Norse Mysticism: An Exploration of Viking Traditions and Magical Practices

• Author: Disa Forvitin
• Genre: Religion and Spirituality
• Publication Date: May 9, 2024
• Publisher: Wellfleet Press

Thank you to NetGalley, Wellfleet Press, and Lydia Anderson for sending me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DISCOVER THE SACRED MYSTERIES OF THE ANCIENT NORSE WORLD.

The Viking culture and time-honored mysticism of the Norse people may seem as if from a distant past, but their spirit and resilience thrive to this day. Norse Mysticism unlocks the mysteries, spiritual practices, and mythology of ancient Scandinavia by laying a path straight to the heart of an enchanting people, making their most powerful magic and lore accessible through:

• The history of the Vikings and Norse society
• Norse magic, including ancient spells, goddess rituals, Trolldom, and Nordic folk magic
• Casting the Elder Futhark Runes
• The pantheon of Norse gods and goddesses
• The World Tree and the Nine Realms

Norse Mysticism is not only your introduction to a mystifying culture but also to your own timeless spirituality. 

I’d like to start this review out with a special shoutout to Wellfleet Press and especially Lydia Anderson. I didn’t realize that the archive date for this had passed before I read it, and when I reached out to the publisher, they sent me a beautiful finished copy of this book. I’m so glad that they did, because firstly the book is just so pretty that I love having a copy to refer back to, and secondly because it’s so full of wonderful information that I had to bookmark so many pages and I can easily flip back to them whenever I want. 

While this is a basic exploration and introduction to Norse culture, history, mythology, religion, and practices, it also provides a surprisingly deep analysis into the world of the Norse. The material is broken down into chapters that are clearly divided topics, but they flow into each other perfectly: early Nordic society, mystic practitioners, the Elder Futhark runes, Norse poetry, Norse mythology and the pantheon of deities, and folk magic, with a great, comprehensive index in the back of the book.

Starting with the origins of the Norse culture as an offshoot of Northern Germanic tribes, Forvitin explores how Norse society evolved and the fundamental differences between paganism and monotheism. One of these major differences is how Christian stories and myths contrast good and evil, moral and unethical situations or choices to teach a lesson, while the Norse myths functioned more similarly to riddles designed to get readers or listeners to think and come to their own conclusions. The high value on community and honor meant that the myths were important to demonstrate the different types of behaviors and dynamics between various personalities. 

As someone who has spent a bit of time learning about Norse culture, mythology, and mysticism, I still found plenty of helpful information that was new to me. I shared this with a much more well-versed friend, and she was impressed at how much great information was crammed into this slim volume. The information about the gods and goddesses is especially well-researched and clear to understand, which can be a challenge in a field saturated with conflicting information, Christian influences, and differing interpretations of the source material, some of which has been lost to time. 

Overall, this is a fantastic read. I’m thrilled to have a hard copy to keep on my shelves, since I’ll be returning back to this one plenty in the future. There are some spells included in the text that sound wonderful and that I’ll be giving a try, and some pages that I’ll be flipping to often, which I’ve flagged. There are such pretty chapter headers and pieces of art at the end of chapter sections, and I looked forward to seeing each of them, whether it was an owl, a cat, or a Norse longboat. It’s clear that Forvitin did her research for this book, and It’s presented in a logical, coherent, and easy to understand way whether you’re new to Norse mysticism or a well-versed practitioner, or even someone just looking to learn more about Norse culture at a basic level. 

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