Spirits permeate our culture. We flatter a woman by calling her a goddess, a man by calling him an "Adonis." Describe being stuck in an elevator as "hell," and you've just evoked Hel, the Norse guardian of the realm of death. "Nemesis" is named for the Greek goddess of justice and vengeance. An aphrodisiac evokes the power of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sex. And "frickin'" is not a substitute for a stronger obscenity, it's the name of another Norse goddess spelled Frika.There are spirits in pop culture, too, like Neil Gaiman's "American Gods", in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", "The Ring" series of horror movies, in Bob Dylan's "Isis", Fleetwood Mac's hit "Rhiannon", and Shocking Blue's "Venus in Blue Jeans". Even in prison, inmates tattoo Our Lady of Guadalupe on their backs, because no one would stick a knife into Our Lady, would they? Spirits permeate every corner of our culture, and the "Encyclopedia of Spirits" explains who they are and how we can persuade them to help us land a job, find our true love, conceive a child, protect our distant loved ones, or heal our ailments.

About the Author
Judika Illes is an independent scholar, educator, and author of several books of folklore, folkways, and mythology. Judika is a graduate of Rutgers University and has a certification in therapeutic aromatherapy from the Australasian College of Herbal Studies. Her books include Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells, Encyclopedia of Spirits, The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, and The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal (published under the name Judith Joyce).


Book Information
ISBN 9780061350245
Author Judika Illes
Format Hardback
Page Count 1072
Imprint HarperOne
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Weight(grams) 1363g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 187mm * 74mm