The Merman's Children approaches the end of Faerie which Poul Anderson had anticipated at the end of his Foreword to The Broken Sword. The realm of Faerie is driven from the world both by Christianity and by measurement, an assault from two directions, although Anderson's "Delenda Est" points to some connection between these two directions. However, we find that we have covered this question in some detail already. See The End Of Faerie as well as other posts referring to "soft places."
5 comments:
Doesn't the Norse Valhalla etc. imply the Norse believed in immortal souls?
So the metaphysics doesn't change much if at all.
Jim,
Well, it does. Souls in the Norse hereafters were not immortal. And there is a big difference between the Norse pantheons (Aesir and Vanir) on the one hand and the hosts of Heaven on the other.
Paul.
One aspect of traditional pagan religions was that they were ethnically specific. The 'religions of the book' aspired to be universal.
One acquaintance in Lancaster is a deep-rooted pagan. He does not care what is happening in the next valley.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, all pagan pantheons I know of were ethnic and localized. And I believe Judaism/Christianity were divinely inspired as the means used for revealing Himself to mankind.
Ad astra! Sean
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