Ancient Magic. From Dragons and Werewolves to Potions and Protection Against Dark Forces

A book that will help unravel the mysteries of ancient magic. This is a journey into antiquity to better understand how our ancestors lived and what magical rituals have survived in the modern world.

Vampires, dragons, werewolves, postal service to the realm of the dead, love potions, and curses — just another Tuesday in the ancient world where magic was everywhere. Using numerous sources and illustrations, Philip Matyshak immerses readers in the world of antiquity and provides a new, captivating, and sometimes ironic understanding of the role of magic in the development of civilizations. How do we know that when encountering a vampire one should take out garlic, and that a huge black dog is an omen of death? How can one get answers from the dead and where to look for portals between worlds? Which animal has the power to kill a basilisk? Why does the spell pronounced by blacksmiths when heating the blade of a sword suspiciously coincide in duration with the time of 'perfect' tempering?

In most modern countries, it is not illegal to declare oneself a witch or wizard. But some elements of the magical craft remain illegal and dangerous for the magician and those around them. For example, this book describes how the ancient Greeks and Romans summoned demons and other spirits of the Underworld; however, repeating this ritual at home is extremely undesirable. In the best case, your experience will be unsuccessful, and you will have only wasted time and several buckets of sheep's blood. In the worst case — you will succeed.