Greek Folk Religion

by Martin Persson Nilsson

"Long recognized as one of the truly great interpreters of Greek religion, Prof. Nilsson has, in this volume, made a real & lasting contribution."--Morton Scott Enslin
"In the extensive literature relating to ancient Greece, there is no work that serves the purposes of this volume. A Swedish proverb speaks of placing the church in the middle of the village, & that is precisely what Nilsson has here done. Homer & Hesiod formed the basis of the traditional education of the Greeks in general, & the great gods & goddesses as they appear in art show at all times the formative influence of the epic tradition. Nevertheless, the hard core of Greek religion is to be found in its observances--these took their shape among men whose focus was 1st the hearth & then the city-state, men moreover whose life & livelihood were tied to crops & herds & the annual cycle of nature."--Arthur Darby Nock
Nilsson writes about the popular religious observances of the Greeks, as practiced both earlier in the 20th century & in classical times, the agricultural festivals & customs, the rituals of family & society. The folk religions of Greece that underlay & continually erupted into the more elevated Olympian mythology of Homer & Hesiod are explained in detail by a scholar with unparalleled understanding of the rites & customs of rural life.
Martin P. Nilsson authored several books, including History of Greek Religion & The Dionysiac Mysteries of the Hellenistic & Roman Age.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Mythology, Religion, Folklore, Witchcraft, Reference

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Martin Persson Nilsson (Stoby, Kristianstad County, 12 July 1874 – Lund, 7 April 1967) was a Swedish philologist, mythographer, and a scholar of the Greek, Hellenistic and Roman religious systems. In his studies he combined literary evidence with archaeological evidence, linking historic and prehistoric evidence for the evolution of the Greek mythological cycles.

Reviews

[Illiterate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nilsson argues for the durability of folklore by tying it to ways of life (agriculture, home, etc).

[James F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1940 under the title Greek Popular Religion, this is a classic account of the popular agricultural, "folklore" and "superstitious" beliefs which underlay the official religion and literary mythology of classical Greece, and much of which outlived the official religion and persisted into Christian Greece in the form of folk customs and beliefs. While some of the details, especially the anthropological theory, are undoubtedly outdated, it is still an interesting read. The political uses of religion haven't changed much essentially, however different the forms may be.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, albeit dry, review of the evidences as regards popular, i.e. folk, religion in ancient Greece.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wonderful. Deep enough and eye-opening to some of the lesser-known aspects of Ancient Greek religion, including various cults, the mysteries (including the Eleusinian Mysteries), and seers/oracles. I've read many books from a modern Hellenic pagan point of view and this had some wonderful nuggets of information modern authors fail to mention. For modern reconstructionist pagans, this is a must-read. I found the writing easy to read and non-biased or terribly ethnocentric. I especially enjoyed the section on how Greek religion was essentially secularized during the classical age, leading to less religious cohesion and more hodge-podge cults and movements, including philosophy and atheism. While the theory on which this book is based, that religion evolves to serve a social need, is contested among many adherents, this book was still illuminating. The subject was treated with admiration and respect, and makes it all that much more informative and enjoyable for the reader. Extra points for the many footnotes and appendix of illustrations/photographs.

[Liam Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is old school lit crit at its best. I read this in the 1984 era and read it 40 years later. It still makes good sense to me.

[Gabriele · Rating 1 out of 5]

read this book for school and let’s just say i didn’t like it :Dd

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear explanations. Great textbook.

[Kadir]

i wanna read this book