Whether as the mothers of the Norse God Heimdall, Morgan and her sisters on Avalon, the nine sisters at the heart of the founding myth of the Gikuyu of Kenya, or witches battling with the Irish St Patrick, stories of nine women, often attending a goddess or linked to a heroic or divine male, exist across much of our world. Triggered by a local story still told in his native Dundee, Stuart McHardy has traced what seems to be memories of groups of nine women, most likely some kind of priestesses, across much of Europe and as far as Siberia, Korea, India and Africa. Whether as Pictish saints, Muses, Valkyries, Druidesses or witches, the tales of these groups of nine women transcend a vast range of cultural and linguistic boundaries. The painting of nine women dancing round a priapic male in a Catalonian cave painting over fifteen thousand years old suggests these groups may well have been one of the oldest cultural institutions humanity has known.

King Arthur went to Avalon with Morgan and her eight sisters. In this book McHardy traces similar groups of nine maidens throughout the ancient Celtic and Germanic worlds and far beyond. In Pictland, Wales, Ireland, Scandinavia, Gaul and Iberia the nine Maidens were known in mythology and as practising priestesses. As far away as Kenya the Kikuyu people claim descent from nine sisters, while a cave painting in Catalonia shows nine dancing maidens from almost 15,000 years ago. Weather-workers, shape-shifters, diviners and healers - the Nine Maidens are linked to the Old Religion over much of our planet.

Surveys the pre-Christian beliefs of the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples. Provides an introduction to this subject, giving basic outlines to the sagas and stories, and helps identify the charachter traits of not only the well known but also the lesser gods of the age.

Learn to knit intricate cabled knot-work with this collection of 7 beautiful shawl patterns inspired by Celtic and Pictish art. Celtic Cable Shawls is the first book by Scottish designer Lucy Hague and features photography from the stunning Scottish Highlands, along with information on the history of Celtic and Pictish art. All of the shawls feature completely original cable stitch patterns, and instructions are presented in both charted and written form. For the intermediate knitter who is ready to take on a challenge, this book provides a great starting point for exploring the techniques of closed-loop cable knitting. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lucy Hague is an independent designer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, who enjoys writing patterns with a focus on complex and engaging texture and unique stitch patterns. Her work has been featured in The Knitter, Knit Edge magazine, Pom Pom Quarterly and Knit Now. For more information, visit www.lucyhague.co.uk.

**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "Alex Michaelides’s long-awaited next novel, 'The Maidens,' is finally here...the premise is enticing and the elements irresistible." —The New York Times "A deliciously dark, elegant, utterly compulsive read—with a twist that blew my mind. I loved this even more than I loved The Silent Patient and that's saying something!" —Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements “Michaelides as a major player in the field” (Publishers Weekly). Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.

Twenty-five years after Jesus’ Son, a haunting new collection of short stories on mortality and transcendence, from National Book Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Denis Johnson NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Dwight Garner, The New York Times • Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air • Chicago Tribune • Newsday • New York • AV Club • Publishers Weekly “Ranks with the best fiction published by any American writer during this short century.”—New York “A posthumous masterpiece.”—Entertainment Weekly NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • The Washington Post • NPR • The Boston Globe • New York Public Library • Kirkus Reviews • Bloomberg The Largesse of the Sea Maiden is the long-awaited new story collection from Denis Johnson. Written in the luminous prose that made him one of the most beloved and important writers of his generation, this collection finds Johnson in new territory, contemplating the ghosts of the past and the elusive and unexpected ways the mysteries of the universe assert themselves. Finished shortly before Johnson’s death, this collection is the last word from a writer whose work will live on for many years to come. Praise for The Largesse of the Sea Maiden “An instant classic.”—Newsday “Exceptional luminosity . . . hits a powerful vein.”—The New York Times Book Review “Grace and oblivion are inextricably yoked in these transcendent stories. . . . [Johnson’s] gift is to extract the beauty in all that brokenness.”—The Wall Street Journal “Nobody ever wrote like Denis Johnson. Nobody ever came close. . . . We’re just left with this miraculous book, these perfect stories, the last words from one of the world’s greatest writers.”—NPR

“A dark, delectable, and utterly unique series that readers will want to drown in.” —Laura Sebastian, New York Times bestselling author of the Ash Princess series Warmaidens is the action-packed conclusion to the heartwrenching Gravemaidens fantasy duology. Kammani and the maidens are now going to war against the ruler who tried to entomb them. Just a few moons after escaping the tomb in Alu, Kammani and the other runaway maidens have found refuge in the city-state of Manzazu. There, Kammani has become a respected healer, especially among the warriors she’s brought back from the brink of death. Now that the nightmares of Alu are fading, she can finally decide whether or not to take Dagan’s hand in marriage. But when an assassin murders a healer he believes is Kammani and attempts to kill the displaced queen of Alu, the maidens realize they’ve been found. Hungry for revenge, Manzazu’s queen wants to strike back at Alu with her fiercest weapons—her scorpion warrior maidens—but Kammani knows that war harms more than it heals. To save the innocents and any chance of a future with Dagan, Kammani must take down Alu’s ruler before their lives burn up in the flames of war.

Follow the Mythic Map into Modern Practice The path of the Avalonian priestess is as unique as those who walk it; learn how to apply the nine energies of this path in service to the Goddess, the community, and the self in pursuit of inner wholeness and connection to Avalon within. Jhenah Telyndru explores Avalon's legacy through history and lore: examining Arthurian legends; myths from Wales, Brittany, and Ireland; and the accounts of Celtic priestesses recorded by Roman historians. Presented in two parts, this book first delves into the rich historical and cultural information that forms the Avalonian Stream of Tradition, especially the Ninefold Sisterhoods found in Celtic lands and beyond. Then, you will be introduced to nine modern priestess pathways inspired by ancient ways: Lorekeeper, Lawspeaker, Emissary, Artisan, Hearthtender, Guardian, Seer, Healer, and Ritualist. You'll use specialized workings to connect with Avalon's energetic currents, reclaim your sovereignty, learn to be in priestess service as a bridge between the worlds, and find your way home to Avalon within.

Fans of Terry Pratchett and Shane Kuhn’s THE INTERN’S HANDBOOK will love this noir supernatural thriller. hr Death needs a vacation. Badly. But there’s a catch: There are people who cheat the system, always falling through the cracks and not dying like they’re supposed to. Who’s going to take care of them while Death’s sipping on sangria? The answer is simple: Death needs an intern, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that one prospect, Buck Palasinksia—a bankrupt hitman with a roleplaying addiction—might have what it takes. While scoping out his next target, Buck gets drilled in the forehead by a bullet and falls right into Death’s lap. If they shove him back into his body, he’ll have a few weeks to prove that he has what it takes to be Death’s right-hand. All he has to do is take out Public Enemy No. 1, John Dillinger, and quit smoking.

Japanese women who underwent surgery in the U.S. to repair the ravages caused by the atomic blast became known as the "Hiroshima maidens". The author documents the medical, humanitarian and diplomatic undertaking that brought them to the States.