy all these books at once; chances are that you will never see many of them. You can start out perfectly well with Our Troth, the Eddas, and Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, for instance, and pick up some of the other texts as they become accessible and/or necessary. Most will also be available in libraries or, at the very least, through inter-library loan. Most of the books in the category of "should have", in particular, are meant as a general guide to the sort of texts you ought to be reading and a starting point; you are not required to possess, or even read, all or most of them, but you may well find it useful to have a helpful list of titles when dealing with the relevant issues. The specific works that you really ought to possess and/or read in this category are marked with a star. Keep in mind that many of the counselling texts were originally written for Christian pastoral use, and may contain materials which you, as a Heathen, find not only useless but, in some cases, obnoxious or offensive. As an intelligent reader, you are expected to be able to filter out that which is useless in the presentation and to make use of the material of practical value hidden underneath it. Fundamentally, group dynamics and personal crises will be similar in nature where-ever they appear -- whether among Baptists, Heathens, or Australian aborigines -- as will be many of the most effective techniques for dealing with them. Books That Must Be Used · Our Troth, by the Troth and other true folk, ed. by KveldúlfR Hagan Gundarsson, published by the Troth, now out of print. This is the official handbook of the Troth. Some of the materials (bylaws, clergy training materials) are now obsolete; the bulk of it, however, should be your chief guide to your work as a Troth clergyperson. It's also available in a nearly-complete online edition · Bond, Tim. Standards and Ethics for Counselling in Action (London: Sage, 1993, rep. 1994). A simple, straightforward introduction to counselling and the ethical (and some of the legal) issues involved. · Cournoyer, Barry. The Social Work Skills Workbook (Belmont: Wadsworth, 1991). A practical, simple guide to the basics of working constructively with the problems of other human beings. One of the best resources a beginning clergyperson can have. Most highly recommended as an introduction to both counselling and mediation. · A Book of Troth, by Edred Thorsson (St Paul: Llewellyn, 1989). This was the original handbook of the Ring of Troth. Much of the material in it is now obsolete: however, it is important for Troth clergy to have it. A Book of Troth outlines the original principles on which the Troth was founded. Also, many people discover the Troth through finding this work in a bookstore, and the burden of explaining some of the changes that have taken place in the organization -- both in regards to structure and in regards to general perspective -- since its completion will fall on you (if in doubt, compare the materials in this book with those in Our Troth). · Poetic Edda, tr. by Lee Hollander. This translation is not ideal for very detailed theological study, as Hollander often interpreted freely for the sake of maintaining the poetic structure. Nevertheless, it will get you through until you start doing serious research in which the precise words used in the original become important. Patricia Terry's translation is just as flawed as Hollander's, and isn't even a pretty read. · Edda, by Snorri Sturluson, tr. by Anthony Faulkes. This is both the best translation and the most readily available edition. · Eyrbyggja saga, tr. by Hermann Pýlsson. Also, in Penguin: Egil's saga, Grettir's saga. · Saga of the Volsungs, tr. by Jesse Byock. · Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturluson, tr. and ed. by Erling Monsen and A.H. Smith (Dover). · Beowulf, any translation (Ruth Lehmann's is preferred). · Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, by H.R. Ellis-Davidson. II. Books That Should Be Used Religious: · *Aswynn, Freya. Leaves of Yggdrasil. Recently republished as Northern Mysteries & Magick While the chief focus is the runes, Freya discusses a great deal of religious material as well. · *Myth and Religion of the North, by E. O. G. Turville-Petre. This is frightfully expensive, but well worth it. It is the most complete and well-reasoned summary of Northern religion that one is likely to find in English. · Myths and Symbols of Pagan Europe, by H. R. Ellis-Davidson (and anything else by Ellis-Davidson you can find). · *The Road to Hel, by H.R. Ellis (same person as H. R. Ellis-Davidson, just before her marriage). This is out of print, but may be found at large libraries or through inter-library loan. It is the chief survey of Germanic thoughts on death and the afterlife, and therefore is worth the extra trouble to find, as it is likely that you will be dealing with the issues brought up in it at some point in your career as a Godwo/man. · Gamlinginn, Orðasafn of Gamlinginn. A brief dictionary of names, places, events, and things relevant to Northern religion. · *Grimm, Jacob, Teutonic Mythology, 4 vols., tr. by Peter Steven Stallybrass. Currently out of print; may be found in libraries/by inter-library loan. The most vital English resource for an overview of Germanic folklore, though many of Grimm's interpretations are seriously dated. · *Gunnell, Terry. The Origins of Drama in Scandinavia (Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1995). Evidence for the presence of ritual drama in Heathen Scandinavia. · *Kveldulf Gundarsson, Teutonic Magic (St. Paul, Llewellyn, 1990). Chiefly rune-magical, but also includes much religious and cultural background. · *Kveldulf Gundarsson,Teutonic Religion (Llewellyn, 1993). Note: in spite of the similar dates of publication, this was actually written two years before Our Troth. Where materials contradict each other, the latter should be taken to be the more reliable. · Myers, Charles R. Religious Belief in a Scientific Age (Chicago: Thomas More Press, 1983). Written from the Christian perspective, but nonetheless useful for its 'translatable' theological observations. · Simek, Rudolf, Dictionary of Northern Mythology (Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1994). · *Simpson, Jacqueline (ed., tr.). Scandinavian Folktales. Simpson also has other Nordic folktale collections out, which are equally valuable. Practical: Barken, Sarah. The Alexander Technique: The Revolutionary Way to Use your Body for Total Energy (New York: Bantam, 1978). Berry, Cicely. Voice and the Actor (New York: Macmillian, 1974). *Ceisiwr Serith, The Pagan Family: Handing the Old Ways Down (St. Paul: Llewellyn, 1994). Brilliant and practical ideas for working within the family setting. This is more of a neo-Pagan book, but the author is very careful to be honest about what comes from where, and much of it is easily adapted for Troth purposes. Although references are scanty, we know Ceisiwr to be a trustworthy source because the Warder of the Lore has been corresponding with him on various aspects of historical lore for quite a long time now and found his research to be impeccable. *Chisholm, James, True Hearth. This work, by one of the Troth's first Elders, discusses the holding of a True home. The focus is practical and folk-oriented. The book is available through Runa-Raven Press. *Davis, Larry Nolan. Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Workshops (Austin: Learning Concepts, Inc., 1979). A "how-to" manual on planning, setting up, running, and critiquing workshops in adult education settings. *Hillcourt, William Bill. Official Boy Scout Handbook. Vital info on wilderness wandering, firelighting, and a host of practical skills. *Larsson, Lars. 'Problem-Oriented Records-keeping and the Heathen Counsellor' (Brown Mills, NJ, 1994). Uncopyrighted pamphlet available on request (please write via the Ring of Troth). Moore, Sonia. The Stanislavsky System: the Professional Training of an Actor (New York: Viking Press, 1965). Morris, Erik. Acting from the Ultimate Consciousness: A Dynamic Exploration of the Actor's Inner Resources (New York: Putnam, 1988). Acting as a guide to enhancing awareness. Stanislavsky, Constantin. An Actor Prepares (New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1948). Basic text on acting and imagination-training (see also his Building a Character and Creating a Role). Telesco, Patricia. The Urban Pagan: Magical Living in a 9-to-5 World. A neo-Pagan book which, like Ceisiwr's, can easily be adapted to Troth purposes. The author is obviously totally ignorant on the subject of Teutonic religion (her rune row, gods help us, came straight out of Ralph Blum), but the ritual, psychological, and practical materials are workable. *Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Theses, Term Papers, and Dissertations (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973; likely to have been revised and/or reprinted). Important for producing a good written paper. Counselling and Folk-Work Adams, John D. Understanding and Managing Stress: A Workbook in Changing Life Styles (San Diego: University Associates, Inc., 1980). A substantive paperback workbook dealing with both family and work-related stress. Lays out some basic premises in holistic living. Augsburger, David W. Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986). Significant for two reasons. (1) It indicates that clergy ought to be aware of other cultures, something of which most Christian counselors have been heretofore ignorant; and (2) It makes observations on how religious counselors can make cultural adjustments in their thinking and talking to fit the ear of their patients. Berne, Eric. Games People Play (New York: Ballantine, 1985)=. *Bittner, Vernon J. Make Your Illness Count (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1976). Deals with techniques and philosophy of mediation during illness. Written from a Christian viewpoint, but useful for its methodology, which is readily applicable to any theological position. *Bittner, Vernon J. You Can Help With Your Healing (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1981). A further development of the above work with spiritual exercises built around the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The thesis is applicable for Troth members, but the Christian approach, obviously, needs to be adapted. Bucher, Glenn R. (ed.) Straight/White/Male (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1976). A series of essays on how those who are straight, white, and male might better relate to those who are not: sensitivity training for Troth clergypersons who think that, for instance, they might be taken aback the first time a black person applies to join their Garth, or when asked to perform a gay marriage. Bly, Robert. Iron John. A very popular and often mocked book on the loss and reclaiming of manhood, which nevertheless can be useful in dealing with male emotional issues. Some of the materials may seem excessively imaginative or even bogus, but the work itself obviously touched a certain chord in a great number of men. Clinebell, Howard A., Jr. Growth Counselling (Nashville: Abingdon, 1979). Clinebell, Howard A., Jr. The People Dynamic (New York: Harper & Row, 1972). Cobb, John B., Jr. Theology and Pastoral Care (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1977). *Donohue, Phil. The Human Animal (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986). An introductory overview to human development. Est*s, Clarissa Pinkola. Women Who Run With the Wolves. The women's version of Iron John. *Forward, Susan. Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life (New York: Bantam, 1990). Because so many Heathen have exceptional relationships with their parents, this is recommended for insight into the parent-child relationship and how this forms the individual's life to come. *Frankl, Victor E. Man's Search for Meaning (New York: Pocket Books, 1977). Part I contains a discussion of Frankl's experiences in Auschwitz, which explains his discovery of logotherapy (the psychiatric approach that emphasizes humans as essentially spiritual beings and their search for the meaning of their lives and their life-experiences)), followed by an explanation of the basic principles of logotherapy. Part II contains Frankl's approach to psychiatry, stressing the patient's own interpretation of his/her experiences. *Frankl, Victor E. The Doctor and the Soul (New York: Random House, 1973). A seminal text in the development of logotherapy. *Frankl, Victor E. The Unconscious Soul. Another important text in religious counseling. Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its Discontents (New York: Norton, 1961 -- but is likely to be available in later printings and editions, as it never goes out of fashion as a university text). A discussion of how individuals relate to their communities and fall away from them. *Grimes, Ronald L. Beginnings in Ritual Studies. (Lanham: University Press of America, 1982) *Hazan, Haim. Old Age: Constructions and Deconstructions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994). Somewhat advanced text, but valuable especially for its cross-cultural perspective and discussion of traditional societies' interpretations of age, death and dying which are directly relevant to the beliefs of the Germanic peoples, as well as its analysis of modern culture in these regards. Hiltner, Sweard. Preface to Pastoral Theology (Nashville: Abingdon, 1958). *Jackson, Edgar N. Understanding Grief (Nashville: Abingdon, 1975). One of the basic texts for clergy doing grief counselling. *Kastenbaum, Robert & Beatrice. Encyclopedia of Death: Myth, History, Philosophy, Science -- The Many Aspects of Death and Dying (New York: Avon Books, 1993). An excellent resource providing practical materials such as hospice addresses, together with ethical, theological, and counseling materials. Kirschenbaum, Howard. Advanced Values Clarification (La Jolla: University Associates, 1977). Kopp, Sheldon B. If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him! (New York: Bantam, 1981). Although the title seems frivolous, the thesis of this little paperback is that everyone has the potential of becoming the Buddha himself/herself -- therefore, any Buddha one meets must be false and should be done away with. While much of it uses Eastern religious vocabulary, it fits perfectly with the Teutonic ideal of inner strength and insight, "marching to the beat of one's own drummer", and responsibility for one's own thoughts, words, and actions. Kopp was a terminal cancer patient, in-and-out of remission, when he wrote most of this autobiographical material and some of it is badly organized or included for obviously emotional reasons at specific times, but it is still a powerful little book and worth reading. Lehman, Arthur C.; James E. Myers (eds.). Magic, Myth, and Religion, 2nd ed. (Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1989) May, William, and Richard Westley. The Right to Die (Chicago: Thomas More Press, 1980). *Monette, Paul, Becoming a Man. Useful for the viewpoint this autobiography offers in sensitivity training. Pruyser, Paul W. The Minister as Diagnostician (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1976). Randolph, David James. God's Party (Nashville: Abingdon, 1975). Written in the Christian idiom, but a frank discussion of the needs of the worshipping community and how to address them. Somewhat useful for understanding trends in Christian worship as collateral studies, but more so in providing vocabulary and a springboard for ideas regarding specifically Heathen worship. Rassieur, Charles L. Stress Management for Ministers (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1982). Raths, Louis E; Merril Harmin, Sidney B. Simon. Values and Teaching (Columbus: Charles E. Merril, 1966). Ritual in a New Day: An Invitation. Commission on Worship, United Methodist Church (Nashville: Abingdon, 1976) Although this is not immediately applicable to Troth work, it is valuable for the theological value of the thesis and supporting arguments: namely, that religious rituals should address the spiritual needs of participants in ways that they can immediately relate to their lives. *Rogers, Dorothy. Adolescents and Youth (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1981). A fine academic study of adolescence for the professional counselor. Sanford, John A. The Invisible Partners (New York: Paulist Press, 1980). Saretsky, Ted. Resolving Treatment Impasses (New York: Human Sciences Press, 1981). Schaeffer, Brenda. Is It Love or Is It Addiction? (Hazelden: Hazelden Educational Materials, 1987). Schiltz, Randy. Conduct Unbecoming and And the Band Played On. The first deals with gays in the military; the second, with the progress of the AIDS epidemic. The latter is particularly important because it is not unlikely that you, as a Heathen counselor, may someday have to counsel folk (gay or straight) who are dealing with AIDS in some manner, whether as patients, kin and friends of patients, the bereaved, or the worried well. Sheely, Gail. Passages (New York: Bantam, 1976). A good popular discussion of the major stages and crises of adult life. Sheely, Gail, The Silent Passage. Deals specifically with menopause. Simon, Sidney. Geting Unstuck (New York: Warner Books, 1988). Simon, Sidney. Meeting Yourself Halfway (Niles, Illinois: Argus, 1975). A resource book for those doing values clarification studies. 31 strategies for daily living, written for the middle-of-the-road American, but adaptable to Heathenry. Smalley, Gary; John Trent. The Language of Love (Pomona: Focus on the Family Publishing, 1988). Smith, M. Blaine. Should I get Married? (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1990). The orientation of this book is very Christian: some of the religious elements can be replaced with their Germanic equivalents, others can be ignored altogether. Nevertheless, the essential content is intelligent, helpful, and easily understood. *Stone, J. David; Larry Keevauver. Friend to Friend (Loveland: Group Books, 1983). Very highly recommended as an extremely elementary way of looking at routine counselling and how to structure an interview. Tannen, Deborah. You Just Don't Understand. A discussion of the differences in communication between men and women. *Wallerstein, Judith S., and Sandra Blakeslee. The Good Marriage: How and Why Love Lasts (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1995). An excellent discussion of the various elements of marriage and the needs of different types of partner, including a number of sample interviews with actual cases. *Wolfelt, Alan D. Death and Grief: A Guide for Clergy (Muncie, Indiana: Accelerated Development, Inc., 1988). A resource book for clergy of all denominations doing grief therapy. *Worley, Robert C. A Gathering of Strangers: Understanding the Life of your Church (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1976). Although written in the Christian idiom, this is a study of the interpersonal relationships involved in the everyday life of religious institutions and can be readily adapted to garths and hofs, perhaps even to hearths. Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus. A popular and amusingly (to the point of occasionally being irritating) presented discussion of the differences in thought and communication between men and women. III. Books That Are Not Very Good Blum, Ralph. A Book of Runes. Probably the worst book ever written on the subject of the runes; source of the infamous "blank rune". His Rune Games is almost as bad. Conway, D.J. Norse Magic. Actually, it's Wicca with the serial numbers filed off and a Norse paint job slapped on. Fitch, Ed. The Rites of Odin. This book seems to be the major source of misinformation among Heathens today. Lady of the Northern Light. While the premise -- looking at the runes, and through them, Germanic religion, from a feminine point of view -- is a perfectly good one, the method applied is terrible: for instance, gratuitously making the god Ingwaz (Freyr) into a goddess in desperation, and changing "Othala" (inherited land) to "Fish", presumably because the rune looks kind of like a Christian fish-symbol. The only worth in this book is that the author gives full references for every statement, some of which are authentic and useful pieces of folklore (and when she says something stupid, nine times out of ten she refers back to the appalling works of Barbara Walker). IV. Fiction It is needful for a Troth clergyperson to be well-versed in the most popular conceptions of the religion, as well as in religious specialty texts. The list below serves as a basic guideline. As you do your own research in the bookstores, no doubt you will discover others... Bates, Brian. The Way of Wyrd. Some interesting ideas (particularly the author's work with the Anglo-Saxon charm spells), but should have been titled Anglo-Saxon Magic Meets Carlos Castaneda. Bengtsson, Fran. The Longships. This is Sweden's great national work of fiction, and a Hel of a good read, in spite of the fact that the hero sort of converts halfway through. It is also quite well researched. Evans, Linda. Sleipnir. A good book in many respects, but flawed by the writer's total hostility towards îÝinn, with a strange and somewhat offensive ending. Grundy, Stephan. Rhinegold. A retelling of the Vlsung/Nibelungen story as an historical novel maintaining a strong mythic perspective and fairly strict faithfulness to Vlsunga saga and Nibelungenlied. Holt, Tom. Expecting Someone Taller. A very funny send-up of the Ring cycle. Holt, Tom. Who's Afraid of Beowulf. A very funny send-up of Norse archaeologists. Jakes, John. Voden. A well-written book, but obnoxious in its euhemerism, particularly the portrayal of the wisdom-bringing Wodan as a foreigner from the South. King, Bernard. Starkadder; Vargr Moon; Death-Blinder. Out-of-print, but extremely good, trilogy. Keep a sharp eye out for these, or see if your library can get them. Paxson, Diana. Brisingamen. A book tremendously beloved by Heathens today; chances are, at any good-sized gathering, you won't be able to throw a stone without hitting someone who first discovered Heathenry through it. Paxson, Diana. The Wolf and The Raven; Dragons of the Rhine; (upcoming) Lord of Horses. A retelling of the Vlsung/Nibelungen story from an historical perspective, also containing a great deal of fascinating theology and ritual. |
