Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons

by Manfred Lurker

The author Containing around 1,800 entries this dictionary covers, in one volume, all the important deities and demons from around the world. The gods of ancient mythology appear alongside the gods of contemporary religion, and lesser' mythologies and religions are also fully covered.provides an exten sive network of cross-references, allowing the reader to draw cross-cultural comparisons. The Dictionary will be an invaluable source of information for anyone interested in comparative religion or the diversity of religious views throughout the world.

Genres: Reference, Mythology, Nonfiction, Religion, Research

460 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now while I have indeed always found Manfred Lurker's Lexikon der Götter und Dämonen, his 1984 German language encyclopedia of global deities and demons of much and appreciated use for general information and basic research, personally and academically I would definitely appreciate, would absolutely welcome a bit more detail, as the presented text, the featured alphabetically organised sections really just scratch the surface so to speak (they are interesting and extensive, but rather much informationally condensed, perhaps by necessity, but it still is more than a bit annoying). And furthermore, it might indeed also be more beneficial (and of course also easier, less frustrating) for academic research purposes to not have the deities and demons presented alphabetically, but perhaps organised more according to religious/tribal affiliations (for as it stands now, one actually generally has to know the name of a deity or demon in order to search for, in order to locate him, her or it, whereas a religious or tribal organisation would concentrate the diverse entities into specific cultural or religious sections, which would, in my opinion at least, make research, make finding them, locating them in Lexikon der Götter und Dämonen considerably easier and potentially less frustrating, especially if one is looking for specific deities and not just perusing the lexicon for basic pleasure and interest). Still highly recommended, although with the necessary caveat that because Lexikon der Götter und Dämonen is penned in German, a good level of fluency is not only suggested but also my opinion required (there are, however, English translations available, although I have not read these and thus cannot and will not make any comments with regard to their potential quality).

[Inara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title in German:
Lexikon der Götter und Dämonen

A practical reference book with short descriptions of the most important gods and demons of various cultures. In the appendix the gods are listed with their functions and aspects e.g. all earth gods/goddesses and symbols and attributes e.g. apple or trident. Sufficient for quick information to which culture a god belongs but it´s not very detailed.

[Virdilak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good reference.

[Dan Verkys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really dig this book! a great reference book for any lover of the genre.

Like me, you'll most probably return to it again and again. Highly recommend.