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Wyrd Ecology: Heathen Ritual and Gifting Relations

Wyrd Ecology: Heathen Ritual and Gifting Relations - Paperback

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Availability:In StockContributor:Barbara Jane DavySeries:Oxford Ritual StudiesPublish date:2025-05-06Pages:240
Language:EnglishPublisher:Oxford University PressISBN-13:9780197804926ISBN-10:197804926UPC:9780197804926Book Category:ReligionBook Subcategory:Comparative Religion, Philosophy, Paganism & Neo-PaganismSize:9.20 x 5.90 x 0.80 inchesWeight:0.8003Product ID:SCPNFWPYMY
Within contemporary Heathen communities, the Old English term "wyrd" is used to refer to the web of relations that connect all threads of existence. Inspired by pre-Christian traditions of Northern Europe, Heathens give gifts, toasts, and offerings to foster a sense of connection with other humans and the more-than-human world. In Wyrd Ecology, author Barbara Jane Davy posits that these ritual activities are not merely isolated exchanges but rather a means of sustaining entire relational systems, in turn inspiring givers and receivers to participate out of a desire for meaningful connection.

Davy utilizes research from two years of participant observation in a Heathen community in Ontario, Canada to show how ritual activities deepen practitioners' sense of appreciation for what they have already received and instil a desire to give back. Davy illustrates how making offerings and giving gifts is important not only because of what people might believe about the gods, but because it gives people a sense of relatedness with their world. Ritual practices may thus play a critical role in instilling an ecological conscience and can encourage ethical relations and pro-environmental behavior.
Language:EnglishPublisher:Oxford University PressISBN-13:9780197804926ISBN-10:197804926UPC:9780197804926Book Category:ReligionBook Subcategory:Comparative Religion, Philosophy, Paganism & Neo-PaganismSize:9.20 x 5.90 x 0.80 inchesWeight:0.8003Product ID:SCPNFWPYMY
Barbara Jane Davy is the author of Introduction to Pagan Studies and editor of the three-volume collection Paganism: Critical Concepts in Religion. She has taught courses in religion and ecology, sustainability thought, and big history at Concordia University, Carleton University, and the University of Waterloo.
Publisher: Oxford University Press

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