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In Praise of Olympus: Prayers to the Greek Gods
Prayers to the Greek gods written by a modern devotee.
- GenresOccult
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 21, 2020
(My review is for the paperback, not the Kindle Edition)
In Praise of Olympus: Prayers to the Greek Gods is a beautifully written devotional anthology for the Greek Gods. The prayers are lyrical, full of depth and I have used many of them in my own practice. I find most of them to be appropriate for every day use but also for a more formal ritual. Most Hellenic polytheists will be familiar with the Orphic and Homeric hymns, but I would highly suggest adding these beauties into your arsenal, too.
My personal favourite thing about this book is how the author included some lesser-known deities. Being a devotee of Hebe, I find it quite challenging to find prayers dedicated to her, but the two that the author composed are stunning. This is clearly an author who has a vast amount of knowledge and who knows what she is doing. The prayers are all written in a very organic way, genuinely some of the best devotional work I've ever read.
The only niggle that I have with this publication is that there are some spelling mistakes and syntax errors. It isn't the end of the world, but considering that many of these prayers will be read aloud, I ended up correcting them myself so to avoid any errors. I would also suggest a better index. The hymns are divided into sections (praise, evocation, litanies, supplication) but I would have really liked an index at the back with hymns to refer to for each deity. Such an index makes it a lot easier when trying to find something. Of course, this kind of thing won't bother everybody, but that's just my personal preference.
All in all, this is a must have for any Hellenic polytheist (or person who works with the Greek Gods in any capacity). I'll have to seek out the author's other devotional now!
In Praise of Olympus: Prayers to the Greek Gods is a beautifully written devotional anthology for the Greek Gods. The prayers are lyrical, full of depth and I have used many of them in my own practice. I find most of them to be appropriate for every day use but also for a more formal ritual. Most Hellenic polytheists will be familiar with the Orphic and Homeric hymns, but I would highly suggest adding these beauties into your arsenal, too.
My personal favourite thing about this book is how the author included some lesser-known deities. Being a devotee of Hebe, I find it quite challenging to find prayers dedicated to her, but the two that the author composed are stunning. This is clearly an author who has a vast amount of knowledge and who knows what she is doing. The prayers are all written in a very organic way, genuinely some of the best devotional work I've ever read.
The only niggle that I have with this publication is that there are some spelling mistakes and syntax errors. It isn't the end of the world, but considering that many of these prayers will be read aloud, I ended up correcting them myself so to avoid any errors. I would also suggest a better index. The hymns are divided into sections (praise, evocation, litanies, supplication) but I would have really liked an index at the back with hymns to refer to for each deity. Such an index makes it a lot easier when trying to find something. Of course, this kind of thing won't bother everybody, but that's just my personal preference.
All in all, this is a must have for any Hellenic polytheist (or person who works with the Greek Gods in any capacity). I'll have to seek out the author's other devotional now!
March 4, 2021
This is a lovely collection of hymns, prayers, evocations and litanies to the Theoi. Hearthstone/Hester Butler-Ehle has done a wonderful job in creating a modern-day body of work to bring to the altar and devotional practice. I find myself reciting these hymns just as frequently as I do the Orphic hymns.
Highly recommended if the daily recitation of hymns to the Gods is a part of your devotional practice.
Highly recommended if the daily recitation of hymns to the Gods is a part of your devotional practice.
February 23, 2016
An amazing follow-up to Devotion, this book offers three types of prayers: evocations, litanies, and supplications. These are incredibly useful for rituals, both group and individual. The litanies in particular are just amazingly helpful in getting a grasp of the Gods' epithets.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews