{"title":"Books by Claude Lecouteux","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781644116852","title":"Tales and Legends of the Devil","description":"\u003cb\u003eExplores the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories from around the world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The devil has many more guises than the cliché red boogeyman named Lucifer or Satan who haunts Christianity. In some traditions the devil is sinister and cunning, while others portray him as an oaf who can easily be conned and evaded by anyone with an ounce of cleverness. In other tales and legends, he is the primal shapeshifter, and the Roma, also known as the gypsies, claimed his talents of metamorphosis were so strong he could even assume the appearance of a priest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Drawing on folk traditions from all over Europe, including Transylvanian Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Moravia, Bohemia, Lapland, and the Baltic countries, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explore the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories, tales, and legends throughout the ages. They trace the devil’s shapeshifting powers back to their Vedic origins in ancient India and look at his connections with witches, storm magic, and other magical events. They examine the symbolic implications of the appearance of the devil in these tales, such as how he is often either limping or disfigured with the legs or feet of a goat or other animal traditionally linked to the lower powers or passions. They explain how the devil’s limp or his goat-like feet reflect the prevalence in world mythology of the sacred nature of crippling injuries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Peeling back the Christian veneer embedded in many tales and legends about the so-called Evil One, the authors ultimately reveal how many of the qualities and magical powers attributed to the devil were once those belonging to pagan gods, like the Lithuanian thunder god Perkūnas or the Titan Chronos, as well as to playful woodland spirits and the sometimes helpful, sometimes fearful fauns and satyrs of Greco-Roman mythology.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204916773042,"sku":"9781644116852","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781644116852.jpg?v=1786024157"},{"product_id":"9780892810963","title":"Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies","description":"\u003cp\u003eReveals the true nature of medieval belief in the Double of the Soul\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDemonstrates the survival of a pagan belief that each individual owns three souls, including a double that can journey outside the physical body\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExplains the nature of death and the Other World hidden beneath the monsters and superstitions in stories from the Middle Ages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Monsters, werewolves, witches, and fairies remain a strong presence in our stories and dreams. But as Claude Lecouteux shows, their roots go far deeper than their appearance in medieval folklore; they are survivors of a much older belief system that predates Christianity and was widespread over Western Europe. Through his extensive analysis of Germano-Scandinavian legends, as well as those from other areas of Europe, Lecouteux has uncovered an almost forgotten religious concept: that every individual owns three souls and that one of these souls, the Double, can—in animal or human form—leave the physical body while in sleep or a trance, journey where it chooses, then reenter its physical body. While there were many who experienced this phenomenon involuntarily, there were others—those who attracted the unwelcome persecution of the Church—who were able to provoke it at will: witches.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In a thorough excavation of the medieval soul, Claude Lecouteux reveals the origin and significance of this belief in the Double, and follows its transforming features through the ages. He shows that far from being fantasy or vague superstition, fairies, witches, and werewolves all testify to a consistent ancient vision of our world and the world beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295149994357,"sku":"9780892810963","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780892810963_179babe3-6f15-4331-9c90-5aebdc76f888.jpg?v=1787039836"},{"product_id":"9781644112434","title":"King Solomon the Magus","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplores the schools of Solomonic magic around the world and works such as \u003ci\u003eThe Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Hygromancy of Solomon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExamines Solomon’s magical possessions, including his famous ring that gave him command over animals, weather, demons, genies, and djinns, as well as his amulets, remedies, exorcisms, and charms\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLooks at the extensive presence of Solomon in folklore around the world, including in Armenia, Malaysia, Russia, Bulgaria, Morocco, India, and Egypt \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLooking at the Solomonic magical tradition and Solomon’s profound influence on esoteric traditions around the world, Claude Lecouteux reveals King Solomon not only as one of the great kings of prehistory but also as the ancient world’s foremost magician and magus. Examining the primary sources on Solomon, such as the Bible, the Koran, and the writings of Flavius Josephus, the author explores Solomon’s judgments, his explorations, his literary and scientific works (including an herbal), and his constructions beyond the eponymous temple, such as the copper city in Andalus built by the djinns and the baths of Sulayman. He also looks at Solomon’s magical possessions, such as his famous ring and the Philosopher’s Stone. The author examines the supernatural powers granted to Solomon by his ring, which he received from the angel Gabriel, including command over animals, weather, and demons, and explores in detail Solomon’s power over genies and djinns.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing the esoteric threads hidden within the primary sources on Solomon, Lecouteux reveals the work of Solomon the Magician, exploring his amulets, remedies, exorcisms, charms, and his influence on Arab and Western magic. Providing illustrations of sigils, talismans, and other magic symbols related to Solomon, the author examines the schools of Solomonic Folkloremagic and works such as \u003ci\u003eThe Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Hygromancy of Solomon\u003c\/i\u003e. He then looks at the extensive presence of Solomon in folklore worldwide, including in Armenia, Israel, Malaysia, Eastern Europe, Russia, Morocco, India, Mongolia, and among the Abyssinians of Ethiopia and the Copts in Egypt. He also looks at Solomon’s role within the Bulgarian tradition from which the Cathars derived. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePainting an in-depth portrait of Solomon the Magician-King, Lecouteux reveals how this legendary magus left a deep impression upon the occult, magical traditions, and philosophies of the ancient world that can still be felt to this day.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56302806335861,"sku":"9781644112434","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781644112434_ba14d1b2-aeb6-4ba4-a1fa-89745e2298e3.jpg?v=1786024949"},{"product_id":"9781644110478","title":"The Pagan Book of the Dead","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn extensive look at the cartography and folklore of the afterlife worlds as seen by our ancestors\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExamines how ancient European cultures viewed the beyond, including the Blessed Isles of early Greek and Celtic faith, the Hebrew \u003ci\u003eSheol\u003c\/i\u003e, Hades from Homer’s \u003ci\u003eOdyssey\u003c\/i\u003e, Hel and Valhalla of the Norse, and the Aralu of Babylon\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShows how medieval accounts of journeys into the Other World represent the first recorded near-death experiences\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConnects medieval afterlife beliefs and NDE narratives with shamanism, looking in particular at psychopomps, power animals, the double, the fetch, and what people bring back from their journeys to the spirit realms \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCharting the evolution of afterlife beliefs in both pagan and medieval Christian times, Claude Lecouteux offers an extensive look at the cartography and folklore of the afterlife worlds as seen by our ancestors. Exploring the locations and topographies of the various forms taken by Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, he examines how ancient European cultures viewed the beyond, including the Blessed Isles of early Greek and Celtic faith, the Hebrew \u003ci\u003eSheol\u003c\/i\u003e, the pale world of Hades from Homer’s \u003ci\u003eOdyssey\u003c\/i\u003e, Hel and Valhalla of the Norse, and the Aralu of Babylon, the land where nothing can be seen. The author also explores beliefs in Other Worlds, lands different from our own that are not the afterlife but places where time flows differently and which are inhabited by fantastic or supernatural beings such as fairies or dwarfs. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSharing medieval tales of journeys into the beyond, Lecouteux shows how these accounts represent the first recorded near-death experiences (NDEs) and examines how they compare with modern NDE narratives as well as the work of NDE researchers like Raymond Moody. In addition, he also explores tales of out-of-body experiences, dream journeys, and travels made by a double or fetch and connects these narratives with shamanism, looking in particular at psychopomps, power animals, and what people bring back from their journeys to the spirit realms. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnalyzing the afterlife beliefs of the Middle Ages as a whole, Lecouteux concludes with a collection of medieval afterlife-related traditions, such as placing polished stones in the coffin so the departed soul can find its way back to friends and family at those times of the year when the veil between the worlds grows thin.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303099511157,"sku":"9781644110478","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781644110478_06c85d34-fefe-4155-b7ac-921a4fa84881.jpg?v=1786024935"},{"product_id":"9781644119938","title":"At the Borders of the Wondrous and Magical","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eExplores how the haunted, magical world of medieval times still surrounds us\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExamines the esoteric side of texts and tales from the Middle Ages, including the enduring presence of haunted areas and power places and the roles of witches, house spirits, rune priests, shapeshifters, and the undead\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiscusses the dividing line between magic and deviltry, as well as the significance of grimoires, bells, blacksmiths, storm callers, and more\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eServes as a guide to a still-present magical and imaginal realm, pointing readers to the borderlands and liminal thresholds that enable access to the other world\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this new collection of his writings, scholar and Sorbonne professor Claude Lecouteux reveals that the magical world of the distant past is real and still very present—if you know where to look. Explaining how he makes the texts he studies reveal their hidden teachings, Lecouteux directly explores the esoteric side of medieval myths and tales, peeling back the Christian veneer to show the enduring presence of haunted areas and power places, witches, house spirits, rune carvers, vampires, shapeshifters, and the undead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn tales originating from Greenland and Iceland to Saxony, Romania, and beyond, the author discusses the dividing line between magic and diablerie as well as the significance of grimoires, bells, blacksmiths, and other magical objects and characters. He explores magic in the elements of nature and as illustrated by the art of witches and magicians specializing in weather magic—storm callers and storm dispellers. He examines the medieval mythology surrounding clouds and the mythic significance of mountains in the haunted world of our ancestors, which is still as close to us today as it was to them in the past. Looking at borderlands and liminal thresholds that can serve as gateways to other worlds, the author also discusses land spirits and the rituals needed to engage with them, recognizing how their ownership of the land can never fully be usurped.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough these writings Lecouteux acts as a ferryman, transporting readers into the realms of the wondrous and magical. He enables us to see how the haunted magic of the Middle Ages never ended and how the imaginal realm, standing just beyond the borders of our own, is as vividly real as the material world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303136768373,"sku":"9781644119938","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781644119938_472772a2-0008-433c-bab5-96d0fcd77e79.jpg?v=1786024224"},{"product_id":"9798888502396","title":"The Sorcerer's Scholar","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA deluxe boxed set of three scholarly works on magic by professor Claude Lecouteux\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eContains hardcover editions of \u003ci\u003eDictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTraditional Magic Spells for Protection and Healing\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe High Magic of Talismans and Amulets\u003c\/i\u003e in a collector’s slipcase\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnalyzes more than 7,000 spells from the magical traditions of Europe and provides a comprehensive history of the use of talismans and amulets from the Middle Ages to today\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough meticulous study of his private collection of medieval manuscripts as well as his privileged access to the rare book archives of major European universities, Claude Lecouteux has become renowned in esoteric academic circles for his in-depth examinations of the myths and magical practices of the Middle Ages. In this deluxe boxed set are three outstanding examples of Lecouteux’s masterful scholarship, each in a deluxe hardcover edition housed in a collector’s slipcase.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eDictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells\u003c\/i\u003e, Lecouteux analyzes more than 7,000 spells from the magical traditions and grimoires of Europe, presenting a comprehensive dictionary of magic words, phrases, and alphabets. In \u003ci\u003eTraditional Magic Spells for Protection and Healing\u003c\/i\u003e, he shares more than 600 magical prescriptions from both pagan and Christian sources from the last 2,000 years. He provides an in-depth look at protection magic, including healing spells from rare texts and from the heavily guarded gypsy (Rom) tradition. In \u003ci\u003eThe High Magic of Talismans and Amulets\u003c\/i\u003e, he provides a comprehensive history of the use of talismans and amulets for protection, healing, and divine influence. He reviews many different kinds of amulets and talismans used throughout the ages, such as a rabbit’s foot, horseshoe, gris-gris bag, and inscribed parchment charged through ritual, detailing the magical principles behind each object and showing that their use is still as widespread today as any time in the past.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311489200501,"sku":"9798888502396","price":75.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9798888502396_7d63f754-cf1d-4359-a257-ba38f706f9a1.jpg?v=1786032891"},{"product_id":"demons-and-spirits-of-the-land","title":"Demons and Spirits of the Land","description":"Our pagan ancestors knew that every forest has brownies and fairies, every spring its lady, and every river malevolent beings in its depths. They told tales of giants in the hills, dragons in the lakes, marshes swarming with will-o'-the-wisps, and demons and wild folk in the mountains who enjoyed causing landslides, avalanches, and floods. They both feared and respected these entities, knowing the importance of appeasing them for safe travel and a prosperous homestead. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExploring medieval stories, folk traditions, spiritual place names, and pagan rituals of home building and site selection, Claude Lecouteux reveals the multitude of spirits and entities that once inhabited the land before modern civilization repressed them into desert solitude, impenetrable forests, and inaccessible mountains. He explains how, to our ancestors, enclosing a space was a sacred act. Specific rites had to be performed to negotiate with the local spirits and ensure proper placement and protection of a new building. These land spirits often became the household spirit, taking up residence in a new building in exchange for permission to build on their territory. Lecouteux explores Arthurian legends, folk tales, and mythology for evidence of the untamed spirits of the wilderness, such as giants, dragons, and demons, and examines the rites and ceremonies used to gain their good will. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLecouteux reveals how, despite outright Church suppression, belief in these spirits carried through to modern times and was a primary influence on architecture, an influence still visible in today's buildings. The author also shows how our ancestors' concern for respecting nature is increasingly relevant in today's world.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484161155445,"sku":"9781620553992","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781620553992.jpg?v=1786266200"},{"product_id":"the-wild-hunt","title":"The Wild Hunt","description":"\u003cp\u003eEurope’s most enduring supernatural procession and its meaning for ancestral, spiritual, and cultural traditions\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescribes the origins and evolution of the Wild Hunt across pagan, Christian, and folk traditions, revealing its role in death and fertility rituals\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReveals how spectral armies, female spirits, and supernatural processions shaped European beliefs about the afterlife and the soul’s journey\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvides practical approaches for understanding the Wild Hunt’s significance in seasonal festivals, ancestor veneration, and communal ritesFor centuries, tales of ghostly riders and nocturnal armies have haunted the European imagination. Claude Lecouteux investigates the phenomenon of the Wild Hunt, tracing its origins in ancient rituals and its evolution through medieval Christian reinterpretations and folk traditions.   Drawing on chronicles, legends, and ecclesiastical texts, Lecouteux shows how the Wild Hunt was a focal point for beliefs about death, the afterlife, and the relationship between the living and the dead. He presents the complex figures who led these spectral hosts—including Diana, Holda, Odin, and King Herla—and describes how their stories reflect the blending of myth, religion, and local custom.   Lecouteux provides examples of how communities responded to the Hunt’s passage, from setting tables for invisible guests to performing noisy processions and observing taboos during liminal times. He addresses the practical implications of these traditions for understanding the cycles of nature, the importance of ritual in negotiating the supernatural, and the ways folklore adapts to changing cultures.   The Wild Hunt provides a foundation for understanding how this ghostly tradition continues to influence cultural imagination, spiritual practice, and the relationship between the mortal and the otherworldly while revealing the enduring power of ancestral memory and ritual.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57513569157493,"sku":"9798888505809","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9798888505809.jpg?v=1787220340"},{"product_id":"the-high-magic-of-talismans-and-amulets","title":"The High Magic of Talismans and Amulets","description":"\u003cp\u003eA comprehensive study of the use of talismans and amulets in the Western Mystery Tradition\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvides an in-depth look at the medieval and Renaissance use of amulets and talismans, including the work of Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Athanasius Kircher\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvides a full summary of the magical knowledge required to make an amulet or talisman, including the invocations required to activate their powers\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReviews different kinds of amulets and talismans, from ancient jewelry and magical objects to the modern rabbit’s foot or lucky horseshoe \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe use of talismans and amulets stretches back nearly to the dawn of man, from everyday items magically prepared, such as horns or coins, to intricate and beautiful jewelry imbued with protective powers. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eDrawing on his private collection of medieval manuscripts as well as his privileged access to the rare book archives of major European universities, Claude Lecouteux provides a comprehensive history of the use of talismans and amulets for protection, healing, and divine influence. He explores their use in the Western Mystery Tradition as well as Eastern and Middle Eastern beliefs about these magical objects and their incorporation--despite Church anathema--into the Christian tradition of Medieval Europe. Reviewing many different kinds of amulets and talismans used throughout the ages, such as a rabbit’s foot, horseshoe, gris-gris bag, or an inscribed parchment charged through ritual, he details the principles and symbology behind each object and shows that their use is still as widespread today as any time in the past. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eLecouteux explains the high magic behind the hermetic art of crafting amulets and talismans: the chains of sympathy, astrological geography, and the invocations required to activate their powers. He explores the work of adepts such as Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Athanasius Kircher, including an in-depth look at Kircher’s work on planetary seals in his \u003ci\u003eOedipus Aegyptiacus\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIllustrated throughout with period art depicting magical symbols, seals, and a wide array of talismans and amulets, this comprehensive study provides a practical guide to the historical development and step-by-step creation of magical objects.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57520092152181,"sku":"9781620552797","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781620552797.jpg?v=1787581628"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-claude-lecouteux.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}