The German Mythological Landscape

Between 1877 and 1887, Guido von List published various journalistic works about his earlier travels and mystical reflections on Loci (local spirits), many of which appear in his famous Deutsch-Mythologische Landschaftsbilder of 1891, translated in this first English edition as The German Mythological Landscape.This book takes us on a journey into a bygone era when the European landscape was still populated by mythical gods and demons. Here, von List examines the folklore of natural landmarks to discover its esoteric origin, revealing the intimate connection of traditional European spirituality to its native soil. With the insight of a true mystic, von List frames the indigenous character of ancient European polytheism in a new light, showing that its view of nature as the reflection of a higher spiritual world is borne out in the supernatural character of ancient folklore associated with physical features of the land itself.Bringing together such varied topics as the secret Vehm society, werewolf and dragon legends, the folklore of mermaids, runic divination, and the esoteric meaning of fairy tales, von List paints a vivid and often humorous picture of his travels through the myth-haunted European countryside.