Carcosa Bound

In a line: This is a great folkloric banger book of genius loci stories, with intimations of a course of study and method of seeking out and working directly with them.

The slightly salacious inclusion of the provocative term “Demons” in the title notwithstanding, this slim text efficiently, elliptically ties together the shaggiest of dog stories into a tangential masterpiece.

I adore this guy's work, unreservedly. Lecouteux's work always makes me think. I'm always enhanced, in some oblique way, by reading one of his books.

Demons and Spirits of the Land is no different – it's another wild folkloric ramble through various centuries and dozens of texts, from one side of Europe to the other, and leaves the reader with more questions than answers. But – the questions are good and necessary ones.

Saints as the “Athletes of Christ”

For me, this text caused a complete reappraisal of what Christianity had to offer early Pagans – namely, a powerful, centralising force, enabling the peasants spiritual domination over assorted troublesome entities, and their fearful conditions.

These canonised heroes of the faith come across as motley but muscular and sincere quasi-vagrants; they drift into town, deliver wild eyed sermons and promises of eternal life, then head alone into the wilds.

They return with the spirits, shackled and subservient, handing them over to the retribution of unwashed peasants in exchange for their eternal souls.

The terrorised peasants usually abuse then kill the elementals – a diminished end for these beautiful, enchanting, gift-giving beings.

Lecouteux delicately handles this matter – all sides get a fair hearing, good representation, relatable motivation. This in itself is commendable and gently instructive.

As a teacher, he deftly coaxes sparks of subject interest into a hungry fire that throw back the darkness, while casting longer shadows still.

Aside, comment: At Carcosa Bound, we do not approve of or condone this sort of behaviour towards spirits. We are firm proponents of overcoming our own terror, our ignorance of the unknown, as well as any material and spiritual poverty. We prefer interactions based on appropriate communication, knowledge exchange and mutual benefit.

Do your thing, relentlessly. Take no shit, generally. Harm ye none, conditionally. Do what thou wilt.

Experience and results to date suggest those of the spirit world respond to this, as well.

Questing Knights

In contrast to the adventures of ragged missionaries with their miraculous saviour, the other lead actors notably referenced as having landspirit dealings are quest-bound knights.

These either vanquish spirits, or more frequently encounter some sort of pivotal insight. Arthurian Grail quests abound.

Frequently – and in stark contrast to the early Christian stories – the accounts of the knights feature failure and humility, and the improvements made possible through this.

Lecouteux also makes a number of illuminating comments and hints on the identity and mysteries of the Green Knight, encountered by Gawain, of the Court of Arthur. Water spirits also frequently feature, as does a taxonomy of sorts, for easy identification in the field, as it were.

He leaves a trail of breadcrumbs, in the form of excellent references to many free-to-access public domain works, for those who wish to explore further.

A course of instruction, in a twilight tradition

The short monograph offers an introduction to a number of key texts.

Among these – Melusine, compiled by Jean d'Arras in the 14th Century. Huon of Bordeaux, a Chivalric tale featuring the Fae King Oberon, who has a curiously similar (near-identical) description to Lucifer in the grimoire tradition.

A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and other spirits, by Paracelsus. His recommendations equip the naive reader to explore these primary texts for themselves.

Really, one could wish for no better or more expert guide for forays into these difficult, archaic texts, and the veiled mysteries they contain.

I'd hesitate to say you could become a modern-day Geralt of Rivia with this book alone – but it could put you on this track, or a number of others.

If this is your jam, highly recommended.