Claude Lecouteux
Claude Lecouteux is a former professor of medieval literature and civilization at the Sorbonne. He is the author of numerous books on medieval and pagan afterlife beliefs and magic, including The Book of Grimoires, Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells, and The Tradition of Household Spirits. He lives in Paris.
Related Links:
- Read a review of Tales & Legends of the Devil from The Magical Buffet
- Read a review of Tales & Legends of the Devil by Claude and Corrinne Lecouteux
- Phantom Armies of the Night book review from The Golden One
- ANCIENT TALES OF BATS, WEREWOLVES, AND SKELETONS blog on Inner Traditions
- King Solomon the Magus review from Magical Buffet
- Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder review from Magical Buffet
- Mysteries of the Werewolf review from Magical Buffet
- Travels to the Otherworld and Other Fantastic Realms Included on Magical Buffet's Favorite Things List
- Pagan Book of the Dead review from The Magical Buffet
- Traditional Magic Spells for Protection and Healing review from Spiral Nature
- Traditional Magic Spells for Protection and Healing review from Skeptical Occultist
- The Traditions of Household Spirits review from PaganPages.org
- The Hidden History of Elves & Dwarfs review from The Magical Buffet
- The Hidden History of Elves & Dwarfs review from Inannaworks
- Review of Demons and Spirits of the Land On Paralibrum.com
- Book Review – The Hidden History of Elves and Dwarfs from Pagan Pages
Books By Claude Lecouteux
The Secret History of Vampires
By Claude Lecouteux
$16.95
Anciently, not all vampires were blood suckers. They included shroud-eaters, nightmares, stirges, and ghouls. Claude Lecouteux looks back to a time when vampires were understood differently from the child of the night depicted in modern movies and books.
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$3.40
Christian Mythology
By Philippe Walter
Special Price
$13.59
Regular Price
$16.99
The church knowingly incorporated pagan elements into the Christian faith to ease the transition to the new religion. Indeed, the identities of saints and pagan figures became so intermingled that some saints were transformed into pagan incarnations. Providing extensive documentation, this book shows which major days of the Christian calendar are founded on pagan traditions, including Easter and Christmas.
Demons and Spirits of the Land
By Claude Lecouteux
$18.95
Our pagan ancestors understood there were giants in the hills, dragons in the lakes, and wild folk in the mountains. They both feared and respected these entities, and negotiated with them to ensure proper placement and protection of a new building. Despite outright Church suppression, belief in these spirits has carried through to modern times.
Phantom Armies of the Night
By Claude Lecouteux
$22.99
This book examines the Wild Hunt of Medieval paganism--the nocturnal procession of demons, hounds, soldiers, and knights, some covered in blood, others carrying their heads beneath their arms. Variations of this myth are still a living, evolving tradition.
The Return of the Dead
By Claude Lecouteux
$19.95
To the pagan mind, ghosts were very much alive--the dead could, and did, cross back and forth at will. The Church engineered the transformation of ghosts from the embodied to the amorphous, the better to supplant a form of ancestor worship with its own faith.
The Secret History of Poltergeists and Haunted Houses
By Claude Lecouteux
$18.95
Our pagan ancestors understood that the mischief of poltergeists was the work of helper spirits. Now, as then, poltergeist manifestations are revealing our relationship with the natural and unseen world, a relationship we must take care to keep in balance.
The Tradition of Household Spirits
By Claude Lecouteux
$19.99
Why do we hang horseshoes for good luck or place wreaths on our doors? Why does the groom carry his new bride over the threshold? These customs come from a time when people had a sacred relationship with their homes and the spirits who lived there with them. This book draws on studies and classic literature from old Europe to explain the pagan roots behind these traditions.
Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies
By Claude Lecouteux
$16.95
Monsters, werewolves, witches, and fairies remain a strong presence in our stories and dreams. Their roots predate Christianity and are widespread over Western Europe. The author's extensive analysis of Western European legends reveals an almost forgotten religious concept: that every individual owns three souls and that one, the Double, can leave the physical body to journey where it chooses. Claude Lecouteux reveals the origin and significance of this belief, and follows its transforming features through the ages.
A Lapidary of Sacred Stones
By Claude Lecouteux
$26.95
Our ancestors believed stones were home to sacred beings of power, entities that if properly cultivated could provide protection from ill fortune, grant magical powers, and heal a wide variety of diseases. This book presents a synthesis of the ancient lore and practices associated with more than 800 stones.
The Book of Grimoires
By Claude Lecouteux
$19.95
Grimoires began simply as quick-reference “grammar books” for sorcerers and magicians, but over time many of the abbreviations were misinterpreted and magical words misspelled, rendering them ineffective. In The Book of Grimoires Professor Lecouteux provides exact reproductions of various secret alphabets, symbols, and glyphs with instructions for their correct use.
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$7.00
Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells
By Claude Lecouteux
Special Price
$28.00
Regular Price
$35.00
This comprehensive dictionary includes magic words and phrases from many traditions including ancient Scandinavia, ancient Egypt, and the Hispano-Arabic magic of Spain before the Reconquista. It explains the origin and evolution of each spell through the centuries and examines secret magical alphabets, including those based on Hebrew letters and runes.
The High Magic of Talismans and Amulets
By Claude Lecouteux
$29.99
Professor Lecouteux reveals the chains of sympathy, astrological geography, and invocations used since ancient times to activate the powers of amulets and talismans. He examines many different kinds of talismans, such as the rabbit’s foot, horseshoe, and gris-gris bag, revealing the principles and symbology behind each object, and showing that their use is as widespread today as at any time in the past.
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$5.99
Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic
By Claude Lecouteux
Special Price
$23.96
Regular Price
$29.95
The legends of the Norse and Germanic regions of Europe include a broad range of mythical characters and places, from Odin and Thor, to berserkers and Valhalla, to the Valkyries and Krampus. This unique reference is complete with rare illustrations and information from obscure sources, some appearing for the first time in English.
Traditional Magic Spells for Protection and Healing
By Claude Lecouteux
$29.95
Drawing on his extensive knowledge of ancient texts, Claude Lecouteux presents more than 600 magical prescriptions from both pagan and Christian sources. He examines the folk practice of diagnosing illness through magic, explores protection magic and evil spells such as curses, and includes spells from the gypsy tradition of magic and healing.
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$6.00
Dictionary of Gypsy Mythology
By Claude Lecouteux
Special Price
$23.99
Regular Price
$29.99
Drawing on sources never before available outside of Eastern Europe, Claude Lecouteux reconstructs the oral traditions of the Rom to provide a comprehensive A-to-Z look at gypsy mythology, including their folktales, rites, songs, nursery rhymes, jokes, and magical traditions. He also explores the full range of supernatural beings that inhabit the gypsy world.
The Hidden History of Elves and Dwarfs
By Claude Lecouteux
$24.00
Tracing their history from ancient Celtic lore to the modern popularization by the Brothers Grimm and Walt Disney, Lecouteux explores the pagan roots of dwarfs and elves and their evolution in myths and literature, revealing the church’s role in changing them from fearless warriors into cheerful helpmates and cute garden gnomes.
Travels to the Otherworld and Other Fantastic Realms
Edited By Claude Lecouteux, Corinne Lecouteux
$30.00
Accompanied by rare illustrations from incunabula and medieval manuscripts, the stories in this collection include guided afterlife tours of Hell, glimpses of Heaven, and journeys into other fantastic realms, such as the pagan land of the Faery. They also include encounters with doppelgangers and angels, legends of heroes, and romantic misadventures.
The Pagan Book of the Dead
By Claude Lecouteux
$24.99
Charting the evolution of afterlife beliefs in both pagan and medieval Christian times, Claude Lecouteux offers an extensive look at the cartography and folklore of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven as seen by our ancestors. He also explores tales of near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, dream journeys, and travels made by a double or fetch.
Mysteries of the Werewolf
By Claude Lecouteux
$30.00
An exploration of werewolf beliefs and legends from Classical Antiquity to the post-medieval period
Claude Lecouteux examines werewolf tales and stories from early Greece, Scandinavia, France, Germany, Eastern Europe, China, and Japan, as well as legends of other shapeshifting creatures such as were-tigers, were-jackals, and were-caribou. He also looks at the various ways people become werewolves and explores how to identify, escape, and do away with werewolves.
Claude Lecouteux examines werewolf tales and stories from early Greece, Scandinavia, France, Germany, Eastern Europe, China, and Japan, as well as legends of other shapeshifting creatures such as were-tigers, were-jackals, and were-caribou. He also looks at the various ways people become werewolves and explores how to identify, escape, and do away with werewolves.
Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder
By Claude Lecouteux, Corinne Lecouteux
$29.99
A collection of tales from the Middle Ages focused on otherworldly powers, magical animals, miracles, demonic apparitions, and supernatural events
Sharing fantastical medieval stories of witchcraft, wonder, and the supernatural, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux offer commentary for each tale, revealing its historical context, cultural and esoteric associations, and hidden pagan beliefs. They explore how the tales transformed over the ages as well as their origins in Classical Antiquity, the Middle East, and India.
Sharing fantastical medieval stories of witchcraft, wonder, and the supernatural, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux offer commentary for each tale, revealing its historical context, cultural and esoteric associations, and hidden pagan beliefs. They explore how the tales transformed over the ages as well as their origins in Classical Antiquity, the Middle East, and India.
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$7.00
King Solomon the Magus
By Claude Lecouteux
Special Price
$28.00
Regular Price
$35.00
An in-depth portrait of Solomon revealing his magical powers and feats and his impact on esoteric traditions worldwide
Looking at Solomon’s profound influence around the world, Claude Lecouteux explores King Solomon’s magical tradition, his judgments, his literary and scientific works, and his constructions beyond the eponymous temple, such as the copper city built by the djinns. He also looks at Solomon’s magical possessions, such as his famous ring and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Looking at Solomon’s profound influence around the world, Claude Lecouteux explores King Solomon’s magical tradition, his judgments, his literary and scientific works, and his constructions beyond the eponymous temple, such as the copper city built by the djinns. He also looks at Solomon’s magical possessions, such as his famous ring and the Philosopher’s Stone.
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$7.00
Mysteries of the Far North
By Jacques Privat
Special Price
$28.00
Regular Price
$35.00
Presents evidence of early Norse settlement in Greenland and North America
Sharing his extensive and meticulous research, Jacques Privat reveals that the Vikings were in Greenland and Canada long before Columbus. Drawing on the still-living indigenous oral tradition of the Far North, he shows how the Norsemen and the Inuit formed a harmonious community--until the Norse colonies mysteriously disappeared.
Sharing his extensive and meticulous research, Jacques Privat reveals that the Vikings were in Greenland and Canada long before Columbus. Drawing on the still-living indigenous oral tradition of the Far North, he shows how the Norsemen and the Inuit formed a harmonious community--until the Norse colonies mysteriously disappeared.
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$6.00
Tales and Legends of the Devil
By Claude Lecouteux, Corinne Lecouteux
Special Price
$24.00
Regular Price
$30.00
Explores the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories from around the world
Drawing on folk traditions from all over Europe, including Transylvanian Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Moravia, Bohemia, Lapland, and the Baltic countries, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explore ancient tales and legends of the devil. They examine the devil’s shapeshifting powers and the symbolic implications of his often disfigured or animal-like appearance.
Drawing on folk traditions from all over Europe, including Transylvanian Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Moravia, Bohemia, Lapland, and the Baltic countries, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explore ancient tales and legends of the devil. They examine the devil’s shapeshifting powers and the symbolic implications of his often disfigured or animal-like appearance.