Sword Mythos

Aztec warriors ready for battle, intent on conquering a neighboring tribe, but different gods protect the Matlazinca. For Arthur Pendragon, the dream of Camelot has ended. What remains is a nightmarish battle against his own son, who is not quite human. Master Yue, the great swordsman, sets off to discover what happened to a hamlet that was mysteriously abandoned. He finds evil. Sunsorrow, the ancient dreaming sword, pried from the heart of the glass god, yearns for Carcosa. Fifteen writers, drawing inspiration from the pulp sub-genres of sword and sorcery and the Cthulhu Mythos, seed stories of adventure, of darkness, of magic and monstrosities. From Africa to realms of neverwhere, here is heroic fantasy with a twist.

Surely you've lain awake at night to ponder life beyond time? Or dreamed restlessly of those multi-honored beast of Revelation? Or became frustrated because you don't know how to properly use your athame? How about all those times you came across a theological word that battered your brain? No problem. History and Mystery: The Complete Eschatological Encyclopedia of Prophecy, Apocalypticism, Mythos, and Worldwide Dynamic Theology has arrived, Here, just for you, are four volumes of exhaustive information that every student, teacher and interested person everywhere needs to know. Over 8000 defined words and phrases, 60 exploratory essays, and mini-sections of relational materials await. Before you know it, you'll be the best informed reader in your neighborhood and most of the next state over.

Kendo is the first in-depth historical, cultural, and political account in English of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship, from its beginnings in military training and arcane medieval schools to its widespread practice as a global sport today. Alexander Bennett shows how kendo evolved through a recurring process of Òinventing tradition,Ó which served the changing ideologies and needs of Japanese warriors and governments over the course of history. Kendo follows the development of Japanese swordsmanship from the aristocratic-aesthetic pretensions of medieval warriors in the Muromachi period, to the samurai elitism of the Edo regime, and then to the nostalgic patriotism of the Meiji state. Kendo was later influenced in the 1930s and 1940s by ultranationalist militarists and ultimately by the postwar government, which sought a gentler form of nationalism to rekindle appreciation of traditional culture among JapanÕs youth and to garner international prestige as an instrument of Òsoft power.Ó Today kendo is becoming increasingly popular internationally. But even as new organizations and clubs form around the world, cultural exclusiveness continues to play a role in kendoÕs ongoing evolution, as the sport remains closely linked to JapanÕs sense of collective identity.

The blades of heroes clash against the darkest sorcery.Aztec warriors ready for battle, intent on conquering a neighboring tribe, but different gods protect the Matlazinca.For Arthur Pendragon, the dream of Camelot has ended. What remains is a nightmarish battle against his own son, who is not quite human.Master Yue, the great swordsman, sets off to discover what happened to a hamlet that was mysteriously abandoned. He finds evil.Sunsorrow, the ancient dreaming sword, pried from the heart of the glass god, yearns for Carcosa.Fifteen writers, drawing inspiration from the pulp sub-genres of sword and sorcery and the Cthulhu Mythos, seed stories of adventure, of darkness, of magic and monstrosities. From Africa to realms of neverwhere, here is heroic fantasy with a twist.

Swords against Cthulhu, an anthology of sword and sorcery/Cthulhu Mythos crossovers. Mighty thewed barbarians battle alien wizardry and cosmic terror in a blind, unreasoning universe where only the strong survive... The Cthulhu Mythos is best known as a horror genre, but its influence was felt on the work of seminal sword and sorcery writers Robert E Howard and Clark Ashton Smith, and its pessimistic tone has continued to predominate in the genre to this day. However mighty the hero, the forces of chaos, the blasphemous powers of an insouciant universe, are stronger-or are they? All a doomed swordsman can do is face the outer darkness, blade in hand, a song of defiance on his lips, and hope to die fighting... Including stories by Damir Salkovic, Mark Sims, Sergio Palumbo and many more!

The image of a giant sword melting stands at the structural and thematic heart of the Old English heroic poem Beowulf. This meticulously researched book investigates the nature and significance of this golden-hilted weapon and its likely relatives within Beowulf and beyond, drawing on the fields of Old English and Old Norse language and literature, liturgy, archaeology, astronomy, folklore and comparative mythology. In Part I, Pettit explores the complex of connotations surrounding this image (from icicles to candles and crosses) by examining a range of medieval sources, and argues that the giant sword may function as a visual motif in which pre-Christian Germanic concepts and prominent Christian symbols coalesce. In Part II, Pettit investigates the broader Germanic background to this image, especially in relation to the god Ing/Yngvi-Freyr, and explores the capacity of myths to recur and endure across time. Drawing on an eclectic range of narrative and linguistic evidence from Northern European texts, and on archaeological discoveries, Pettit suggests that the image of the giant sword, and the characters and events associated with it, may reflect an elemental struggle between the sun and the moon, articulated through an underlying myth about the theft and repossession of sunlight. The Waning Sword: Conversion Imagery and Celestial Myth in 'Beowulf' is a welcome contribution to the overlapping fields of Beowulf-scholarship, Old Norse-Icelandic literature and Germanic philology. Not only does it present a wealth of new readings that shed light on the craft of the Beowulf-poet and inform our understanding of the poem’s major episodes and themes; it further highlights the merits of adopting an interdisciplinary approach alongside a comparative vantage point. As such, The Waning Sword will be compelling reading for Beowulf-scholars and for a wider audience of medievalists.

Computer savvy sorcerer Ravirn learns that not every world is user friendly in this WebMage novel from Kelly McCullough. In the 21st century, magic has advanced with the times and gone digital. Ravirn—umpteenth great-grandson of one of the three Fates—is a talented sorcerer, a computer hacker extraordinaire, and in the process of becoming a minor demi-god. His best friend and familiar is both a goblin and a laptop, changing shape from one to the other as needed. While repairing Necessity (the badly-broken sentient computer that runs the multiverse), Ravirn is thrown into a very different place, a parallel world where the Greek gods are only myths. This strange realm is ruled by the Norse pantheon of gods—Odin, Thor, and other fun-loving brutes—and their magic uses a completely different operating system. A system that Ravirn will have to hack if he ever wants to get out of Asgard alive…

Celtic myths are far from gone. When black magic threatens to obliterate humanity and overtake the magic clans of the Celtic Isles, destiny forces 17-year-old American, Brendan O'Neal, and his younger sister, Lizzie, to intervene. Joining the desperate princess of the Leprechauns, Dorian, and her two loyal companions, Rory and Biddy, they embark on a dangerous and wondrous adventure across Ireland and Scotland to thwart evil and save mankind. The Obsidian Dagger In The Obsidian Dagger, Brendan, Lizzie, and their new companions must destroy the frightfully powerful stone dagger wielded by an evil witch. Battling the witch's mutated forces of magical beings, the heroic band will have to reach deeper into themselves than they ever thought possible to find the strength, courage, and will to see their quest through to the end. Brendan will soon learn that the lines between reality, mythology, and divinity are more blurred than he ever imagined. The Megalith Union Just as life was returning to normal for Brendan as a college freshman, the golden god of Celtic Lore, Elathan maneuvers the tendrils of destiny. Dogged by giants, alphyns, and ruas Brendan, Dorian, Lizzie, and a new cast of characters risk it all to unravel the mystery of the ultimate foe. With Corways under attack and Brendan's father captured by a forgotten enemy, can Brendan and his allies do enough to prevent the end of days? As the megalith union looms, Brendan and his friends must look to the past to prevent a future where Elathan reigns supreme.The Dominion Pulse Faced with the golden god's aggressive plans to free his powerful allies and seize control of Otherworld, Brendan and Lizzie must seek their own power and enlist the help of the wise goddess Bibe. As the worlds becomes further marred in darkness, the heroes must work against time if they want to save Otherworld&–&–and themselves. The Bloodline Inheritance Magicks and humans, friends and enemies, ally themselves in a battle to save all realms... In his quest to become an Immortal, Elathan seeks the Emerald Crown of the World, which holds a magic so ancient and powerful that its been hidden from all realms. As Earth's rightful Protector, only Brendan stands a chance to stop the golden god, to save the Earth and her inhabitants. But when Brendan falls under a curse that poisons his mind, Lizzie, Dorian, Frank, and their friends must band together to save him while Elathan grows in power. “An amazing young adult fantasy series with fast paced adventure, lovable characters, and super scary villains..."&–5 star review from Reading is Better than Real Life