Norse-Gaelic Paganism - by Annie Cúglas Humphrey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Discover the roots of Norse and Irish Pagan spirituality

- Explores the syncretism of Gaelic and Norse cultures and the spirituality that flourished while the Vikings were settled in Ireland

- Examines the roots of Norse and Irish heathenism, including ancestor veneration and a relationship with household and nature spirits

- Reveals the Gaelic involvement in Iceland's settlement, including Irish incantations in Icelandic grimoires and Norse-Gaelic ghosts that appear in Icelandic literature

Dyflin, now modern Dublin, was founded by the Vikings in the 9th century. Through archaeological and historical research, scholar and Pagan practitioner Annie Humphrey explores connections between Celtic/Gaelic and Norse spiritualities of the time and reveals how this cultural relationship still informs Paganism today.

Humphrey shows that Norse and Irish heathen beliefs were uncorrupted by Roman influence and ultimately syncretized to form a set of deeply spiritual practices and a regional worldview that involved veneration of ancestors and the dead and a transactional relationship with household and nature spirits.

This book follows the spread of this unique Paganism through Northern Europe and the North Atlantic, identifying Norse settlements in areas that popular history has misidentified as purely Gaelic or Anglo-Saxon. Humphrey reveals Gaelic influence in the settling of Iceland and also looks at Irish incantations from Icelandic grimoires, showing how Norse influences reshaped Irish writing. The author also explores Manx folklore and magical traditions of the Isle of Man and remote areas like the Orkneys.

Combining scholarly discipline with personal gnosis, Humphrey reveals the presence of this Pagan synthesis in modern folkways and practices that have gone largely unnoticed by mainstream scholarship, bringing ancient traditions and wisdom to the contemporary practitioner.

Review Quotes

"Norse-Gaelic Paganism is a fascinating look at the crossover between two related but distinct cultures. Humphrey painstakingly details the history, beliefs, and intersection of Norse and Celtic peoples and offers an approach to modern practice that blends the two. Truly essential reading for anyone interested in this often-overlooked history, anyone curious about how the cultures might have influenced each other, and, of course, anyone who seeks to combine them within their own spiritual practices. A perfect addition to any library."-- "Morgan Daimler, author of Pagan Portals: Gods and Goddesses of Ireland, Pantheon: The Norse, and Pan"

"Reading this book was like taking a tour of my hometown with someone who knew secrets and history that I could only dream of knowing. Annie Cúglas Humphrey is that guide, and this book is a combination of a lodestone pointing us home and a giant, yellow circle on a map that says, 'you are here.'"-- "Erika Wren, host of the That Pagan Mom podcast"

About the Author

Annie Cúglas Humphrey, PhD, teaches history at Kean University and Ocean County College and wrote a dissertation on the depiction of the Norse in Ireland found in Medieval Irish dynastic narratives. Humphrey is the goði of the Kindred of Mann, a Norse-Gaelic fellowship founded in 2009, and is on the executive board of the Northeast Thing. Humphrey lives in New Jersey with their husband and two children.