|
Mesmerize yourself with the lore of Ancient Egypt and other distant cultures in Paul Kiritsis's magnificent and stunning "Hermetica." The book is both a collection of poetry and Kiritsis's own rendition of epic ancient myths and legends. Its title reflects both its sources in Hermetic literature and its concern with alchemy, primarily the alchemy of love. Paul Kiritsis states that he wrote "Hermetica" so readers will be "more aware of the literary worth of long gone civilizations and develop a greater appreciation of ancient folklore. I want people to think about where we fall in the wider scheme of things; our relation to the universe, to religion, to one another in general. I want people to train themselves in divergent thinking. We all need to learn how to see things from other people's perspectives." Life deserves study.
Hermetica: Myths, Legends, Poems
Paul Kiritsis
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595449569
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (2/08)
This book had a strange effect on me. I found as I began reading it that I was mesmerized by the poems and stories. It engaged me from the beginning to the end and I had a hard time putting it down. I applaud the author’s style of combining both collections of poetry and his own interpretations of myths and legends.
In the introduction, the author describes the contents of the book “’Hermetica: Myths, Legends, Poems’ is a collection of both poetry and my own renditions of epic myths and legends. Its title comes not only from the fact that was influenced by Hermetic literature but also because it concerns itself with alchemy, primarily the alchemy of love.” (page xvii) “He has complete faith that true love does exist and writes as elusive as it may be, true love does exist and anyone can find it present in their life if they are really open to such.” (page xvii)
The poems and stories that follow captured my attention and took me on many adventures. The first section on poetics contains poetry that includes alchemy, magic, astrology, myths, wisdom, music and erotica. The second section contains seven mythical stories that deliver messages to the reader. The author pays tribute to the love story of Osiris and Isis and the events leading up to Osiris’ death and through his resurrection. Several other stories are included including a popular one from the Middle Ages, “The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor.”
Throughout time oral and written stories have been used to teach people morals and lessons. Even the Bible is full of the parables taught by Jesus using examples to teach people new ideas and lessons. In “Hermetica: Myths, Legends, Poems,” the author does a great job with intertwining ancient stories with today’s themes. As a former resident of the Hawaiian Islands, I especially enjoyed the poems about the islands and the volcano goddess Pele. If you enjoy myths, legends and poetry, then this book is for you.
|
