{"id":21715,"date":"2020-02-01T01:10:26","date_gmt":"2020-02-01T05:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=21715"},"modified":"2020-02-10T13:23:02","modified_gmt":"2020-02-10T17:23:02","slug":"book-review-beyond-the-north-wind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2020\/02\/01\/book-review-beyond-the-north-wind\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review – Beyond the North Wind by Christopher McIntosh"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book Review<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

Beyond the North Wind<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

by <\/span>Christopher McIntosh<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

256 Pages<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

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The Forward of this book is written by Hilmar \u00d6rn Hilmarsson, who is the High Priest of the Icelandic \u00c1SATR\u00da Association. I found the story of his meeting and developing friendship with Mr. McIntosh, at times, whimsical and tender at the same time. But I also found the respect that runs very deep in that friendship.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This book covers a subject, Hyperborean, that I used to talk about with my father. When I was seven years old, my dad would talk about all the different world beliefs that he had heard or read. He would talk about how he believed the way the world was shaped, and civilizations formed in the ancient world.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have heard the word \u201cHyperborean\u201d before. I always took it to mean something superior or otherworldly from us. But it was a word that when I heard it would just attach my meaning to it. Reading this book, I started looking into the concept and what it meant.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. McIntosh has a unique way of letting the reader know when he is talking about groups in Russia and other areas of the world that have a skewed view of the Norse Mythology and are xenophobic. He uses the term \u201cHere there be Dragons.\u201d Even though on Page 4, he stated, \u201cin Russia\u2019s case, \u201chere there be bears.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> One of the more exciting topics in Beyond the North Wind for me was in Chapter 2: The Search for the Land Beyond the North Wind. Mr. McIntosh talks about the Indian writer B\u00e2l Gang\u00e2dhar Tilak and his book\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>The Arctic Home of in the Vedas.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>Mr. McIntosh says this book is enjoying a new revival in Russia (\u201cHere there be Dragons\u201d)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There is now a school of thought that states that most of the Greek Mythology that we were taught and known took place in the Arctic Ocean. The ideas behind this come from the clothing that was described in the Iliad and Odyssey. I found that an interesting thesis on I would like to study a bit more in-depth.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I love all the different genres in which Norse Mythology has taken hold. From ancient writing to the modern literary world, (comic books, movies, art, and music. Speaking of art check out some of the artwork online from Russian Artist Alexander Uglanov: here is a link\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vimeo.com\/channels\/1323078\/250972653<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have started looking for some of the musical artists that he writes that use music to celebrate their spirituality. I even had to listen to Led Zeppelins\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Immigrant Song\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>after reading about the songs backstory in Beyond the North Wind.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The subject of Hyperborean is exciting to me. I find this subject on the same level as Greek, Roman, and Gaelic Mythology. I believe that there will be more written about the North Wind and the places beyond it. And I look forward to reading what others discover through their research.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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