Can somebody recommend me encyclopedia about pre-christian European religion&folklore?

[TheDespondentMind2]

Can somebody recommend me encyclopedia about pre-christian European religion&folklore?

Basically I would like some encyclopedia with a lot of illustrations.

It doesn't really have to be all encompassing European, or one specific title really. What I don't want is works focused on the British Isles or purely Celtic cultures.
Of course myths and folklore from the early middle ages can do it. I wouldn't mind books that focus on Northern or Nordic cultures.

Here are some I am considering:

Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
by Hilda Ellis Davidson

Medieval Folklore
A Guide to Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs
by Carl Lindahl

Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs
by John Lindow


Medieval Folklore [2 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs 2nd Printing Edition
by Carl Lindahl (Editor), John McNamara (Editor), John Lindow

Medieval Monsters
by Damien Kempf, Maria L Gilbert

Monsters and Grotesques in Medieval Manuscripts
av Alixe Bovey

 

[Sunsibar]

Because I live in Finland, I have to recommend this http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400869.The_Kalevala
They say that even Tolkien has read Kalevala and took a little something in to Lord Of The Rings.


And some other stuff:
http://www.capallbann.co.uk/heathen-paths-viking-and-anglo-saxon-beliefs-by-pete-jennings/p218/#


I would also like to read those kinda books, so maybe I keep an eye out for this topic


Jan Guillou (swedish) also wrote a super great book about witch hunting and beliefs of that time, but sadly I don't know if there is an english version. Can't find it if there is one.

 

[Riven-Twain]

I wish I could recommend a single volume, or set of volumes, that offered a good overview of this subject. Unfortunately, it took me years to assemble a personal library of reference works. However, if you're specifically interested in Norse, you may find the Eddas of interest. Almost all of our literary knowledge of Old Norse myth derives from these two works: The Elder, or Poetic, Edda and the Younger, Prose, Edda by Snorri Sturluson. I use rather academic editions, so I haven't a good personal recommendation for a more casual interest, however, there are a number of translations of both available, and those published by Penguin Classics are generally reliable and accessible. The Elder Edda is a collection of mythic poems, which treat the deeds and fate of the Gods, while the Prose Edda is an entertaining 'handbook' on Norse poetry, written by a learned 13th-century Icelander. The Prose Edda contains additional tales of the gods, and adds more information -- though sometimes a bit more confusing than clarifying -- to the Elder Edda.

As a general caution, though, nearly all our written knowledge of the heathen past of Europe comes through the filter of Christianity. It's fairly impossible to escape the religion's influence and perspective, when attempting to read the sources of European myth, since the Faith brought with it the art of writing and chronicling. This should be borne in mind, when seeking pre-Christian myth amongst mediæval tales and histories. There are many other quite wonderful legends and romances from the Middle Ages, tales of chivalry, monsters, and marvels, which are however, quite Christian in their allegiance, even if their contents may be a bit more pagan in character.

 

[volsung]

Apart from @RivenII's recommendations which I support (might want to include a couple of sagas like the Saga of the Volsungs) a good overview of ancient religion and mythology can be found in Mircea Eliade's Traité d'histoire des religions, Treatise on the History of Religions. It is somewhat general but includes many explanations of European beliefs, and does a good job at bringing together different traditions under a somewhat consistent human world view.

If I remember correctly, Eliade's book will provide some analytical tools such as the understanding of relationships between rites, rituals and myths, and of recurring elements such as the axis mundi (perfectly illustrated by the tree Yggdrasil but also present in many other traditions).

 

[octavian123]

Apart from @RivenII's recommendations which I support (might want to include a couple of sagas like the Saga of the Volsungs) a good overview of ancient religion and mythology can be found in Mircea Eliade's Traité d'histoire des religions, Treatise on the History of Religions. It is somewhat general but includes many explanations of European beliefs, and does a good job at bringing together different traditions under a somewhat consistent human world view.

If I remember correctly, Eliade's book will provide some analytical tools such as the understanding of relationships between rites, rituals and myths, and of recurring elements such as the axis mundi (perfectly illustrated by the tree Yggdrasil but also present in many other traditions).

Oh yes, Mircea Eliade. I highly recommend him, one of the world's greatest historians of religion. Here is a great documentary about his life and work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guhEhH9F_q4

I also recommend Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and his 7 hour documentary with Bill Moyers, The Power of Myth. Although he doesn't specifically talk about a single religion, he tries to explain the common elements in mythology and religion, even in the most distant cultures like they are part of the collective unconscious. In his works, much like Eliade, he explores the common framework found in each religion/myth.