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mo6020's review
5.0
An Alan Moore interview on the wild gods of Britain? Inject it straight into my veins, please.
Fantastic.
Fantastic.
beytwice's review
4.0
Another interesting array of articles! I really enjoyed the explorations of Pan’s depictions in particular and only wish the bite-sized snippets of information were more thorough as it gets super interesting to me. Nonetheless a succinct read that delves into some really intriguing folk horror topics.
barry_x's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Another superb issue of Hellebore, a zine about folk horror and the occult.
I suspect I'll be reviewing quite a lot of these over the coming weeks as I work my way through the pile I bought (yep mostly based on the covers and premises). This issue didn't disappoint, with a focus on 'Wild Gods'.
Aesthetically, it's beautiful with blacks, reds and greens contrasting on every page. It's reminiscent of some kind of occult-doom trippy album cover on every page whilst still remaining accessible (and readable!)
There were a number of pieces I absolutely loved in this one, but one theme I was struck by was the notion that old gods do not die, they are simply reinvented and repurposed in later generations, a continual cycle of adaptation and renewal.
'The Great Pan in Albion' discusses the Greek god Pan, and how his image, purpose and meaning has been revitalised in the British isles from the 18th century onwards, typically in different ways from the Bacchanal desires of nobles in the 18th Century Hell-Fire club to more pastoral and folkloric interpretations, before we hit the 20th Century and Wicca, paganism and other new spiritual movements adopted aspects of Pan for their own. What was interesting was how Pan has been adapted by his adherents. Does he encompass 'all'? Is he a shepherd? A guider? Or is he a wild beast of uncontrollable lusts - a god of sex, booze and freeing from inhibitions. Or does he represent the untamed aspect of nature itself? A fascinating piece and a trip through history.
'The Pagan In My Blood' by Melissa Edmundson is a brilliant piece which traces women writing in fiction reclaiming Pan as their own. No longer are women subject to the whims of Pan (here representing patriarchy), instead there is an exploration of Pan and paganism in women's writing from the late 19th century onwards and how he is used as a symbol of women's sexuality, desires and femininity. Pan the liberator from society's mores?
'The Wild Hunt' by John Reppion is the standout piece in the zine for me, charting the history and literary / cultural depictions of 'the wild hunt', interspersed with folkloric legends and perspectives. I guess most people will be familiar with the notion of the 'Wild Hunt' in the context of Norse gods, but what is evident in this piece is that versions of the 'wild hunt' exist in many cultures, and that aside from gods, that witches, the fey, anything folkloric even has a role or foot in the legends and perspectives. It's interesting to read about how it has been considered a threat or a danger, but how neo-pagans have embraced it.
'The Sorcerer in the Cave' by Anna Milon is something I think needs more exploration. There is a suggestion that the legends, and subsequent Wicca / pagan faiths related to 'The Horned God' are largely related to some cave drawings found in France in 1914. Said drawings were sketched, and not photographed until the 1950's and are not available to be viewed today. I'm not sure if all of the position that 'there was an ancient witchcraft cult in Europe' stems solely from interpretations based on these sketches, but then again I am not particularly knowledgeable here. What is of note, is how entire legends and stories can spin off, never to meet again, sometimes based off very little.
Looking forward to reading the rest of these zines
I suspect I'll be reviewing quite a lot of these over the coming weeks as I work my way through the pile I bought (yep mostly based on the covers and premises). This issue didn't disappoint, with a focus on 'Wild Gods'.
Aesthetically, it's beautiful with blacks, reds and greens contrasting on every page. It's reminiscent of some kind of occult-doom trippy album cover on every page whilst still remaining accessible (and readable!)
There were a number of pieces I absolutely loved in this one, but one theme I was struck by was the notion that old gods do not die, they are simply reinvented and repurposed in later generations, a continual cycle of adaptation and renewal.
'The Great Pan in Albion' discusses the Greek god Pan, and how his image, purpose and meaning has been revitalised in the British isles from the 18th century onwards, typically in different ways from the Bacchanal desires of nobles in the 18th Century Hell-Fire club to more pastoral and folkloric interpretations, before we hit the 20th Century and Wicca, paganism and other new spiritual movements adopted aspects of Pan for their own. What was interesting was how Pan has been adapted by his adherents. Does he encompass 'all'? Is he a shepherd? A guider? Or is he a wild beast of uncontrollable lusts - a god of sex, booze and freeing from inhibitions. Or does he represent the untamed aspect of nature itself? A fascinating piece and a trip through history.
'The Pagan In My Blood' by Melissa Edmundson is a brilliant piece which traces women writing in fiction reclaiming Pan as their own. No longer are women subject to the whims of Pan (here representing patriarchy), instead there is an exploration of Pan and paganism in women's writing from the late 19th century onwards and how he is used as a symbol of women's sexuality, desires and femininity. Pan the liberator from society's mores?
'The Wild Hunt' by John Reppion is the standout piece in the zine for me, charting the history and literary / cultural depictions of 'the wild hunt', interspersed with folkloric legends and perspectives. I guess most people will be familiar with the notion of the 'Wild Hunt' in the context of Norse gods, but what is evident in this piece is that versions of the 'wild hunt' exist in many cultures, and that aside from gods, that witches, the fey, anything folkloric even has a role or foot in the legends and perspectives. It's interesting to read about how it has been considered a threat or a danger, but how neo-pagans have embraced it.
'The Sorcerer in the Cave' by Anna Milon is something I think needs more exploration. There is a suggestion that the legends, and subsequent Wicca / pagan faiths related to 'The Horned God' are largely related to some cave drawings found in France in 1914. Said drawings were sketched, and not photographed until the 1950's and are not available to be viewed today. I'm not sure if all of the position that 'there was an ancient witchcraft cult in Europe' stems solely from interpretations based on these sketches, but then again I am not particularly knowledgeable here. What is of note, is how entire legends and stories can spin off, never to meet again, sometimes based off very little.
Looking forward to reading the rest of these zines
becka6131's review
3.0
This one is a very mixed bag - the essays on the zombie as colonial other in Cornwall, the Sorcerer cave painting and the interview with Alan Moore were all interesting, but the opening article on Pan is dull and overlong.
hexedmaiden's review
informative
medium-paced
5.0
The Wild God's issue covers paganism, the cult of Pan in Edwardian England, 1970s Satanism, sex magick, and more. While I was a bit familiar with the 1970s Satanism, everything else was brand new to me and was a great read. I can't recommend these magazines enough.
doncoronado's review
5.0
Amazing magazine, superb interview with Alan Moore about the paper of the wild gods of Britain.