The Galdrabok : An Icelandic Book of Magic

by Stephen E. Flowers

The so-called Galdrab6k,' or "Book of Magic," is the single mosiimportant document for understanding the practice of magic irlate medieval Iceland. It is especially important in that it give,a unique insight into the various religio-magical elements thaiwent into a synthetic national magical tradition in Iceland althe time of its compilation. No other document of comparableage gives so many details of the preservation of the archaic Germanic gods, cosmology, and magical practices as does this littlemanuscript. Here we are not dependent on folktales or indirectreports through confessions exacted by the tortures of the In.quisition or other churchly authorities to reconstruct the magicoreligious views of the galdramenn (magicians) of the day; instead,we have direct evidence of actual practices written by the rna.gicians' own hands. In many ways the Galdrab6k is to the Icelandic folktales of magic' what the runic inscriptions are to theaccounts of magic recorded in the sagas. They provide factuacorroboration of what otherwise might have been considered,form of fantasy

Genres: Occult, Nonfiction, Magic, Witchcraft, Reference, Mythology, Esoterica

Paperback

First published January 1, 1650

About the author

American Runologist and proponent of occultism and Germanic mysticism.

Flowers is an advocate of "Esoteric Runology" or "Odinism", an occultist version of Germanic Neopaganism

Flowers has graduated in Germanic and Celtic philology.

Reviews

[Susy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great if you are into runes and runic lore.

[Mary Farnstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I'm not an enormous fan of Stephen E. Flowers, I do appreciate this book for what it is. This is a recording (whether biased or not) of historical sigils that would otherwise be incredibly difficult to come across.

This is a must-have for any Norse practitioner who is interested in Icelandic Staves (galdrstafur) and their many uses. This will not teach you how to create your own staves.

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent look at a medieval Icelandic Grimoire. The history was very interesting to read, especially since it is a subject so overlooked.

[Deon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and informative.

[Ian Apperley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Galdrabok section itself is only a few pages and 47 spells. The first part of the book is the context for the work and the latter additional material from Germanic magic.

[Frk.Robertsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun! Alltid viktig å repetere hvordan man galdrer noen til å få magesjau!

[Ihor Kolesnyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Суха, академічна розвідка. Плюс і взагалі заради чого варто читати - наявність старого тексту і генетичного аналізу.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Flowers. EXCELLENT translation, including explanations of ambiguity where possible, and no pretension. Half of this book is sortof a historical prologue, which does an amazing job at giving you a thorough understanding of the context these spells were created in, so you can really get a feel for their form and function.

[Carol Bourque · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't try to read this book.

This book was written for people with their head screwed on sideways, that is the only way you can read it. Revised???? Cut and paste from the original book., nothing textwise new.

[Nikolas Lofstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book serves as a good introduction to anybody who is interested in Icelandic magic, with a general overview of its history and practice and a comprehensive collection of the various magical staves, runes, and phrases from the Galdrabok and other similar sources.

[Amory Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great and fascinating read for anyone into Norse folklore, mythology or history! Lots to learn here, both in the actual text and in the accompanying notes and foreword by the translator. A must read for those who want to study the Norse histories and ancient beliefs!

[Edwar Castillo Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

ammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm no puedo leerlo amm como le hago
?

[Kenji · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think i want to learn magic

[Farrah Shaikh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to understand runic lore.

[Wandering Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look into a topic I have no experience with. Good bibliography to follow up on other sources as well.

[Kelvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Lemegeton Hesperus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well composed and elaborated work on the subject of Icelandic magic, which I would wholeheartedly reccomend to anyone who takes interest in this subject. The author tries his best to really make this book useful for personal magical use, and even provides a brief history of magic in Island, which is helpful for both practitioners of magic and scholars who are just interested in the history of this topic. One minor flaw is the author‘s inabillity to differentiate from his connection to the temple of Seth, which definetely shows in some parts of the book, but that doesn’t mean that this book is really biased in any way or form. The author really does a terrific job at explaining and documenting the history and practice of Icelandic folk magic, and this is a definite reccomendation for anyone who‘s interested in this sort of topic, regardless if you‘re a folk or ceremonial magician or even someone who doesn’t practice magic at all.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

VERY well done. Excellent foreword (about half the book) to provide context. Many references cited. Very highly recommended for fans of The Necronomicon or other grimoires. Flowers is hands-down the best in the field.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fascinating look at folk magic in Iceland, accompanied by some historical context and analysis.