Bücher von Ben Waggoner

Written in Iceland around the year 1500, the little book now known only as AM 434a is a treasure trove of medieval medical knowledge. The book lists healing uses for over ninety different herbs. It gives advice on health matters ranging from bloodletting to steam baths to the influence of the moon on health and human life. And it contains a number of magical spells, charms, prayers, runes, and symbols to bring health, wealth, and good fortune. The roots of the healing traditions in AM 434a go back thousands of years before the book itself was written. We are honored to present the first complete English translation of AM 434a. Complete notes and commentary explain this texts's historical and cultural background. Medievalists, historians of science and magic, herbalists, and anyone interested in medieval Scandinavian lore and life will find this book indispensable.

Runes. . . the very name seems to conjure up mystery. Runes appear everywhere from rock album covers to Viking and fantasy movies. But what are they, and how are they used? What do they mean? How and why are they used in magic and in divination? This handy pocket-sized booklet presents a brief working knowledge of the ancient writing system of the Germanic-speaking peoples. After learning about the runes' origins and their uses, both for writing mundane texts and for magic and divination, you can look up individual rune letters and explore the surprisingly complex symbolism behind them. Fresh translations of the old rune poems round out this brief but informative introduction.