Product Description

In a dusty attic in central Norway, Mary Rustad came upon two ancient handwritten books of magic used by the common people--practical handbooks for daily concerns like stopping a toothache, retrieving stolen goods, and protecting livestock. Contains reproductions of the original, Old Norwegian pages facing the English translation. Includes an account of a 17th-century Norwegian witch trial.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #689924 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Norwegian

About the Author
Mary S. Rustad was born in Minnesota of Norwegian heritage. She lives on the farm in Norway where her great-grandfather once lived before immigrating to the United States. After living on the farm for 21 years, she has become familiar with some of her ancestors. These relatives, that she has never met, left letters and possessions behind to help her get to know them. Some years ago, she found the two Black Books in the attic. Putting this book together has helped her understand what kind of spiritual beliefs her ancestors had in the eighteenth century.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The art of seeing who has bewitched another's animals Take a spoonful of milk from a cow that has recently calved, a spoonful of a woman's breast milk, and a spoonful of your own urine. Blend them together. Put the mixture in a glass and bury it down in a manure heap overnight. Then say these words three times, while you are sitting down: "Hosala Diesla Euga." After retrieving the mixture, say this three times: "Go then he who now rules over Belsebub in his world." Then walk into the parlor and place the glass on the table. After one hour there will come a sorcerer or a witch and ask for either salty food or something to drink. But do not give it to him; only show him the way out when you want him to leave.

Customer Reviews

Interesting Insight into the Past
This work represents an astonishing find, two so called black books from Norway. There are only around 100 or so black books known, all of them collections of spells and common wisdom in the Scandinavian tradition. Far from being diabolical "black magic", these collections give an intimate glimpse into the greatest hopes and fears of our Medieval ancestors. A survey of the spells reveals, for instance, that theft was a common concern, that childbirth was often difficult, and that finding love was as complicated in the past as it is today. Mary Rustad has done a wonderful service in bringing these personal collections to light.

Important Work of Folklore and Magic
Aside from the black magic aspects of the work (which may be of interest to others) this book is important for a couple of reasons:

1) Many ideas found in them correlate to other Norse mythic and magical works from the Eddas to the Icelandic Galdrabok, but not Mediterranean magic. This is even more true once one filters out the Christian elements.

2) Some elements of the work correlate to broader Indo-European ideas. Compare the remedy for infertility with the dragon-slaying formulae discussed by Calvert Watkins in "How to Kill a Dragon."

For anyone studying folklore, Scandenavian mythology and ideas, Indo-European studies, or magic relating to these traditions, this is an important work.

Black Books of Elverum
A fascinating glimpse into Norway's past. These precious books are a reflection of what people did when medical help was not readily available. The book comes from a time of fear and superstition. It is a fascinationg window into the thinking of old Norway. What would you do if your a family member was ill and you had only yourselves to depend on?