The Rites of Odin

by Ed Fitch

Open the door to the ancient Norse world of magic and spirituality with The Rites of Odin by Ed Fitch. The ancient religion of Northern Europe was one of remarkable strength and power, as well as magic and beauty. Its adherents were themselves a solid and adventurous lot: the Norse, Slavs, Germans, ancient Russians, and of course, the Vikings.

The Rites of Odin is a complete sourcebook that brings the ancient values back to these turbulent times. What you read here is poetic and powerful, perfect for groups who have chose to follow the Old Ways, for families who wish to be unified by warm and close ceremonies, and for the solitary seeker.

- The history and philosophy of ancient Norse magic made practical for today
- Basic ritual preparation and design
- Seasonal festivals for groups, families, and individuals
- Protection rites
- Wedding rites
- Norse lore
- The Runes: their symbolism and use in divination
- A Rune-Talisman rite
- Crafting a drinking horn
- Brewing your own mead

The Rites of Odin puts forth the message, in rites, practice, and background lore, that you are uniquely important. You are in charge of your own destiny. The family and friends who constitute your "extended family" are also important: by working together and helping one another, all of you can prosper and be happy.

Genres: Religion, Mythology, Paganism, Magic, Magick, Spirituality, Reference

360 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Also used Edward Fitch on some books. Also has gone by "Ea" and was initiated into the Gardnerian tradition by Ray and Rosemary Buckland in 1967.

Reviews

[Ranae · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pick up this book if you want to know what the Norse traditions are not. Actually that is most likely what people do. I am surprised Llewellyn let this one be published.

[Ruby Hollyberry · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author has absolutely ZERO idea what he is talking about. Never bother with this, it is totally invented crap by someone who failed to even read up on the subject.

[Wulf · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a gift from a friend. I initially was interested in it, just to see what it was about, as it was the first book I had read Norse related from Llewellyn. The Rites of Odin is a book in Llewellyn's Teutonic Magick Series. The word "Magick" is a dead giveaway of what I found inside.

The book itself is a quick read. It covers basic subjects that most beginner books would cover. It also has a craft/brewing section. To someone new coming into Heathenry, this book would seem like a good starting point. The main problem, however, is the fact that the book is full of misinformation.

Ed Fitch is a Gardnerian Wiccan. Although, this would normally not matter if he was a scholar and looked to give accurate information, this matters in this case, as it is taken as just how things are. Wiccan terms were used in the book, little research was done about the Gods/Goddesses and the brief overviews were basic information. However, even when explaining the Gods/Goddesses, there was misinformation in that as well.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this to read. For a beginner, this could cause problems if this is one of your first books in the way that much of the information presented is false. Much of the information comes from more of a New Age/Mixed Practice standpoint, and less from a strict Heathen point of view.

[Kenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, I should have done my research. This is something of a strange primer on a version of Norse-based Wicca that I feel like the author has cobbled together from less of a spiritual connection and more of an intellectual one. And I would even say the use of 'intellectual' is loose at best. There are better books out there.

[Quinn Mcfarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this 20 years ago and seeing the cover again now, is bringing it all back to me. the cover makes it look cartoonish, which I don't appreciate, but I loved the contents of the book. I've always loved Astatru and Odinism and this book is perfect for learning

[Viktor House · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible, do not recommend for beginners as most of the information in this book is just made up by the author (even though it is described as a "complete source book" of Nordic culture and mythology).

[Ariesian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically just as spot on as Lewellyn's other books - that is, utter garbage. Not worth buying, and not worth reading.

[Scott Thornton · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a waste of paper!

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference for rites & rituals. Easy to follow guide.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically trash, unless you are looking to disguise Wicca as heathenry.

[Emma Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the Goddesses and Gods, with some meditations and thought experiments thrown in.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written for that 13 year old who wants to hop on the trendy pagan bus. Seriously, it describes the gods but it seems very juvenile. I have no idea if the rituals are legit. The extent of my knowledge of Norse legends comes from Stargate SG1, and this inspired me to go watch that, so that was a good outcome.

[Maera Koz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is Wicca using Norse God and Goddess names. The Runes are wrong, with some that don't exsist outside this book and seem made up by Ed. Uses the CATHOLIC sign of the cross as the sign of the hammer. This author is CLUELESS as to what real Norse Heathenry is. Wish I could give it less stars.

[Bikku · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wicca diluted (Which I don't subscribe to, but have nothing against) which made this book pointless and fruitless for any real norse history and religion.

[Zachary Casados · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Odinist, this book is crucial to own a copy of. Reading it truly brought me closer to Odin and the rest of the honored Gods and Goddesses. The rituals are beautiful and I'll be referencing these pages for the rest of my life.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main thing I can say in this book's defense is that there wasn't much else around at the time it was published. Its purpose was to present a program for neo-pagans interested in the Norse mythos (today known as "Heathens"). It does this essentially by giving a bunch of predictable and unimaginative rituals that the user could have more profitably written themselves, if there had been some background information about the gods and the religious context. Fitch provides extremely little of that context. There is not even an index which would allow you to track down references to specific gods and goddesses.
At the back of the book is a dubious "Lore" section which discusses the Runes from a limited perspective and ties in some other symbol-work and craft that one can work with. Pretty much anything by Edred Thorsson would be better. Oddly, Thorsson was "consulting editor" for this Llewellyn series, and provided an introduction, written in 1989. I suppose that he was conceding that getting anything published on the subject was better than nothing at all. Today, you can do better, and I would recommend that you do.

[Cas ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book; there isn't a whole lot of extensive literature on Norse pagan ways (/Odinism/Asatru) so I was really looking forward to some insight... However a lot of it contains bastardized Christian holidays/traditions "made Viking like" and it was very inauthentic. I don't really think the author knows what he's talking about, or maybe he was lead astray by other people that didn't.. Either way it was disappointing.
If you're looking for a Neo-Norse book that has nothing to do with actual Asatru/Norse teachings, this is it.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is absolutely terrible if the reader considers themselves a Heathen. If one is not than it might be of use in the sense that all the information is catered to Wiccans with a "Heathen" spin. Basically if the reader doesn't know anything about Norse mythology go ahead and read this book, but take it with a grain of salt. Fitch did not do enough research to write a whole book about it.
I can't read this book without laughing at how much of a joke it is. I gave it away.

[Jean-Pierre Vidrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Putting aside statements early on in the book that call a childless person a "genetic dead end" and warns individuals " . . . not to call unwarranted attention to oneself by being particularly different . . ." (CONFORM!), this is an interesting guide to Heathen custom and ritual as a lifestyle. It is, however, only one author's compilation. It should not be the sole source of information on Heathenry in one's library for one who is truly interested in the path.

[Cheyenne Lansdowne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not a bad book if you get down to it some things are wrong but it is just from one person's perspective so that is usually what you will get. However there are some very helpful and useful things in it so I say its an okay book to begin with but you defiantly need to look at others.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well written book. But not what I was expecting. What is within these pages are for those who follow the Wicca way and it's not a path I embrace.
October 30, 2019, I re-read the book. I tried. If you don't follow the path of Wicca, like myself, then the majority of this book is a waste of time.

[Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ed Fitch: "It is advisable not to call unwarranted attention to oneself by being particularly different, bizarre, threatening or bothersome to others."
Also Ed Fitch: Lemme show you how to recite poetry to your car's engine!

[Amy Sjoquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Love Norse mythology.

[Aggatha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recomed this to show to people what not to read about North myths

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a how-to for Norse ceremonies. Good basic info, though a few oddball things with regards to the runes.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I count this ways this book is in error, lame, without basis in Asatru and downright silly?