Band I

The two volumes of Jan de Vries' monumental Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte constitute the most exhaustive and complete treatment of the religion of the ancient Germans, and remain of undisputed importance for the discipline today. In this first volume, ample space is devoted to the examination of literary, archaeological and iconographic sources, integrated with data transmitted by folklore and popular beliefs. The spiritual foundations of the ancient Germanic world are reflected in the relationship between the individual and the Sippe, regulated by a detailed system of personal and social values, as well as in the topography of the metaphysical world, populated by the multifaceted entities of secondary mythology and dominated by a powerful conception of fate and death.

The author dedicates the final substantial chapter to the concept of "sacred", in which he not only analyses the declinations of this elusive semantic field in the Germanic world, but also reviews the complex socio-religious system that emerges from celebrations, sacrifices, magical and oracular practices, the priesthood and the nature and architecture of sacred places. Philological accuracy and technical terminology are combined with impeccable clarity of exposition and a valuable style, which make this work not only a manual of studies, but also an enjoyable, fascinating reading.