Icelandic Magic is a highly accessible book that offers a gentle introduction to Icelandic grimoires, or books that not only contain magic but also are inherently magical. Strictly speaking, Icelandic Magic is not an academic text. Stephen E. Flowers—a scholar trained in Germanic languages, medieval studies, and the history of occultism—primarily intends for the book to be a “practical work of magic” (1). That being said, Flowers prefaces the pragmatic section of the book by contextualizing the history of grimoires in Iceland and the vernacular beliefs and traditions associated with them.

In the book’s foreword, Michael Moynihan defines grimoires as “magic manuals: handbooks for making and activating talismans, spells, and curses” (xi). Moynihan goes on to describe the most basic features of this “ancient literary genre,” which include the use of letters and written signs and symbols to communicate with or represent “the hidden forces of the universe” (xi). Moynihan’s preface also situates the present work and its author, who has published both scholarly and spiritual texts on grimoires, within a recent “renaissance of curiosity about Icelandic folk magic” (xiii).

Following the foreword, there is both a brief preface and an introduction by the author, which delineate the book’s topic and scope. Flowers defines Icelandic Magic as a practical guide to the magical traditions present in Iceland from the Middle Ages to the present day (xix). Further, he emphasizes that the work “is not…intended to be a historical study or a scientific study of Icelandic magic.” Rather, the “text is a magical one, and the book itself is a magical object” (1).

Therefore, the aim of Part One, Historical Background and Basics of Magical Practice, is to orient modern readers on the heritage and broader history of magic in Iceland so that they can “become creative” with their own magical practices, while at the same time keep “within the system in a traditional way” (2). Part One covers Iceland’s religious and cultural history from pre-Christian times through the rise of Catholicism and, subsequently, Protestantism. From there, Flowers transitions into a discussion of legends and belief traditions associated with Icelandic grimoires. This section also includes a theoretical and practical overview of how to successfully work Icelandic magic—from information on what kind of equipment one needs to instructions on how to structure a basic ritual.

The second half of the book is a set of magic spells called “Gray-Skin” (named after an Icelandic grimoire of legend). Many of these spells originate from historical manuscripts like the Galdrabók, which dates from around the sixteenth century, while others are “new spells that have been composed based on the principles of the tradition” (2). The spells are divided into eight categories, depending on their purpose: wisdom, power, protection, control, prosperity, love, reception of luck and release of blessings, and sleep magic. Examples of specific spells include: “For Gaining Inspiration,” “To Win a Debate,” “To Cause Fear in an Enemy,” “Luck in Love,” and “To Get Back What Was Stolen,” to name just a few. Most of the spells in “Gray-Skin” contain brief instructions on how to cast them in addition to a magical sign, the drawing of which is an essential part of executing the spell.

Finally, Icelandic Magic concludes with some supplementary materials and a handful of blank pages for readers to include their “own records of successful magical workings within the system,” which when added become “another true book of magic, unique to [each person]” (2).

To reiterate, Icelandic Magic is not a scholarly monograph. However, it is a quick and easy read that offers an abundance of fascinating primary source materials. If appropriately supplemented, this book could serve as a useful primer for scholars approaching the subject of grimoires or Icelandic magic for the first time.

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[Review length: 630 words • Review posted on April 12, 2017]