Spirituality

248

Another book by Gary R. Varner on the folklore and mythology of sacred water. Available from your local bookshop and all online stores.

From the foreword by Richard Pederick, editor of the holy well research journal, Living Spring Journal:

With Water of Life – Water of Death Gary has reached new depths. Yes, I do mean depths, depth of research and analysis. With this book Gary has seized the subject by the horns; his treatment of it is serious and penetrating. He has examined the lore associated with sacred waters from many angles and, most importantly in my opinion, maintained an international perspective whilst doing so. And therein lies the true strength of this book: it is both broad in approach and deep in analysis. It manages to bring disparate strands of lore from all over the globe together concisely between two covers; this book is many books in one.

On one level it is an excellent source of information about the folklore and mythology that surrounds water, whether “holy” or a basic natural source of life. I guarantee that the reader will find some gem of information that they didn’t know before within these pages. Personally, I learned a great deal from reading this book because, like so many British wells enthusiasts, I have had relatively little exposure to the waterlore of foreign lands.

On another level, it is a book about history. Gary takes the reader on a voyage from the beliefs of the earliest cultures that were carving glyphs into rocks as a mark of their reverence for and reliance on water through to present day beliefs and practices across the globe.

It is also a book about interfaces, about that liminal space that exists between different entities. In Water of Life – Water of Death Gary examines the liminal space between geographically-distinct cultures, between different mythologies and world views, between different religions, between different times, between matriarchal and patriarchal societies, and of course, between Christianity and Paganism. Like the Black Dog of folklore (Chapter 4) Gary walks the boundaries of lore and mythology and brings us closer to the heart of the subject.

Also, whilst taking us on this journey, Gary presents us with an interesting thesis: that there is a common origin for the various worldwide mythologies and practices concerning water. So this book is, in addition to everything else, a study in comparative mythology. Gary compares and contrasts the mythologies, lore and practices of different cultures. One is persuasively drawn towards the conclusion that perhaps the reverence and awe that humankind has shown for water for over one-hundred millennia is somehow imprinted in our psyche. How else can we explain the myriad of similarities in the folklore and mythologies of so many cultures, separated by time and/or physical distance?