Discussions of paganism are mostly limited to the Greek and Norse pantheons, so I was very interested to learn more about Baltic paganism. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found Johnson's writing scholarly in its content but understandable as an entry-level reader. Obviously, Johnson did not make any of the history or the practices up, but those were also very enjoyable to read nonetheless, which is a credit to his storytelling ability. It was a bit slow at the start but I breezed through the final 50% in one sitting. It's an important book for any mythology buff given the aforementioned biases and those who are interested in pagan practices.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crossed Crow Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Johnson's book is a brief introduction to the mythology of the Baltic states; which includes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and eastern Poland. The "Amber Coast" as it is known. "The Eastern Baltic languages - Old Prussian, Latvian and especially Lithuanian - are the closest living relatives of Proto-Indo-European..." Johnson discusses the World Tree, the Latvian sky god Dievs, Peckols the God of the Underworld and Darkness, and Perkūnas of thunder and lightning, Potrimpo of seas, earth and grain. What's more, the Baltic region stressed, probably more than any other in Europe, about the importance of trees. "Trees were something quite special..." with men being reincarnated as oaks, birches and ash and women as linden and spruce. Then of course there is Saulé, who is the solar goddess, queen of the folk song tradition and the spirit of rebirth. Many others are included - I'm particularly fond of the shapeshifting Ragana - and Baltic folk tales as well.

As interesting as this was, I couldn't help but feel like more could've been included. There is minimal transition between the gods, goddesses and their tales so it comes off as disjointed in the first half. Johnson often assumes too much of the reader as well, so I recommend being familiar with early Baltic history first before reading. These absolutely influence any mythology or folk practices, and here they go unexplored. Johnson also makes broad generalizations without providing any conclusive evidence, especially when trying to tie-in the Maya, Native American or Hindu rituals. This can lead to fundamental misunderstandings of other cultures. I feel like the chapters on seasonal festivals, if presented first, could've assisted in providing needed context. Although I do commend Johnson for his attempt at creating an accurate Baltic zodiac!

Thank you Crossed Crow Books for approving "Dance of the Sun Goddess" for me on Netgalley !

This was so informative and cool! My little nerd brain loved it. 10/10. I would absolutely read something else from this author. In fact, I've already made a note to check out further works of his.

Very Informative

The author discusses the World Tree, providing background information and stating that it is a vital part to shamans. He provides a sigil for the pagan Baltic World Tree. He discusses the Goddesses and Gods and their roles in Baltic mythology.

I, personally, enjoyed reading the magical working and the uses of various Baltic sigils in these rituals.

This is a very good and informative book on the Baltic religion and their beliefs. It is well worth having in your reference library. I highly recommend it.

As someone who loves mythology, I found this dive into Baltic lore well done and satisfying. I hadn't looked deeply into Baltic myth before, and this book proved I should have done so much sooner! Filled with rich beliefs and beautiful culture, Dance of the Sun Goddess paints an intriguing picture of the Baltic coast.
If you have even a passing interest in the subject or in the Baltic, I would highly recommend giving this book a try!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

A great guide on the Baltic Coast's pagan customs and introduction to the gods and goddesses. I had no idea that there were European Sun goddesses! I thought that was mostly an East Asian thing. Very well written and informative. 5/5 would definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and Net galley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Dance of the Sun Goddess is a really enjoyable read and a treasure trove of information about the history of religion, folklore, and customs of the Baltic region. The book introduces the reader to the gods and goddesses of the region along with their stories and sigils. The holidays and festivals are explained, and examples are given of magical practices modern Pagans may use today.. I thought this book was very fascinating and engaging and I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed reading this book and really felt that is was well-researched and put together for readers; this book isn't one you have to wade through. Reading this book is easy and I can see how to incorporate ideas and images of the Sun Goddess into practice, if that is what you are interested in. A must read for anyone interested in the subject!

I like reading about different traditions and I love learning about Baltic traditions. Well written and researched, informative and full of food for thought
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

#NetGalley #DanceoftheSunGoddess

I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange got my honest review. This novel is an interesting read for anyone who's interested in learning about Baltic Paganism. At times, the book is more text book sounding buy overall this is a good read.

*Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I enjoyed this book immensely, the mythology of the Baltics is something I had no previous knowledge of. Compared to Greek, Norse, Egyptian etc., there are fewer books and information on Baltic mythology. I was so excited to see a whole book dedicated to the subject. The layout was easy to understand and follow, which made it easier to learn the information. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in mythology!

Very informative book. I enjoyed reading about the origins of paganism in Europe. Being unchurched and a pagan, I appreciate a bit of scholarly insight into my beliefs. I also enjoyed the learning of the magic associated with the Baltic pagan community and it's beliefs and practices. I've never been a fan of the Christian churches and their trampling on everyone else's faiths. I think this should be a must read for pagan and Christian alike. Good historical overview of history. I am glad to hear about paganism still surviving in corners of our lives! Good read!

The author shows us that there are no universal beliefs in paganism and the Baltic region is the perfect illustration for this. Largely overlooked, there is a rich diversity in the mythology of the Amber Coast, containing very ancient mythological themes that echo even older myths stretching back to the neolithic era. Some of the pantheon will sound quite familiar, and the author does a beautiful job guiding the reader through the history and migration of those myths to it's origin.

Thank you to the Author & Publisher for allowing me to read this book early in return for my honest thoughts and review.

I love history, and I love reading about how others practice their own religions. This book is an excellent resource and explorers the last frontier in Europe that was converted from paganism to Christianity. It provides quite a bit of information that I was never aware of and sheds insight into an area where a few of my four bears lived in and practiced. Back in their day. A great read!

This book is an exploration of ancient and modern paganism in the Baltic region. It explains different gods that were worshipped, festivals that was celebrated in their honor, festivals for different points in the year, and ones celebrating different parts of a persons life. It also covers the introduction of Christianity into pagan countries and how places were forced to convert.

Overall I liked this story. Then info about the gifs and rituals was interesting to read and learn about. I’ve heard some of the names involved before but there was a lot I didn’t know.


The only reason I’m not giving this a higher rating is that even though I found the information in this interesting at times most of the time it was delivered in a very dry manor imo. At times it felt like I was reading a textbook and I had a hard time making myself read the content.

Overall I think this is a good book though. Recommend for people interested in the history of paganism or for practicing pagans looking to know more about the history of their beliefs.

Dance of the Sun Goddess, by Kenneth Johnson is the book of magical/ Pagan beliefs of some Eastern European countries. As a longtime practitioner of Northern European, and North American magics I was surprised and fascinated by how different there beliefs are. I recommend this for furthering your magical education, and for those wanting to connect to their magical heritage.

The Baltic area was one of the last parts of Europe to be converted. Therefore the traditions and history of paganism there is the most recent and IMO accurate. This book is awesome! It gives pats to the Gods of the forests and shores in a doable way. The statement of the Sun being linked to a Goddess is explained . This book and the rituals just felt right to me. It sounded and felt like something my ancestors would have done as its land oriented and practical. This book is one of my favorites for actually giving ideas to practice in the real world.

Part history on Eastern Europe from medieval to modern, part anthropology on the Neolithic, part compare and contrast of world myths, and part primer on Neo-paganism, Johnson takes us through all that is still known about the ancient myths, religion, and culture of the Balkans, pointing out the unique parts and the parts that are shared with so many other cultures, walking through just how long Christianity took to take over in an area that stayed firmly Pagan much longer than most, and how the typical year, holidays, seasons, and lives turned for these Pagan folks not so long ago.