Average customer rating:
- Folklore, Nothing More
- Folklore, Myths, Legends & Beasts...
- Okay
- Pleasant read.
- A Fascinating, Frightening and Sometimes Amusing Look at Malicious Spirits Worldwide
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A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits
Carol K. Mack , and
Dinah Mack
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 080506270X |
Amazon.com
The Macks divert our gaze from our contemporary red-faced, cloven-hoofed misrepresentation of demons to remind us of the ancient roles demons were originally assigned to play. From the Tommyknockers of North American mountain mines to the South African Mbulu that waits in the river for lone travelers, A Field Guide to Demons classifies these creatures by their domains--water, mountain, forest--rather than in alphabetical or cultural order, dishing out antique and contemporary lore on these most misunderstood of spirits. A Field Guide to Demons melds folklore and mythology; maintains a surprisingly evenhanded view of demons; and reveals their role as the necessary challenger to established order, the antagonist--without which there could be no hero--and the darkness through which goodness shines brightest. --Brian Patterson
Book Description
Watch your back! . . . How to spot and identify demons and other subversive spirits . . . And what to do next.Demons, fairies, and fallen angels are everywhere. They lurk at crossroads, crouch behind doors, hide in trees, slip into beds, wait in caves, hover at weddings and childbirths, disguise themselves as friends, relatives-even disguise themselves as you. They are powerful; they are protean; they are enchanting. And, to the uninformed, they are often invisible. This illustrated guide-the first of its kind-reveals the remarkable permutations of the demon and fairy species worldwide. Packed with lore about each demon, detailing its origins, the culture surrounding it, and its reputed antics and exploits, A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits is a fascinating exploration of global mythologies. Perfect for the armchair traveler and the intrepid, seasoned demon-spotter alike, this complete guide to subversive spirits offers a behind-the-scenes look at the devilish mishaps, impish irritations, and demonic devastations that punctuate our lives.
Customer Reviews:
Folklore, Nothing More.......2007-02-14
I must admit that I bought this book at a stage in my life when I believed in the supernatural. I don't anymore. At the time, it seemed like interesting reading and perhaps even a manual of some sort that could be used in case I ever came into contact with supernatural beings. This book is like a little encyclopedia on such beings as they have been described in folklore worldwide. In here, you will find descriptions and legends behind creatures like the Islamic Djinn, Japanese Oni and Jewish Asmodeus. Some of the ancient (and current) gods worshipped by men are also included. Unfortunately, while this makes for fascinating reading, you can't really get into it unless you actually believe in these things. The style of writing almost seems like that should be a prerequisite. The book itself is lovely; printed on soft paper with illustrations that are good but could have been better. Many of them look like they could have been drawn by just about anyone. The cover will certainly tempt you to pick it up, though. The book index is also quite excellent as it includes even related entries that are not really 'topics' per se. Perhaps this makes the index look meatier than it otherwise would be. Even so, if you are looking for a critical or even remotely scientific analysis of the subject matter, this book is not for you. On the other hand, if you are steeped in these beliefs, it would probably be one of your more cherished possessions. I don't know much about the authors, Carol and Dinah Mack, but I would imagine they are something right out of the series, "Charmed".
Folklore, Myths, Legends & Beasts..........2007-01-17
Anywhere you go, stories are told. Sometimes, passed down from Elder to Child, tales at bed-time, or simply in fun or even in warning - superstition.
Figures that lurk in the darkness of night, swimming in the depths of lakes, the vastness of desert, or in the cover of dense forests - many types of Fairy, ( Fae ), Monsters, or Creatures is referenced in this book. Each with their own description, ( sometimes illustrated ), and some even with added tidbits, such as how they are featured in Lore, Locations, and how to disarm, conjure, or dispel.
For those interested in Folklore, Beings, Hybrid Creatures, Demonic and others, this book is a great beginning, or an addition to any collection. Great for references, or even as simple entertainment!
Each are placed in their own category, be it Mountain, Domicile, and even Psyche to name a few. How to use the Guide, Identify, Approach, and the Origin of the Species helps the reader along. For those beginning in Folklore, Creatures, etc., a handle as to how they are thought of, portrayed, Feared, and Adored.
Okay.......2007-01-10
This book was okay. I have read better. It was very interesting. Not factual but interesting...
Pleasant read........2006-07-18
The book had many demons and the small stories that go with them. I think the only thing I would have liked more in the book is for the writer to post more pictures of some of the demons the writer was trying to describe. Evnen though this was a very well made book and it is simple enough for the average reader to understand yet complex, the writer used words that I had to look up in the dictionary. So I would recomend this book to a person who is curious about demons, but not thoose who are very serious about the subject.
A Fascinating, Frightening and Sometimes Amusing Look at Malicious Spirits Worldwide.......2006-05-27
Well, as the title says, this book is a "field guide" to Demons, faeries and other malicious spirits. The book opens with a couple discussions on the nature of demons, evil, and so forth, before splitting into a field guide style approach that breaks it down into sections like "mountain", "ocean", "desert" and so forth. Within in each section are given several different demons or types of demon, along with a write up of their habits, myths and lore, how to defeat them and the like.
The first section, "Oceans", covers several well known sea monsters and water faeries such as mermaids, the Japanese kappa, the Australian bunyip, the Russian rusalka and the Scottish kelpie, amongst others (like the Mbulu, a water person from Zulu folklore). In the "Mountains" section we get a wide variety of demons, ranging from Huwawa (from the Epic of Gilgamesh) to the tiny Abatwa of Zulu belief and the "little people" of Cherokee folklore. The "Forest" chapter includes a number of wild monsters like the flesh-eating Windigo of Native American belief, Japanese fox-spirits and the Rakshasa of Hinduism. A section on "the Desert" covers things like the djinn and ghuls of Islamic belief, the Mimi of Australian Aboriginal lore and Set, the Egyptian god of darkness. "The Domicile" introduces spirits of the household and domestic spheres, like the Jewish Lilith, the Changing Bear Woman of the Navajo, and the Changelings of British folkelore. The last chapter, "The Psyche", introduces highly abstract demons that play with the concept of the self, like the werewolf, Mr. Hyde, the Id and the Jewish dybbuk.
None of the entries are overly long, nor is this book a comprehensive list of demons, but it does provide a wonderful glimpse at the countless devils, evil spirits and other things that have haunted mankind's beliefs for centuries. The authors never seem to commit themselves to any one stance on the existance of demons, for the record, and I've known very religious people who have read this book. Whether or not you believe in the spirits presented here, it is a fascinating cross-cultural study of malicious spirits. Particularly if you know very little about mythology, folklore and religion to begin with. Things like faeries, werewolves and mermaids may well be common place in our vocabulary, but lesser known myths like the Patupairehe, Isitwalangcengce, Eloko and the gruesome Nuckelavee are equally frightening. All in all, a well thought out and executed book.
Customer Reviews:
THE ORIGINAL GAME OF STOLEN LIVES.......2007-04-30
DEMON:THE FALLEN is a role-playing game by White Wolf, set in the original WORLD OF DARKNESS setting. This game is about demons (obviously), but portrayed differently than in Judeo-Christian theology. Lucifer and the other fallen rebelled against God in order to love and serve humankind. There was war on Earth between the heavenly and fallen hosts resulting in great destruction and cruelty to humans, as the fallen used the humans they claimed to love as tools in their rebellion. Finally, the heavenly hosts were victorious and cast the fallen into Hell, a place of eternal isolation and nothingness. There, the fallen remained for all the aeons of earth's history.
And now all hell is breaking loose.
In DEMON, many fallen angels have managed to escape Hell, but it continually pulls at their essence. The only way for them to remain out of hell is to merge with a mortal body. The book implies that it is only possible to take the bodies of people with weak or broken souls; the brain-dead, the incurably insane, the suicidal, and those whose spirits have been crushed by the weight of a world of darkness. In this body, the fallen are very limited in their abilities; their memories of infinity and beyond have to fit in a mortal brain, and much is lost. Their fleshly shells are fragile, and the demons must continually search for faith to sustain themselves. They do retain some of their lore, their original ability to shape the universe, and their angelic form can be called upon at times. Whether they appear angelic or demonic depends on the fallen's level of torment, or how much they have succumbed to the dark side.
The book is exceedingly well written, with the first third of the book exploring the setting and abilities in narrative form - it makes for very interesting reading. I also found it interesting that some of the fallen have realized their error in rebelling against God and are in search of redemption (a position that surprised me given White Wolf's propensity for sticking a thumb in the eye of Christian belief whenever possible). I'm also surprised that people think that DEMON borrows from Judeo-Christian tradition when it is clearly Gnostic. It has a very Gnostic view of God, creation, Jesus, and humanity.
Many people (including myself) have wanted White Wolf to redo DEMON for their new setting. I think that they have chosen to replace it with PROMETHEAN: THE CREATED. It is billed as a "game of stolen lives", where a dead body is resurrected as a different creature, one with a mind but no soul. This new being searches for redemption, trying to understand humanity and to eventually become human. Prometheans even have Torment as a state they fall into over their suffering and have an "apocalyptic form" where their true selves are revealed. Many of the themes of DEMON seem to have been taken over by PROMETHEAN. If that is the case, it is an interesting decision by White Wolf.
Great RPG...White Wolf should bring it back...........2005-09-12
Very interesting. Requires more thought than most other RPGs. Ranks right up there with changling as far as the limits of the game is only your's (and the storyteller's) imagination.
Demon: The Fallen.......2004-03-09
Beautifly writen demon the fallen is a great white wolf game that finaly allows non-n.p.c.'s to play as demons from the under world, this is backed up by a magnificently writen history of the demon era of humanity where demons ruled with humanity. And a full detailed accounting of Caine's fall from grace that all vampire fans have been waiting for. The only slight problem you may have with reading this book is if you are to bound to christianity and offended, probably white-wolfs greatest game next to Kindred of the East.
Super Vampires.......2004-02-23
i love the demon story line. i love the lores and the powers that the factions but if you break the system down you have super vampires. replace faith with blood and torment with humanity and lore with disiplines and you have the kindred. this is not a bad thing. in fact i always toyed with the idea of interchanging the powers. overall not the best game WW ever made(exalted) but not the worst(wraith) excellent mixing game though i have failed to see how you can put a demon and a werewolf together. not a must have but a good buy none the less.
Buy it, Read it, LOVE IT!.......2003-12-06
Great WW... simply amazing work.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Have!.......2003-12-06
This book is a MUST HAVE for any demon or World of Darkness player. the section of the Halaku (Slayers) is worth the price of the book alone. Signifigant details on the creation of Haven (the underworld), and possible connections to werewolf in the form of the Loyalist Angle, Ziana Seraph of the Cycle (who became the World Tree)... hmmm Gaia maybe?
BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!
New Rituals... powerfull relics including Lucifers own horse!
Customer Reviews:
FICTION BY GREG STOLZE IS ALWAYS TOP NOTCH.......2007-07-25
ASHES AND ANGEL WINGS is a World of Darkness novel by Greg Stolze, meant to accompany the roleplaying game DEMON: THE FALLEN. Greg Stolze wrote the narrative part of DEMON, making him an excellent choice for the accompanying fiction. Besides writing the trilogy of which ASHES is the first, Greg has also written two fiction novels for VAMPIRE: THE REQUIEM. He is an excellent novelist, able to write compelling and sympathetic characters with good pacing in his story-telling.
ASHES AND ANGEL WINGS is a story about a demon who escapes from Hell to possess a human body, and his conflicting desires between serving the demonic authority over him and following his own selfish interests. On the one hand, I feel sympathy for the demon; he loves his host's daughter and tries to protect her and others in his life. On the other hand, he is ruthless in pursuing his own interests, to the point of torture and murder. The demon is a complex character, as are most struggles to determine what is right and what is wrong. The tension between the human host's desire to follow some moral code and the demon's desire to assert its ability to exert unrestrained power is an interesting one.
This is good. For real........2007-03-23
I never had a high regard for RPG fiction. Overall, I thought this kind of book ranged from OK to just plain bad, stuff that only gaming fans (like me) should read. That's because these books are usually very nice if you want to immerse yourself into the setting feeling and follow your favorite game's canon plots, but they fail to deliver as literature a little bit too often.
I changed my mind thanks to Greg Stolze.
Greg Stolze's writing is golden in every sense. He is able to portray ancient supernatural creatures without sounding artificial, nor plain. Stolze's favorite trick is to build several plots and then intertwine them in one big sick picture. He pulls that trick incredibly well. I was hooked from the beginning.
Demon: The Fallen is a very good game, that deals with difficult, heavy themes, and has a great dramatic potential. Ashes and Angel Wings succeeds in capturing that mood, and, here is the thing, is also very entertaining reading.
Great book.......2005-01-02
I don't normally read game fiction, but I really loved White Wolfs 'Demon: the Fallen' setting because it appealed to my love of dogma. I first read 'Lucifers Shadow' and it's short story 'A Legitimate Obligation'. When I found out that there was a whole book dedicated to Hasmed, I had to have it.
I'll have to admit, the book isn't ALL about Hasmed, but the side stories work their way into the main plot in such an amazing way, it makes it all worth it.
'Ashes and Angel Wings' tells us how Hasmed came to control the body of Harvey Ciullo, how he works to gain influence in the mortal crime sydicate for his own and his masters gain, and how, most importantly, he looks out for his daughter Tina.
While there is definitely a climax at the end, it doesnt really wrap things up and it leaves you wanting to know more. It's not enough of a let down to ruin the book, though. Just enough to urge me to buy 'The Seven Deadlies'.
Good Story, but Chicken out on the premise.......2003-09-18
I wish authors weren't so predictable and cowards when it comes to the subject of good and evil, God and the Devil. This book / series has such a great premise and potential, but the author chickens out when he deals the Good side of the Good v Evil equation. Evil is all powerful. Human have no resistance to it. Demon's can posses, destroy and manipulate at will. But good can do... nothing. There are no angels. God is nothing but a figment that is mentioned, but he "can't" intervien on earth because of... what. It's God, the creator of the universe.. who stops God from doing anything. Stolze tried to make the demons sympathetic even as the continue to do evil things. How they are misunderstood by God. Honestly, the story makes God sound like he is the manager of a 7-11 who just doesn't understand his employees or customers. How about a real story of good vs evil. Demons who know they are evil, revele in it. Angels who are good, know they are good and as the army of God will fight the Demons. Humans who have free will to choose between the two and are no powerless in the face of the ultimate choice in life and afterlife. Who can choose to fight on either side and face said consequences for doing so. One more thing... how can you tackle this subject with out talking about religion. Christian, Jew, Muslim.. how can you discount the books man uses to learn of God and our history. Since Lucifer is central to Christianity, how can you leave out Jesus Christ in the story of good v evil.
I wish someone would write a good story about the fight between good and evil, Angels and Demons, God and the Devil without skirting the religious aspect of it.
Best White Wolf Fiction Ever.......2003-04-24
I must admit to being an avid fan of Mr. Stolze but would like to add the caveat that he deserves the high praise that I give his novel. I find that many times a product driven novel usually loses sight of one of the most important goals of any piece of literature: Simply, to tell a good story. Ashes and Angel Wings is a great story, with well rounded and interesting characters. Even if you aren't a fan of White Wolf's game systems I heartily recommend picking up Mr. Stolze's finely crafted novel, you won't be disappointed. My only warning is to be prepared to buy the next two books in the series because you will definitely want to continue down such an engaging road.
Customer Reviews:
FLAWED, BUT NOT STOLZE'S FAULT!.......2007-07-25
It pains me to give a mediocre score to anything that Greg Stolze writes. He is a great novelist and writes compelling narrative, and his work on DEMON: THE FALLEN was masterful in developing an RPG through narration. His first book in the Demon trilogy, ASHES AND ANGEL WINGS, is highly recommended, as are his VAMPIRE: THE REQUIEM books.
Like Greg's previous novel, THE SEVEN DEADLIES is about a demon escaped from Hell and bent on not going back. It follows his plans to acquire power, both temporal and spiritual, as well as developing some other character plots from the last book. The demon in this story is less sympathetic to me than the prevous one, although I suppose it has to do with the kind of story the author wants to tell. My major complaints are these:
-At the end of chapter 2, we are introduced to a big metaplot point for DEMON which is the big quake in LA. The next few chapters dance around the fact that the characters in this novel have already been scripted for action in LA in LUCIFER'S SHADOW. We are left with some big holes in the narrative and a lack of continuity. I got the strong impression that we were supposed to go out now and buy this other book in order to follow along. Since the author could have started after the quake with only the loss of his first chapter, I am left with the impression that he was asked to write a tie-in to another product. Besides the damage done to the narrative flow, I resent the implication that I should buy other books to plug holes in the one I just bought.
-The fact that Lucifer pops in and out of the storyline. I'm pretty sure that this was a requirement to keep up with metaplot, but it detracts from suspension of disbelief. This is the second most powerful being in the universe after Gold Almighty, and he drops by bars to administer plot points? He ought to be ineffable and instead comes across as banal.
-Too many characters. This I will attribute to Greg; much as I admire his writing, it is my observation that he does his best with 1-2 central characters with which to explore the world.
More Demon Goodness.......2003-05-12
I just finished Book Two of the Trilogy of the
Fallen, "The Seven Deadlies." Greg Stolze continues to
astound with his poetic paens of hope and redemmption and
the dark depravities of both the human and divine heart.
The story begun in "Ashes and Angel Wings" continues
apace, though this time the focus is on the Devil Gaviel,
Lord of the Summer Sun (instead of Sabriel and Hasmed),
with Usiel and Avitu again bringing up the rear. There's
again lots of juicy philosophical soul-searching and
psychological observation that's my favorite part of Demon
(one wonders if Ghosty is one of Mr. Stolze's alter-
egos). Not much actually HAPPENS (relatively speaking),
but then it is the middle part of a trilogy. One doesn't
really mind, though, because Stolze is such a great writer.
In the end, however, I didn't really enjoy it as much as
A&AW. For some reason, I don't really like Gaviel. He
says some good stuff, but he isn't quite sympathetic. But
I don't really like Hasmed, either, so I'm not sure why
that matters. Still, it's a good book and I'm very much
looking forward to the conclusion and much more Demon
fiction, or fiction of any kind, by Greg Stolze.
A few nagging questions...
What's in East St. Louis? A vamp, I presume, but I was
thinking some other bit of WoD lore I'm not aware of might
give the definitive answer.
Where the people who held Rabbuddun (or whatever his name
is) the demon hunters we're going to be seeing soon?
What's Lucifer REALLY up to? Is the guy Usiel is
encountering REALLY the Morningstar?
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