Our pagan ancestors understood that every forest has brownies and fairies, every spring its lady, and every river malevolent beings in its depths. They told stories of giants in the hills, dragons in the lakes, marshes teeming with will-o'-the-wisps, and demons and wild folk in the mountains who enjoyed causing landslides, avalanches, and floods. They both feared and honored these entities, recognizing the importance of appeasing them for safe travel and a prosperous home.

By exploring medieval stories, folk traditions, spiritual place names, and pagan rituals of building and site selection, Claude Lecouteux reveals the multitude of spirits and entities that once inhabited the land before modern civilization pushed them into desert solitude, impenetrable forests, and inaccessible mountains. He explains how, to our ancestors, consecrating a space was a sacred act. Specific rites had to be performed to communicate with local spirits and ensure proper placement and protection of a new structure.

These land spirits often became household spirits, residing in a new building in exchange for permission to build on their territory. Lecouteux explores Arthurian legends, folk tales, and mythology as evidence of the untamed spirits of the wilderness, such as giants, dragons, and demons, and examines the rites and ceremonies used to earn their goodwill.

Lecouteux demonstrates how, despite outright suppression by the Church, belief in these spirits persisted into modern times and greatly influenced architecture, a legacy still visible in today's buildings. The author also highlights how our ancestors' respect for nature remains increasingly relevant in today's world.

Pages: 224, Year of Publication: 0813, Dimensions: 15.2x15.2cm