Witches Werewolves And Fairies Shapeshifters And Astral Doubles In The Middle Ages Claude Lecouteux by Claude Lecouteux 9780892810963, 0892810963 instant download after payment.

The book 1) reveals the true nature of medieval belief in the Double of the Soul, 2) demonstrates the survival of a pagan belief that each individual owns
three souls, including a double that can journey outside the physical
body and 3) explains the nature of death and the Other World hidden
beneath the monsters and superstitions in stories from the Middle Ages.<br><br>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. <br><br>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.</br></br></br></br>