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This is an excellent translation with full-color plates: https://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Book-Dead-Integrated-Full-Color/dp/1452144389/ref=sr\_1\_1?dchild=1&keywords=book+of+the+dead&qid=1627075690&sr=8-1
The most recent translations aren't going to be free and available online. I'd suggest going to your library or ordering a copy via Amazon. This is an excellent version, but there are less expensive, earlier editions available as well.
I have the translation by Raymond Faulkner — the old British Museum version, but there's a new one at a very good price:
I think it’s helpful to read this thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/17r7u6/did_the_greeks_really_believe_in_their_gods/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body) and Paul Veyne’s Did the Greeks Believe in their Myths?
The answer is that the gods are viewed in very different ways by different groups and individuals in any polytheistic systems. There has never been and will never be a single answer.
You can get a great copy on Amazon. I have this exact copy. https://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Book-Dead-Integrated-Full-Color/dp/1452144389/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ZJKGG79TMZRB&dchild=1&keywords=the+book+of+the+dead+egyptian&qid=1601058837&sprefix=the+book+of+the+dead%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-2
Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature is a must-have for anyone interested in the culture. It's a collection of English translations of texts from all the periods of Egyptian history, and while reading later summaries, commentaries, and analyses is fine, all good scholarship includes primary sources. Short of learning to read hieroglyphics, this is the next best thing.
The original publication was in three volumes (Vol. I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, Vol II: The New Kingdom, and Vol. III: The Late Period), but it looks like the latest edition has them all in one volume.
Raymond Faulkner and Ogden Goelet's <em>The Egyptian Book of the Dead</em> is another great addition to a library. It's an English translation of the Papyrus of Ani with full-color reproductions of the papyrus.
I cannot stress what a great and solid resource Simek's Dictionary of Northern Mythology is, so I'm definitely echoing the other recommendation.
Entries for Gods, heroes, skalds, and other important figures (including named animals), named weapons and jewelry and other artifacts, places and more. The entries will summarize stories with the source from the lore (so you can find and read it more in depth later at that source), explorations into the etymology where relevant, information about archaeological finds, and sometimes also folk custom and summations of major scholarly theories. It's the most comprehensive resource I can think of, even though it's by no means complete, plus there hasn't been an update in decades. I've worn out 3 copies already, it's my go to resource that gets me started on any research.
Lindow's book while solid... is to me problematic as he mocks those of us who worship the gods amounting our practice to little more than our rites being an excuse to party with a sausage, in the book no less mentioned. While it's a good overview, I hate giving money to someone like that.
Davidson's scholarship is some of the go to solid work in the field, any book from her is well worth the read: Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe, Road to Hel, etc.
It's a far more dense academic tome, but Dubois' Nordic Religions in the Viking Age is definitely worth a read.
She's mentioned in Gylfaginning, and Skáldskaparmál.
You might also want to consider investing in a copy of Simek's Dictionary of Northern Mythology. There's entries for gods, other named supernatural beings, objects, places, etc. Each entry has a summation with reference to the source, and where relevant summarizes as well archaeological discoveries, major scholarly theories, etymology, kennings/heiti, folktales and more. We learn more all the time, so it's not 100% complete, but it's very comprehensive and a great place to start.
These appear to be based on outdated translations (Farangi, in particular, is using Budge. Who was good in his day, but now effectively useless for Egyptologists).
Based on the revised edition of The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Faulkner and Goelet, Jr), the translation is closer to "my name has not reached the offices of those who control slaves" (p. 129). In this case, the deceased has not become embroiled in any dispute or issue relating to property, specifically captive labourers.
The Papyrus of Ani, one of the most famous copies of the Book of the Dead is a good start.
https://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Book-Dead-Integrated-Full-Color/dp/1452144389/
The deceased travels through the underworld, through a hall filled with gates and rooms, through a judgment hall, across the sky, and into the western lands.
Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day: The Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452144389/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6TFNN8SX39CEDA3MW7ZW
Unfortunately, I did buy this off Amazon 3 years ago, but it is an absolutely beautiful book with vivid pictures of the plates in great color.
Rudolf Simek's Dictionary of Northern mythology
- summarizes the stories, tells you the source of the story (so you can track down the story and read it for yourself)
- discusses etymological analysis
- where known, shares kennings, heiti, or epithets
- summarizes major academic theories (name of scholar, and the paper/article/book the info is from, this does have some cross comparison within the Germanic/Norse umbrella or the greater Proto-Indo-European umbrella)
- lists things like place names
- references archaeological evidence
- references folk practice too
- covers Germanic tribes through to the Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon cultures through the time of conversion (and a bit after)
- covers any named thing, not just Deities.
We're learning new things all the time, so it may not cover every iota of information, but it's the most comprehensive I've ever found.
Go to 10:58 in this YouTube video. The text the video maker is working with is the Papyrus of Ani, possibly the beautiful color edition of the complete papyrus from Ogden Goelet Jr., and Raymond O. Faulkner. The video creator has cleaned up the hieroglyphs for the horizontal row across the top of the video and used the more traditional look, but the strip down the side is definitely the Papyrus of Ani.
The following is a great edition with all the plates. It is a large book but larger is better because it makes it easier to read the text.
My only criticism is it does not include a transliteration and Faulkner's translation is idealized.
I was told to always avoid Silver Ravenwolf. That she is biased and bashes on other religions.
Ive got almost all of Scott Cunningham's books but there is a thing in the community that says he is a good foundation to start on, but to not take too much to heart.
I highly, highly recommend the books Triumph of The Moon (here ) and Drawing Down The Moon also here
They're great for getting an understanding of the fundamental roots of the craft. Particularly the history of it in Europe.
Some of my personal favorites are
The Element's of Ritual by Deborah Lipp Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin Grimoire for the Green Witch by Ann Moura The Witches Shield: Protection Magick and Psychic Seld-Defense by Christopher Penczak Bucklands Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland
These are my personal favorites, I probably have 30ish books, but these are my foundations.
Enjoy! BB
Thank you for your kind words! I am so glad we found each other!
This Book of the Dead is phenomenal and has over 2,000 five star reviews. I highly recommend you check it out 😃
The best academic translation of the Book of the Dead was produced by R O Faulkner.
My favourite version is the most up-to-date one, which includes illustrations of the original Papyrus of Ani alongside Faulkner's translation.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Egyptian-Book-Dead-Integrated-Full-Color/dp/1452144389
Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day: The Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452144389/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_0Q7JPJ0GJA4AYXJ30MAK
Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day: The Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452144389/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_6QEJNTTNV7YBMB3F9AGQ
This has the original and the translation, just in case….
Egypt's Mythology is very interesting. A cool perspective thing my professor once told me was that ancient Egypt was older to the Romans than the Romans are to us. You can buy a copy of the book of the dead and see the original hieroglyphs with their translation here: https://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Book-Dead-Integrated-Full-Color/dp/1452144389
Gods of the Greeks by Karl Kerenyi is one of my favourites. It has a companion Heroes of the Greeks as well. One of the many reasons I really like these books is that many different, sometimes very obscure, versions of stories are looked at.
Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton.
My favorite is Karl Kerenyi: The Gods of the Greeks and The Heroes of the Greeks.
I couldn't wait. I don't like Kindle books, but I made an exception. Seems to a be a theme for me and magic books. The only other ebook I've bought is Thracian Magic: Past and Present
Eh, I'm going to hold this off until I get some more substance behind my words, I've heard that this guy argues that they're the same entity, and that Snorri's just been too careful with kennings.
Due note that I haven't read that book, it's just hearsay.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-World-Greek-Mythology/dp/0500251215
I haven't looked at the book, but based on the description it seems to be exactly what you are looking for.
It would also be worth looking at a commentated translation of Hesiod's Theogany.
The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton is a good academic but readable history of neopagan Witchcraft.
Talks a lot about the inspiration being the Romantic poets and Victorian attitudes to the occult and nature, gradually leading to Gerald Gardner and Wicca since then.