What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Doing the Italia by Region lists, I was reminded of the churches in Rome that are built over Mithraic temples (we went under one - it had a marble altar on a pivot, with Christian inscriptions on one side, and Mithraic on the other, which was rather amazing to me!).

Anyone got any good fiction (preferrably - or exceptional non-fiction) for me on Mithras, Mithraism, Mithraic cults or the other pre-Christian / contemp. early Christian mystery religions? :)

Tough one! I'm mostly finding modern-day thrillers, not really any books set in the time period itself.

Crow Stone
Depths of Deceit
The Sacrifice Stone
The Seventh Sacrament
Afternoon of an Autocrat
The Covenant of the Flame

Thanks, Rainbowheart! I figured it was worth asking the expert searchers when my WorldCat search spat out just 2 hits. :O

EDIT: I think I might have mispelled a search term. XD

I have this one, but it's a romance (I hate romance, generally): A Wayside Tavern

Still might read it, if I can pick it up cheap. Curiosity and all that... ;)

The protagonist of The King of Ys, by Poul Anderson is a devotee of Mithras. I'm not sure that we see very much of the cult, however. It's also alternative history with strong fantasy elements.

Merlin is initiated into the mysteries of Mithras in The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart we get a few glimpses of some rituals (possibly some more at the funeral of Uther later in the series) but the incident basically passes over with an "I cannot speak of the mysteries" comment.

There's a cult that's fairly clearly based on Mithraism in The last rune series, by Mark Anthony, starting with Beyond the Pale. Again, however, other than hints about "hearing the call of the bull" as a reference to homosexuality, we don't get to see much of it and it is clearly fantasy inspired by the idea of the cult not any attempt to portray the historical cult.

A modern day Mithraic cult features in The Secrets of Pain, by Phil Rickman, but as Rainbowheart said, it's a contemporary thriller not an historical novel. Similarly, Elly Griffiths has Roman era archaeology in The Janus Stone, which may have a Mithraeum in it, but that's in the service of a contemporary mystery story.

I think R S Downie's Gaius Petronius Ruso series focuses on the Christian cult rather than Mithraism, although it may get a mention along with various other cults.

Oh, brilliant, Robert! Thanks so much for all of this! I do love anything archaeology-centric, and the early Christian cult sounds just as interesting to me.

I really don't know anything about Mithraism at all, only that it appeared to be pervasive where Christianity was mutated and incorporated into the Roman State - I really think this huge shift at the beginning is properly interesting!

I also like to read about the continuing thread of Ishtar to Aphrodite to Venus to the Roman Virgin Mary and the concordances there, but it sounds like that might have little to do with Mithraism. Still, recycled religious elements - totally my jam!

Thanks again for these - open to any related recommendations on this general topic!

The series of books by Anthony Riches feature a number of characters who follow Mithras, first one Wounds of Honour.

Dual time line book The Sacrifice Stone by Elizabeth Harris also may fit the bill.

Thank you, Sharon! :)

I'm only going from memory. There is a YA book by Marjorie Rowling called They Fought for Brigantia, published in 1950. Unfortunately it doesn't appear on the goodreads database. I'm pretty sure the young hero serves with the Roman army on Hadrian's Wall and at some point is required to attend a mithraeum and be initiated into the religion. It probably sticks in my young memory because he is required to drink a cup of bull's blood in the process.

Eeew, perfect! :D Thanks Len - I'll have a look for that! (Added it, too: They Fought for Brigantia )

Just to add that D. Jason Cooper's Mithras: Mysteries and Inititation Rediscovered, while clearly occult speculative history, provides a coherent (if imagined) depiction of the cult.

Oh thank you Robert - I would like to read that! :)

Rosemary Sutcliff has characters in several of her books who have Mithraistic beliefs, but this is not deeply delved-into. The protagonist in The Eagle of the Ninth belongs to the cult, as well as minor characters in The Silver Branch and Outcast (and probably others which I've forgotten about). One of the best ancient-world historical fiction writers of all time.

She's been recommended to me before (for other reasons) - I suppose I really should look into her books! Thanks, Memp - I'll try some of these! :)