Mircea Eliade Books

In volume 2 of this monumental work, Mircea Eliade continues his magisterial progress through the history of religious ideas. The religions of ancient China, Brahmanism and Hinduism, Buddha and his contemporaries, Roman religion, Celtic and German religions, Judaism, the Hellenistic period, the Iranian syntheses, and the birth of Christianity—all are encompassed in this volume.

"No one has done so much as Mr. Eliade to inform literature students in the West about 'primitive' and Oriental religions...Everyone who cares about the human adventure will find new information and new angles of vision."--Martin E. Marty, "New York Times Book Review"

A common belief in modern scientific society is that "magic" is a mere collection of outdated and nonsensical practices. This work challenges that notion, offering a scholarly exploration of magic's role and its evolution into contemporary forms. According to Ioan Couliano, Renaissance magic was a scientifically grounded attempt to influence individuals through an understanding of motivations, especially erotic ones. The core idea was that sexual desire could sway everyone and everything. Additionally, magicians employed advanced memory techniques to shape the imaginations of their subjects. Couliano posits that magic serves as a precursor to modern psychological and sociological disciplines, positioning the magician as a forerunner to psychoanalysts and marketing professionals. Couliano delves into the works of influential figures like Giordano Bruno, Marsilio Ficino, and Pico della Mirandola, shedding light on various facets of Renaissance culture, including heresy, medicine, astrology, alchemy, courtly love, classical mythology, and even fashion. While science has become the dominant narrative of our age, magic once provided a similar narrative during the Renaissance. The reliance on images in magic faced repression during the Reformation, leading to its decline in favor of precise science and technology. Couliano's insightful scholarship revives the significance of magic, appealing to a diverse audience in the humanities

Harper Torchbooks paperback edition published under the title Cosmos and history, New York, 1959--Copyright page.

In The Quest Mircea Eliade stresses the cultural function that a study of the history of religions can play in a secularized society. He writes for the intelligent general reader in the hope that what he calls a new humanism "will be engendered by a confrontation of modern Western man with unknown or less familiar worlds of meaning." "Each of these essays contains insights which will be fruitful and challenging for professional students of religion, but at the same time they all retain the kind of cultural relevance and clarity of style which makes them accessible to anyone seriously concerned with man and his religious possibilities."—Joseph M. Kitagawa, Religious Education

Demonstrates universal religious experience and shows how humanity's effort to live within a sacred sphere has manifested itself in myriad cultures from ancient to modern times; and, how certain beliefs, rituals, symbols, and myths have, with interesting variations, persisted.

Originally published under the title FROM PRIMITIVES TO ZEN, this comprehensive anthology contains writings vital to all the major non-Western religious traditions, arranged thematically. Here are colorful descriptions of deities, creation myths, depictions of death and the afterlife, teachings on the relationship between humanity and the sacred, religious rituals and practices, prayer and hymns.

Shows that myth and symbol constitute a mode of thought that not only came before that of discursive and logical reasoning, but is an essential function of human consciousness. The author analyzes powerful and ubiquitous symbols that have ruled the mythological thinking of East and West in many times and at many levels of cultural development.

In this landmark book the renowned scholar of religion Mircea Eliade lays the groundwork for a Western understanding of Yoga, exploring how its guiding principle, that of freedom, involves remaining in the world without letting oneself be exhausted by such "conditionings" as time and history. Drawing on years of study and experience in India, Eliade provides a comprehensive survey of Yoga in theory and practice from its earliest foreshadowings in the Vedas through the twentieth century. The subjects discussed include Patañjali, author of the Yoga-sutras; yogic techniques, such as concentration "on a Single Point," postures, and respiratory discipline; and Yoga in relation to Brahmanism, Buddhism, Tantrism, Oriental alchemy, mystical erotism, and shamanism.

Organizing data from cultures the world over, Eliade lays out the basic patterns of initiation: group puberty rituals, entrance into secret cults, shamanic instruction, individual visions, and heroic rites of passage. The vast information, assembled so beautifully, transcends usual scholarship. Eliade affirms the greater experience in all initiations--the indissoluable ties between humans and the cosmos of gods, spirits, animals, ancestors, and nature.

Primitive man's discovery of the ability to change matter from one state to another brought about a profound change in spiritual behavior. In The Forge and the Crucible, Mircea Eliade follows the ritualistic adventures of these ancient societies, adventures rooted in the people's awareness of an awesome new power.The new edition of The Forge and the Crucible contains an updated appendix, in which Eliade lists works on Chinese alchemy published in the past few years. He also discusses the importance of alchemy in Newton's scientific evolution.

This volume of Mircea Eliade's journal serves as an eloquent chronicle of his intellectual life rather than a mere account of daily activities. The candid entries provide a revealing portrait of the esteemed scholar, showcasing his thoughts on various subjects, including his views on students seeking instruction in black magic, feminism, drug use among students, and the sexual revolution. Eliade reflects on his relationships with friends and colleagues, such as Jung, Dumézil, and Ionesco, while also expressing his preferences for certain company over others. Beyond personal insights, the journal holds cultural and intellectual significance, capturing Eliade's evolving perspectives on religion, history, and academic culture during his most active teaching years. The text juxtaposes snippets of his past with ongoing projects, travel anecdotes, and commentary on global events. For readers interested in Eliade and the history of religions, this journal offers new perspectives on his other works, including the History of Religious Ideas and Ordeal by Labyrinth. It also serves as a mature scholar's reflection on the aftermath of the 1960s, a period that significantly influenced American university life, providing valuable insights into both Eliade's life and the cultural history of that era.

A comprehensive guide to the thirty-three major religions, including information about their origins, founders, sacred teachings, and spiritual traditions

Six essays on a variety of interrelated subjects.

"No event in our world is real, my friend. Everything that occurs in this universe is illusory... And in a world of appearances, in which no thing and no event has any permanence, any reality of its own—whoever is master of certain forces can do anything he wishes..." So speaks a character in Two Strange Tales, a pair of novellas in which Westerners are caught up in the uncanny realm of Eastern religion and magic. In "Nights at Serampore," three European scholars, traveling deep into the forests of Bengal, are inexplicably cast into another time and space where they witness the violent murder of a young Hindu wife. In "The Secret of Dr. Honingberger," a respectable Rumanian physician vanishes without a trace after experimenting with yogic techniques in his quest for the legendary invisible world called Shambhala. In Two Strange Tales, author Mircea Eliade combined yogic folklore with the literary genre of the supernatural suspense tale so as to reveal dimensions of experience that are inaccessible to other intellectual approaches. These well-crafted stories will appeal to both lovers of the supernatural and those fascinated by mysticism of the East.

Famed historian of religion Mircea Eliade observes that even moderns who proclaim themselves residents of a completely profane world are still unconsciously nourished by the memory of the sacred. Eliade traces manifestations of the sacred from primitive to modern times in terms of space, time, nature, and the cosmos. In doing so he shows how the total human experience of the religious man compares with that of the nonreligious. This book serves as an excellent introduction to the history of religion, but its perspective also emcompasses philosophical anthropology, phenomenology, and psychology. It will appeal to anyone seeking to discover the potential dimensions of human existence. -- P. [4] of cover.

Describes the beliefs, rituals, and symbols of shamanism and explores its practice in various cultures and influence on religious tradition

Patanjali and Yoga is a clear and straihtforward look at the history, development and meaning of yogic thought now proving of such interest to the West. It is not just another book of methods and practices.Yoga originated in archaic magical means intended to overcome human anguish and suffering, These methods were known long before Patanjali, but Eliade has chosen to focus on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, who was the first to write down and codify "classic yoga." Following in Patanjali's path, Indian thinkers have been quick to distinguish true yoga from trances, self-hypnosis and false ecstasies. The many forms and aspects of yogic practice constitute a major part of India's history.From earliest times, India has concerned itself with what we in the modern West call altered states of consciousness. Yoga allows a release from deterministic conditioning and permits the yogi to release himself into the true, indescribable freedom of liberation. With that release comes the appearance of extraordinary powers baffling to modern scientists and easily confused with "magical" or "occult" powers. Here is a comprehensive introduction to the foundations of yogic thought and practice.

Bucharest, 1938: while Hitler gains power in Germany, the Romanian police start arresting students they suspect of belonging to the Iron Guard. Meanwhile, a man who has spent his life studying languages, poetry, and history--a man who thought his life was over--lies in a hospital bed, inexplicably alive and miraculously healthy, trying to figure out how to conceal his identity. At the intersection of the natural and supernatural, myth and history, dream and science, lies Mircea Eliade's novella. Now in its first paperback edition, the psychological thriller features Dominic Matei, an elderly academic who experiences a cataclysmic event that allows him to live a new life with startling intellectual capacity. Sought by the Nazis for their medical experiments on the potentially life-prolonging power of electric shocks, Matei is helped to flee through Romania, Switzerland, Malta and India. Newly endowed with prodigious powers of memory and comprehension, he finds himself face to face with the glory and terror of the supernatural. In this surreal, philosophy-driven fantasy, Eliade tests the boundaries of literary genre as well as the reader's imagination. Suspenseful, witty, and poignant, Youth Without Youth illuminates Eliade's longing for past loves and new texts, his erotic imagination, and his love of a thrilling mystery. It was adapted for the screen in 2007 as Francis Ford Coppola's first feature film in over ten years

The definitive dictionary of the world's religions, compiled by two of the 20th century's most distinguished religion scholars. This highly accessible resource distils Mircea Eliade's lifework of detailing and comparing humanity's entire religious heritage, providing fascinating insights into the character and worldview of the 33 principal religions. Including Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Shinto, Shamanism, Taoism, South American religions, Baltic and Slavic religions, Confucianism, and the religions of Africa and Oceania, The HarperCollins Concise Guide to World Religions covers all kinds of religious figures, histories, sacred texts, mythologies, and mystical techniques.

Crossing the boundaries of time, region, and culture, universal myths have provided inspiration and guidance for countless generations—laying a foundation for the religious, social, and political heritage of nations and peoples since the beginning of time. Here is a rich and absorbing survey of the common myths that connect all cultures, Eastern and Western, from antiquity to the present day. With stunning power, the stuff of legend is explored in all its drama and magnificence. There are stories of gods and men—and legendary heroes from Zeus to King Arthur to the “Superman” of modern media; tales of heaven, earth, and the origins of man from Hindu, American Indian, and Western thought; and retellings of mythic quests and legendary lovers, from the epic wanderings of Odysseus to the tragedy of Tristram and Iseult and the Krishna marriage of Heaven and Earth. This extraordinary work, compiled and arranged by theme from stories of creation to tales of death and rebirth, examines and compares the world’s myths that have shaped our common past and continue to influence us still.

A semi-autobiographical romance between a French engineer and the daughter of a Hindu family with which he stayed in India. A case of East meets West with all the joys and woes that such encounters bring. For her version of the story see her novel, It Does Not Die.

Eine gewaltige geistige Unternehmung, fesselnd und allgemeinverständlich aufbereitet" (Süddeutsche Zeitung). "Wer Eliades Werk liest, wird beschenkt und gewinnt nicht nur ein Verständnis der Religionen, sondern auch der Erkenntnis der Welt, in der wir leben" (Die Welt).

Acest roman constituie poate proiectul cel mai ambiţios al lui Mircea Eliade, acela de a configura un Zeitgeist, plasându-se astfel alături de romancieri europeni redutabili. Romanul recapitulează toate temele esenţiale pentru opera lui Eliade, teme care-şi găsesc ecoul atât în proza şi dramaturgia sa cât şi în opera ştiinţifică sau în publicistică. În acelaşi timp, romanul reprezintă un mare semn de adio, este un roman al despărţirilor, al rupturilor, al unei lumi dispărute care va continua să-l obsedeze pe scriitor şi asupra căreia acesta va mai reveni, dar niciodată cu acest suflu, cu o astfel de anvergură. (ANGELO MITCHIEVICI)

În ultimul lui volum de povestiri, apărut în 1980, arta lui Mircea Eliade atinge o esențializare pe care prozatorul a căutat-o în scrierile sale literare dintotdeauna. Dincolo de întâmplări, dincolo chiar de nostalgia evocării, o temă prezentă în multe din prozele sale fantastice dobândește acum o pondere covârșitoare: semnificația actului creator. Personajele nu mai sunt oamenii obișnuiți de altădată, încercați de întâmplări enigmatice și pline de semnificații, ci scriitori, artiști sau matematicieni pe cale să descopere o taină esenţială pentru ei şi pentru omenire. Ele par să nu mai cunoască nicio altă frământare în afară de pătrunderea misterului care se revelează prin intermediul destinului ce le-a fost rezervat. Discuțiile lor pasionate revin obsedant asupra câte unui amănunt, banal în aparență – o vorbă auzită cândva și apoi îngropată în uitare sau o întâmplare fără niciun ecou în viaţa imediată - care revine în miezul cel mai fierbinte al memoriei dovedindu-se înzestrat cu consecințe cosmice.

Romanian

Der Religionswissenschaftler Mircea Eliade (1907-1986) hat auch ein literarisches Werk von beachtlichem Rang vorgelegt. In seinem Roman "Die Hooligans" hält er der dekadenten bürgerlichen Gesellschaft der 30er Jahre einen Spiegel vor. In einem vielfach geknüpften Netz der Handlung setzt er Einzelschicksale, Liebschaften und "weltverbesserische" Diskussionen zu einem sozialen Mosaik der intellektuellen "jeunesse doree" Bukarests zusammen.

ISBN: 0061312363

Mircea Eliade, geboren 1907 in Bukarest. Er studierte 1925-31 in Bukarest und Kalkutta; längerer Aufenthalt im Himalaya-Gebiet, ausgedehnte Asien-Reisen. Seit den fünfziger Jahren bis zum seinem Tod 1986 Professor für Religionswissenschaft in Chicago. Edith Silbermann, geboren 1921 in Czernowitz (Ukraine) und verstorben 2008 in Düsseldorf, war Übersetzerin, Publizistin und Schauspielerin.

Von 1928 bis 1931 reiste der rumänische Religionshistoriker und Schriftsteller Mircea Eliade zum erstenmal durch Indien und das Himalaya-Gebiet. Er erlebte Landschaften und Natur, Orte mit Straßenleben und Basaren, Hochzeitsfeierlichkeiten und Begräbniszeremonien, hatte Begegnungen mit Einsiedlern, Mönchen, Bauern, Dichtern, Propheten, Leprakranken. Die Aufzeichnungen, die er damals machte, liegen jetzt erstmalig in deutscher Sprache vor.

A vallásos ember a lehető legközelebb akart élni a világ középpontjához. Tudta, hogy országa a föld közepén van, hogy városa a világegyetem köldöke, és mindenekelőtt a templom és a palota igazi középpontjai a világnak, ám ezen túlmenően azt is akarta, hogy saját háza imago mundiként a középpontban legyen.

In diesem Band sind phantastische Erzählungen aus zwanzig Jahren versammelt. Ein scheinbarer Zufall bringt eine Kette von Ereignissen aus der verdrängten Vergangenheit ans Licht und zeigt deren Bedeutung auf, was möglicherweise zu einer Lösung führt.

Mircea Eliade, geboren 1907 in Bukarest. Er studierte 1925-31 in Bukarest und Kalkutta; längerer Aufenthalt im Himalaya-Gebiet, ausgedehnte Asien-Reisen. Seit den fünfziger Jahren bis zum seinem Tod 1986 Professor für Religionswissenschaft in Chicago.

Une famille isolée au bord du Danube subit l’influence maléfique d’une ancêtre disparue. Mademoiselle Christina hante les chambres des occupants, vampire à l’apparence séductrice, elle charme Egor et enlève petit à petit toute vie dans la demeure austère. Sous la lumière blafarde de la lune, les ombres trahissent la présence d’un autre monde, effrayant, celui des âmes damnées. Entre deux soupirs de Sanda, jeune fille exsangue, un silence de mort s’installe dans le récit.Egor trouvera-t-il la force de lutter contre l’enchanteresse Christina ? La jeune Simina, possédée par le mal, semble en douter.Mademoiselle Christina nous vient tout droit du folklore roumain. Une histoire de vampires dans un monde en proie au blasphème; pour l'exorciser, un jeune homme tue deux fois le vampire en lui transperçant le cœur. Le dialogue entre le monde des morts et celui des vivants n'est pas éphémère. Les deux camps se livrent un siège sans merci, à ceci près que les belligérants se disputent non des fortunes mais des âmes, et que leurs armes ne sont pas des armes classiques, mais des rituels magiques.

The author's purpose is to interpret, and to ease, an encounter which history has made inevitable. But Professor Eliade is too good a scholar, and it too wise in his judgment, to fall into syncretist fallacies. He has no argument to offer other than that which is implicit in a penetrating and sympathetic scrutiny of the mythologies that vivify ancient communities and tell us so much of the perennial meaning and destiny of man...

La fonction du mythe est de donner une signification au monde et à l'existence humaine. Grâce au mythe, le monde se laisse saisir en tant que cosmos parfaitement intelligible. Mircea Eliade retrace l'histoire des grands mythes des peuples primitifs jusqu'au monde moderne en passant par les grandes civilisations du passé (Inde, Grèce, etc.). Son livre constitue à la fois un exposé historique, rempli d'exemples, et une synthèse philosophique du problème examiné.

Eine gewaltige geistige Unternehmung, fesselnd und allgemeinverständlich aufbereitet" (Süddeutsche Zeitung). "Wer Eliades Werk liest, wird beschenkt und gewinnt nicht nur ein Verständnis der Religionen, sondern auch der Erkenntnis der Welt, in der wir leben" (Die Welt).

First published in 1951, "Shamanism" soon became the standard work in the study of this mysterious & fascinating phenomenon. Writing as the founder of the modern study of the history of religion, Romanian emigre--scholar Mircea Eliade (1907-86) surveys the practice of Shamanism over two & a half millennia of human history, moving from the Shamanic traditions of Siberia & Central Asia--where Shamanism was first observed--to North & South America, Indonesia, Tibet, China & beyond. In this authoritative survey, Eliade illuminates the magico-religious life of societies that give primacy of place to the figure of the Shaman--at once magician & medicine man, healer & miracle-doer, priest, mystic & poet. Synthesizing the approaches of psychology, sociology & ethnology, "Shamanism" will remain for years to come the reference book of choice for those intrigued by this practice.

Mircea Eliade, geboren 1907 in Bukarest. Er studierte 1925-31 in Bukarest und Kalkutta; längerer Aufenthalt im Himalaya-Gebiet, ausgedehnte Asien-Reisen. Seit den fünfziger Jahren bis zum seinem Tod 1986 Professor für Religionswissenschaft in Chicago.

Comment réagirait le public d'une pièce dont le premier mot serait " Adieu !... " et c'est tout ? Ensuite plus rien, ni acteur ni lever de rideau... Mircea Eliade, dans ces deux fables étonnantes, entraîne le lecteur à travers une réflexion sur la vie, le temps et la mort.

Wenn ein als Genie geltender Student der Mathematik, der auf den Spitznamen "Dayan" hört, weil er seit einem Unfall eine schwarze Binde über einem Auge zu tragen genötigt ist, im Straßentrubel Bukarests Ahasver, dem Ewigen Juden, begegnet, so geht dies gewiss nicht mit rechten Dingen zu. Und wenn sich Derartiges zudem in einem kommunistisch regiertem Ostblockstaat zuträgt, so wird es natürlich zu einem »Fall« für Miliz und Sicherheitsdienst... Die kurze Erzählung "Im Schatten einer Lilie", eine Folge von Gesprächen, ist ein Warten auf Godot im Pariser rumänischen Emigrantenmilieu. Ein geheimnisvoller Satz, den alle zu verschiedenen Zeiten, an verschiedenen Orten, in verschiedenem Zusammenhang hörten, beschäftigt sie. Hat er für sie einen symbolhaften Sinn? Kündet er die Rückkehr in die Heimat an? Die Zeichen mehren sich. Zwei neue Erzählungen dieses Meisters der phantastischen Literatur, von politischer und meta-politischer Bedeutung.

Hrsg. von Rolf Gehlen und Bernd Wolf, umfasst das Buch von Mircea Eliade 218 Seiten und enthält Abbildungen.

Célebre historiador das religiões, o autor analisa as concepções fundamentais em que se estruturam as sociedades arcaicas, especialmente na sua recusa do tempo histórico e na sua nostalgia do tempo mítico das origens.

"Im Anfang war das Wort, und Gott 'Es werde Licht'." So präsentiert sich der christliche Schöpfungsmythos. Während wir eine Vorstellung vom Weltuntergang und dem jüngsten Gericht haben, haben auch andere Kulturen über Jahrhunderte hinweg Mythen und Sagen hervorgebracht, die ihre Weltanschauungen widerspiegeln. Schon frühe Stämme drückten in Höhlenmalereien ihre Geschichten über Jagd, Geburt und Schamanismus aus. Die Anbetung von Erdmuttergottheiten war unter den Menschen weit verbreitet. Sergius Golowin hat einen bildreichen Leseband veröffentlicht, der eine umfassende Übersicht über Menschheitsmythen und Götterwelten bietet. Er beginnt bei den afrikanischen Mythen und reist über das Mittelmeer, die nordischen Länder und den Nahen Osten bis nach Ozeanien und Amerika. Thematisch behandelt er die Entstehung des Kosmos, ägyptische Götter und monotheistische Reformen. Besonders informativ ist sein grafisch bebilderter Stammbaum der griechischen Götterwelt, der die komplexen Beziehungen verdeutlicht. Die Weltesche Yggdrasil und zahlreiche Tragikhelden wie Sigurd, Orpheus und Gilgamesch werden vorgestellt. Golowin beleuchtet die Vielfalt der Tiergottheiten und die Vorstellungen von Seelenwanderung. Dieses Werk richtet sich sowohl an Spezialisten als auch an Einsteiger und ist ein ideales Buch für die besinnlichen Tage am Jahresende.

Für den rumänischen Religionsphilosophen Mircea Eliade ist die Entdeckung des nichteuropäischen Menschen und seiner geistigen Welt das zentrale Phänomen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Die wissenschaftliche Erforschung exotischer Religionen sowie des Hinduismus und Buddhismus eröffnet dem Abendland eine tiefgreifende Horizonterweiterung und relativiert eurozentristische Denkweisen. Besonders hervorzuheben sind Eliades Arbeiten zu den Weisheitslehren und spirituellen Praktiken Indiens, einschließlich Hinduismus, Buddhismus, Schamanismus, Tantrismus und Yoga. Diese Pionierleistung im interkulturellen und interreligiösen Dialog zwischen West und Ost ist geprägt von interdisziplinärer Gelehrsamkeit und einer besonderen Fähigkeit, sich in die Einstellungen anderer Menschen einzufühlen. Die Texte zu Indiens mystischer Erotik, die nun erstmals auf Deutsch vorliegen, entstanden zwischen 1929 und 1931 während Eliades Aufenthalt in Indien. Sie thematisieren indische Religion, Mystik und Spiritualität, wobei die mystische Erotik im Mittelpunkt steht. Den Abschluss des Bandes bildet die intime Korrespondenz Eliades mit seiner Familie, die den Leser zum Zeugen seiner wissenschaftlichen, literarischen und alltäglichen Aktivitäten werden lässt und Eliades spirituelles Tagebuch authentisch ergänzt.