Burlington Public Library

A young man, blessed with loving parents and a safe home in a world where want and neglect abound, leaves his family in search of himself. He joins the Samanas, a band of wandering ascetics without possessions or earthly ties. His quest unfulfilled, he descends into a life of unbounded luxury and indulgence. Where is truth? Where will his soul find true ease, in denial, in decadence, or in some truth far greater than himself, so simple, so close to...

Discover the magic behind the enchanting Hex symbols. In Pennsylvania Dutch country, among the Old Order Amish and the strict Mennonite congregations who live their lives parallel to modern society, there remains the remnants of one of the oldest European magical practices found in America: Hex, or Hex und Speilwerk, or Pow Wow. In Hex and Spellwork, third-generation Hexenmeister Karl Herr teaches the actual practices and examines the history of the...

Martin Luther challenges the government and the church in 16th century Germany in what becomes known as the Protestant Reformation.

When Charles Montgomery was ten years old, he stumbled upon the memoirs of his great-grandfather, a seafaring missionary in the South Pacific. Poring over the faint text and faded pictures, he was entranced by the world of black magic and savagery the bishop described, and couldn't help but wonder what drove the Victorian to risk his life among people who had shot, drowned, or clubbed to death so many of his predecessors. Twenty years later and a...

"Ministers, church members, revivals, baptisms, shaped-note and gospel singing, faith healing, camp meetings, footwashing, snake handling, and other traditions of mountain religious heritage.".

"El Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is here--a holiday for celebrating the lives of departed family and friends. Altars are decorated with sugar skulls and marigolds. Tamales and sweets are ready to eat. Soon it will be time for picnics, music, and a costume parade! Come join in these joyful and vibrant festivities that are a tradition in Mexico and throughout Latin America"--Dust jacket. "It's Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and children...

Myanmar (Burma): triumph of the spirit: Faith and quiet devotion is a way of life in this reclusive nation, once known as Burma, shackled by military dictatorship and repression. More than 85 percent of the population practice Buddhism. On the path to enlightenment, they make daily visits to such historic religious sites as the stunning Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Bhutan: land of the thunder dragon: The image of Bhutan as a mythical Shangri-La still...

A Harvard scientist's astonishing journey into the secret societies of Haitian voodoo, zombis, and magic.

From the publisher. The Day of the Dead Celebration is the most important holiday of the year in Mexico and parts of the American Southwest, a joyful time when families remember their dead. Day of the Dead provides a colorful look at the iconic folk art and family traditions that play a vital role in the event, which happens across the country from October 31 through November 2.

"For centuries Europe trembled at the name of the Spanish Inquisition. It was established by papal bull in 1478, began operations in Castile two years later, and had soon spread through Spain and across the Atlantic to the Spanish empire." "Researching its techniques of interrogation and torture, Joseph Perez shows how public displays of punishment were used as instruments of social control for the benefit of the State, as has happened in the twentieth...