Official Review: The Vikings Secret Yoga by Steven A Key

[Howlan]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Vikings Secret Yoga" by Steven A Key.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The Vikings Secret Yoga by Steven A Key is a fascinating intake on the Poetic Edda of the Norse mythology. It correlates the myths of the Scandanavian folklore with Hindu mythology in the East. The narrator speaks of Odin, Thor, Loki, Heimdallr, and other Norse Gods and ties them up with other deities around the world. The author does not limit himself to gods and goddesses only. He also describes several significant events and symbols of worship in the Scandinavian culture and presents them in a different light. In addition to all these, this book also features a fictional tale involving a Viking warrior, Elkhart and a Hindu sage Yanga which keeps the book interesting.

I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, coming to the positive points, the book is quite fascinating. The facts stated and the arguments made by the author make sense. The symbolism used by the narrator is intriguing, and the book is pretty well structured. The author presents his views not only on Norse and Hindu mythologies but passes references on Christianity, Buddhism, Greek mythology, and several others as well. He decodes the poems of the Poetic Edda and creates interesting allegories for them.

However, with only these facts, the book would have been pretty monotonous. The author prevents that by presenting us with a fictional tale in between chapters. This fictional story keeps the plot moving and is solely responsible for the great ending of this book. Also, there are some references to modern movies, which somehow makes these facts seem relatable.

As for the negative points, this book is not meant for everyone. It is intended to target a specific audience. If you are someone who does not know about Scandinavian folklore, you will find this book hard to understand. The fictional story in this book is about spirituality, and if you are not interested in that genre, this book is not for you.

This book has a few typos, but those are not major enough to disrupt the flow of the reader. It contains neither any profane language nor any sex scenes. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because I feel that it was not enjoyable. For example, the fictional story could have a lot better with more complex characters and some humor as well. But still, the book contains some of the most impressive views on Norse mythology I have ever read. So I recommend this book to readers who like spiritual stories, as well as people who appreciate mythology. It is a good book with excellent references to great minds such as Dr. Heinrich Zimmer, Joseph Campbell, Deborah Soifer, Sri Aurobindo, and many more so it should be worthy of your time.

******
The Vikings Secret Yoga
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[xoxoAnushka]

Oh, It'd be interesting to know the collaboration of Hindu and Norse mythology.
What type of elements as "Hindu mythology" is present in it? Your review really made me curious about it. Other than that, your review was too nice, too good.

[Amberlily]

Interesting. I've always been interested in learning about Norse mythology since its a part of my heritage. Unfortunately, the stories and teachings are not as cut and paste as some other religions, and can be difficult to understand. I'm sure the fictional story helps with the learning process, but a shame it wasn't that exciting for you. Might give this one a try at some point. Thanks!

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

While this book sounds intriguing, I have limited knowledge about Scandinavian folklore, so I think I will pass. Thanks for the informative review!

[Salma_asa]

The book seems like a good source of to know norse mythology. I am eager to read this. You wrote a great review.

[Laura Lee]

What a fascinating premise! I would never have thought there would be any appreciable link between Norse mythology and Hindu mythology. The title is fantastic! LOL

So, is this more of a history-of-myth-type book? Or is it written for a pagan audience to teach them ancient beliefs?

[Howlan]

Oh, It'd be interesting to know the collaboration of Hindu and Norse mythology.
What type of elements as "Hindu mythology" is present in it? Your review really made me curious about it. Other than that, your review was too nice, too good.

Thanks for dropping in to comment!
As for your questions, several elements were compared. For example, Odin was allegorized to be 'AUM'. Loki was 'Loka' the world, Thor's hammer was compared to 'Vajra' and so on.

[Howlan]

What a fascinating premise! I would never have thought there would be any appreciable link between Norse mythology and Hindu mythology. The title is fantastic! LOL

So, is this more of a history-of-myth-type book? Or is it written for a pagan audience to teach them ancient beliefs?

Thanks for dropping in to comment!

I believe to think that it is neither. The author scoops up several lines from the Poetic Edda and shines a different light to them. He compares the tale written in the poetic Edda and believes that they were influenced by events held all over the world.

[Howlan]

While this book sounds intriguing, I have limited knowledge about Scandinavian folklore, so I think I will pass. Thanks for the informative review!

Thanks for dropping in to comment!

[Amy747]

This book seems to have alot to offer and I enjoy learning about history and spirituality, so I think id really enjoy it.

[Laura Lee]

What a fascinating premise! I would never have thought there would be any appreciable link between Norse mythology and Hindu mythology. The title is fantastic! LOL

So, is this more of a history-of-myth-type book? Or is it written for a pagan audience to teach them ancient beliefs?

Thanks for dropping in to comment!

I believe to think that it is neither. The author scoops up several lines from the Poetic Edda and shines a different light to them. He compares the tale written in the poetic Edda and believes that they were influenced by events held all over the world.

That's interesting. Thanks for your response. As a reader, what did you think of the author's conclusions? Did you agree with his premise?

[Mbrooks2518]

This sounds like an interesting book for those that know about Scandinavian folklore. Great review!

[Drakka Reader]

This sounds like an interesting tale by the author! It may not be for me, but I can absolutely see someone with an interest in legends and religions reading this!

[Rancy_Chepchirchir]

Never thought i'd be curious enough to take a leap and read a spiritual/mythology-kind-of -books until this book's review..i would like to know how this whole discussion is concluded in the end. Thanks!