Wolf Brother, hunter gatherer fiction.

nettles150390

Forager
Nov 7, 2013
161
0
High Melton, Doncaster
The chronicles of ancient darkness - Michelle Paver

One of my all time favourite books, It's set 6,000 years ago when most of northern europe was still covered by forests. Hunter gather's still roamed, this is one of the things that got me interested in bushcraft.

so for you interest here is the first half of chapter one, from the audio book of book one Wolf Brother. Read by the amazing Sir Ian McKellen.

[video=youtube;iYwD0dPU_OY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYwD0dPU_OY[/video]
 

boatman

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
2,444
8
78
Cornwall
Was very interested in reading these but the blurb mentioned a demon being conjured up which puts me off immediately. Bit of shamanism as in The Gathering Night by Margaret Elphinstone fine but I suspect that living so close to nature and having to observe it so closely people of the Mesolithic would actually have been very rational and well aware of cause and effect.
 

nettles150390

Forager
Nov 7, 2013
161
0
High Melton, Doncaster
The whole series is a good read

Hell yeah, "Out cast" is probably my favourite one.

As is her first adult book, set in the Arctic, 'Dark Matter'.

Very un-nerving!!

not seen that yet gunna have to find it. and she wrote another series like the Chronicles of ancient darkness ive got it on my kobo ill have to dig it out and find what it is.
 

boatman

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
2,444
8
78
Cornwall
Boatman?
How come it put you off?

Just dislike supernatural elements in books unless the story is in the horror type genre. Of course feelings of something supernatural can be atmospheric and affect the actions of characters but to have the author introduce and actual demon simply turns me off.
 

nettles150390

Forager
Nov 7, 2013
161
0
High Melton, Doncaster
Just dislike supernatural elements in books unless the story is in the horror type genre. Of course feelings of something supernatural can be atmospheric and affect the actions of characters but to have the author introduce and actual demon simply turns me off.


Its far from that mate, its not the modern idea of a deamon or anything like that. its from a shamanic aspect. in the book theres this whole stoneage culture Paver created, in it you have clan mages (shamans) who look after the medical and spiritual health of the clan. the spiritual side isnt like modern religeons with over powering stuff, its all living in touch with nature and its kinda rational (if you allow for supestitious belief.)

Trying not to give to much away.

Everything in the world of the series has three souls in their bodies, which are linked together.

Name Soul - This soul is important when discussing illness. It is said that if you are ill, you shouldn't see your name soul in the water (essentially the reflection), or you will lose it and fall in. This soul tells you who you are and is your personality. The loss of the Name Soul after death results in the creation of a ghost, eternally seeking the clan it has lost.

Clan Soul - This soul tells you right from wrong, and helps to express and suppress emotions. If the Clan soul strays away from the Name soul and World soul on the death journey, what is left becomes a demon: raw spirit, with no clan feeling to tame it. They detest all living things, and don't know right from wrong.

World Soul - Each World Soul is a part of the Nanuak, and provides a link to the World Soul of every other living thing.

That is it for the spiritual aspect of the series, everything else you see is basically just shamanic practises and even then theres not really alot of it.
 
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