Of Ghosts and Godpoles: A Review

I finally bought my copy of Thorbeorht Linleah’s Of Ghosts and Godpoles this past weekend.  Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to read it for the next year, as I didn’t pay for international shipping to get it to my address here in Japan. But some of the contents of the book were previously published, and those that I’ve read were a rich trove of lore, scholarship, and insight!

So, here is my review for a book I’ve not read. Thankfully, I have read the previously-published sections and have chatted with Thorbeorht online about the topics discussed, so am able to write with some authority here.

Of course, Thorbeorht is a bit of a legend among Thiodish Heathens.  I can’t speak to the full extend of his legend, nor have I been a member of his guild though close friends of mine have and they speak nothing but praise of the man.  What I can say is that whenever he and I have spoken, he has demonstrated educated knowledge, experiential wisdom, and a fine wit.  Also, he has a fine full beard, a trait which should never be underestimated.

But onto the actual book!  It’s seldom I get to review a book I haven’t finished reading.  Normally, such a review would tell you that I began reading the book, grew dissatisfied, and decided to test its aerodynamic qualities.  So giving a positive review for an unfinished book is something new to me.

The first of the essays I read was printed in a pamphlet entitled “Searching for Saxnot.”  It explored the identity of the god “Saxnot,” recorded in only two written records of Heathen gods, and both times counted among a list of other gods.  The scarcity of texts make them difficult to analyze, but Thorbeorht manages to analyze linguistic evidence, to successfully connect Saxnot to the Saxon people, and to compare the way the surviving texts to similarly-phrased documents.  He really hammers home his point with a clear argument that is well worth reading for anyone interested in the lore.

In the second essay, Thorbeorht recounts a history of the Continental Saxons, including their interactions with the Britons, Franks, and their westward migration toward Transylvania.  I read this while elbow-deep in unrelated Saxon research and still learned an immense amount (while all of my own research was confirmed by his erudition).

I have heard that I apparently read these two essays in backwards order to how they appear in the book, but I give you my impressions based on the order in which I read them.

Thorbeorht writes with a clear style that is both academic and engaging.  His book has already been compared to Eric Wodening’s book We Are Our Deeds—one of the most valued linguistic studies of Germanic ethics.

The book is not a purely academic work, but nor is it marred by an excess of unverifiable UPG (unverifiable personal gnosis) that may not relate to the experiences of others. It deals with archaeology, linguistics, and historical documents in an educated manner that speaks directly to the heart of these topics.

Sadly, the book is not on Amazon at this time.  You’ll have to buy it from Lulu.  Or get your local bookstore to order you a copy.

Of course, there is one problem with the book.  Not enough people have read it yet.  So go out and get yourself a copy.  I’d say it’s the perfect addition to any bookshelf, but I don’t expect people to put it down often enough for it to sit there long.