Professor Yaffle

"The Way Of Wyrd", Brian Bates

This book follows a young novice monk as he travels in the land of the Saxons and learns of the ways of Wyrd, the Saxon deities and spirit world from a journeying shaman, Wulf. Beautifully descriptive, it's a shame that Brand is such an annoying protagonist. It's rather like Mythago Wood, in that it's a book full of fascinating detail and philosophical concepts, but one that you keep putting down in exasperation every time the lead character does something else stupid.

Sent by his abbey to travel amongst the Heathens to learn their ways prior to future missionary expeditions, he travels with Wulf to be initiated into the shamanic mysteries. However, due to never doing what he's told, he ends up having his soul stolen by the spirits and having to journey to the underworld in order to win it back. Served him right, if you ask me.

There's a website too, that's worth a look, at Way Of Wyrd

posted by Izzy @ 12:40 am