Rites of Spring (el. knyga) (skaityta knyga) | knygos.lt

Aprašymas

Al Ridenour, creator and host of the popular podcast Bone and Sickle and author of The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas extends his study of Winter folk celebrations to the Spring, exploring the Old-World Carnival in A Season of Madness.

Sumptuously illustrated with over one hundred historical and modern images, Ridenour ushers readers into cultural hinterlands where celebrations still echo the cruel realities of the old, agricultural world, and medieval Christianity intertwines with pagan practice.

From ancient Rome to modern Bulgaria, readers encounter a holiday at once beautiful, strange, and savage. Spring is welcomed by clowns waving inflated pig bladders. Stalking sheepskin monsters brandish clubs bristling with hedgehog spines, and plows are dragged over cobblestone streets by celebrants wearing masks painted with cow’s blood. Folk horror fans take heart as the Old World welcomes Spring!

Ridenour’s first book, Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil (2018) is considered by critics the definitive authority on pagan winter celebrations. Aside from his books and podcast, Ridenour is a sought-after expert and lecturer.