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The Devil's Atlas: An Explorer's Guide to Heavens, Hells and Afterworlds — Folk Magic

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The Devil's Atlas: An Explorer's Guide to Heavens, Hells and Afterworlds

Name: The Devil's Atlas: An Explorer's Guide to Heavens, Hells and Afterworlds
Price: 35.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781797214474

✍️ Brooke-Hitching, Edward

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$35.00 ~~$46.00~~ Save $11.00 (23%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Edward Brooke-Hitching invites you on an unparalleled expedition through humanity's most profound imaginings of the afterlife. This visually sumptuous volume acts as a cartographer's dream, charting the heavens, hells, and various lands of the dead conceived across diverse global cultures. With a rich tapestry of historical art and compelling narratives, it explores everything from Aztec celestial realms to Viking mirror worlds and Taoist hungry ghosts, offering a unique comparative study of our universal hopes and fears about what lies beyond. It's a traveler's companion to the spiritual geographies of the human mind.

Brooke-Hitching, Edward

📚 all books by this author (6) →

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Folk Magic

Praise for this book

“delightful and indispensable guide...For all their horrors, Brooke-Hitching's hells are ultimately comforting because their solid boundaries keep the dead away from us.'”

— Diane Burkiss, Literary Review

🏛 Chronicle Books 📅 2022 📖 256 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9781797214474

Fun Fact

This volume is a breathtaking achievement, effortlessly blending scholarly insight with visual splendor. It excels at presenting complex mythologies in an accessible, engaging format, making it a perfect gift for the curious mind. Those seeking a deep theological debate will be disappointed, as its strength lies in its comparative, descriptive approach. Brooke-Hitching firmly establishes himself as a master cartographer of the imaginary, offering a unique and invaluable contribution to the literature on human spiritual geography and artistic expression.

📝 Description: The Devil's Atlas: An Explorer's Guide to Heavens, Hells and Afterworlds

Packed with strange stories and spectacular illustrations, The Devil's Atlas leads you on an adventure through the afterlife, exploring the supernatural worlds of global cultures to form a fascinating traveler's guide quite unlike any other. From the author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers The Phantom Atlas, The Sky Atlas, and The Madman's Library comes a unique and beautifully illustrated guide to the heavens, hells, and lands of the dead as imagined throughout history by cultures and religions around the world. Packed with colorful maps, paintings, and captivating stories, The Devil's Atlas is a compelling tour of the geography, history, and supernatural populations of the afterworlds of cultures around the globe. Whether it's the thirteen heavens of the Aztecs, the Chinese Taoist netherworld of "hungry ghosts," Islamic depictions of Paradise, or the mysteries of the Viking mirror world, each is conjured through astonishing images and a highly readable trove of surprising facts and narratives, stories of places you'd hope to go, and those you definitely would not. A traveler's guide to worlds unseen, here is a fascinating visual chronicle of our hopes, fears, and fantasies of what lies beyond.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Edward Brooke-Hitching delivers a visually sumptuous expedition that charts the heavens and hells of diverse global cultures. The book excels as a cartographer’s dream, offering a rich tapestry of historical art and compelling narratives about the dead. However, it does not suit readers seeking dense academic theological debates or dry textual analysis. This is a visual journey, not a scholarly treatise. Those looking for rigorous doctrinal critique may find the comparative approach too light. It is best appreciated as an artistic exploration of human imagination rather than a definitive religious text. The candor lies in its focus on imagery over interpretation, making it perfect for visual learners but potentially frustrating for those demanding deep philosophical argumentation.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate the intersection of art, history, and spirituality will find this volume deeply rewarding. It offers a stunning visual journey through humanity’s collective hopes and fears regarding death and the afterlife. By charting realms from Aztec heavens to Viking mirror worlds, it provides a unique comparative study that is both educational and aesthetically pleasing. Ideal for collectors of fine art books or those fascinated by folk magic and esoteric traditions, this guide acts as a traveler’s companion to the spiritual geographies of the human mind. It satisfies the curiosity of the soul while delighting the eye with its sumptuous depiction of imagined lands.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you are captivated by global mythology, comparative religion, or the history of art and human imagination, this book is for you. Dive into a richly illustrated compendium that challenges your perception of what lies beyond.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Edward Brooke-Hitching delivers a visually sumptuous expedition that charts the heavens and hells of diverse global cultures. The book excels as a cartographer’s dream, offering a rich tapestry of historical art and compelling narratives about the dead. However, it does not suit readers seeking dense academic theological debates or dry textual analysis. This is a visual journey, not a scholarly treatise. Those looking for rigorous doctrinal critique may find the comparative approach too light. It is best appreciated as an artistic exploration of human imagination rather than a definitive religious text. The candor lies in its focus on imagery over interpretation, making it perfect for visual learners but potentially frustrating for those demanding deep philosophical argumentation.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, it is a comparative cultural study. It objectively explores various religious and mythological beliefs about the afterlife without endorsing any particular one, focusing on their historical and artistic representation.

Absolutely. The book is heavily illustrated with a wealth of historical maps, paintings, and artistic renderings, making it a visual feast and an essential part of its exploration of these spiritual realms.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Global Afterlife Visions

Discover how diverse cultures, from ancient Aztecs to medieval Norse, have mapped out the spiritual landscapes awaiting souls after death. This book meticulously details unique cosmological beliefs, showing the vast spectrum of human interpretation regarding post-mortem existence and the journeys taken by the departed.

Art of the Unseen

Explore breathtaking historical illustrations, maps, and paintings that bring these ethereal realms to vivid life. The book demonstrates humanity's persistent need to visualize the divine and the damned, showcasing how art serves as a powerful medium for understanding and depicting the unseeable dimensions of the spirit world.

Hopes, Fears, & Fantasies

Unravel the deep-seated human emotions and existential questions that underpin our creation of heavens, hells, and purgatories. This collection reveals universal patterns in our search for meaning, purpose, and justice, illustrating how our spiritual geographies reflect our deepest desires and anxieties about life and death.

📜 Historical context

This work stands firmly within the tradition of comparative mythology and the study of imaginary cartography. It builds upon centuries of human inquiry into the spiritual geography of the afterlife, from ancient funerary texts to modern anthropological studies, presenting a visually rich exploration of our collective spiritual heritage.

📚 Glossary

Afterworld
Netherworld
Comparative Religion

📔 Questions to reflect on

Reflect on a specific afterlife concept from the book that resonates most with you. What aspects of it do you find compelling or unsettling, and why?
How do you think the cultural depiction of an afterlife influences a society's ethical framework or its approach to death and mourning?
Consider how the visual arts have shaped your own understanding or imagining of spiritual realms. What role do images play in making the unseen 'real'?