Book Review: Greek Religion by Walter Burkert

So I'm doing another book review and this is for Greek Religion by Walter Burkert. This book is pretty thick and so it might be a long review. First of all I would like to say that this is a good jumping off point for those that are interested in practicing Greek religion and understanding how the Greeks did things. So here goes.

Chapter 1: Prehistory and the Minoan-Mycenaean Age

This covers everything from early man to the rise of the Minoan civilization. It covers the following: The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, Indo-European, the Minoan-Mycenaean Religion (which was much different than the religious practices of Greece), a Historical Survey, the State of the Sources, the Cult Places, which are divided up into Caves, Peak Sanctuaries, Tree Sanctuaries, House Sanctuaries (which lasted longer than the others), Temples, Graves. They also covered Ritual and Symbols, the Minoan Deities, the Mycenaean Gods and Linear, and the Dark Age when the Mycenaean people just vanished.

Chapter 2: Ritual and Sanctuary

This covered the following: 'Working Sacred Things': Animal Sacrifice, Descriptions and Interpretation, Blood Rituals, Fire Rituals (the burning of the body), Animal and God, Gift Offerings and Libations, First Fruit Offerings, Votive Offerings, Libation, Prayer, Purification, Function and Methods, The Sacred and the Prue, Death, Illness and Madness, Purification by Blood (apparently they knew something we didn't), Pharmakos, the Sanctuary, Temenos, Altar, Temple and Cult Images, Anathemata, Priests, The Festival, Pompe, Agermos, Dancing and Hymns, Masks, Phalloi, Aischrologia, Agon, The Banquet of the Gods (which I believe explains why King Lycon was cursed), Sacred Marriage, Ecstasy and Divination, Enthousiasmos, The Art and the Seer, Oracles.

Chapter 3: The Gods

Covered both Major and Minor and there places

Chapter 4: The Dead, Heroes, and Chthonic Gods

Pretty much explains about the dead, their place in Greek religion, heroes that died, and of course the gods of the underworld.

Chapter 5: The Polis and Polytheism

Covers the structure of Greek city-states and the religion that connected them all.

Chapter 6: Mysteries and Asceticism

Chapter 7: Philosophical Religions

I found the Atheist section to be interesting. It talked about them in a very nasty way, stating that the people viewed these non-believers as going against the state and causing their own ruin. I think that would be a good example of what's going on now.