Sacred Texts  Paganism 


Pagan Prayers

by Marah Ellis Ryan

[1913]


Marah Ellis Ryan was a popular author, actress, and activist for Native American rights at the turn of the 19th century. She wrote about twenty books between 1889 and 1924, primarily sentimental novels. Her books are today very much out of style; none of them has been reprinted in over forty years.

By Pagan, Ryan means 'non-Christian'. Although the focus of this collection is Native American traditions, it also includes Ancient Near Eastern, Muslim, Hindu and other prayers. Ryan unknowingly anticipated the tendency of neo-Paganism to accumulate rituals and liturgy from a wide range of traditions. Many of the source books for Pagan Prayers are at this site, e.g. Rig Veda Americanus and Rites and Laws of the Yncas.

I'm still not sure about the details of Ryan's life or personal beliefs; attempts to research her on the Internet didn't turn up much, for once. Any information about her would be greatly appreciated.


Title Page
Preface
Contents
On the Writing of a Prayer of Praise (Mexican)
To the Creative God (Accadian)
Apache Prayer (American)
Navajo Liturgy (American)
Address to Supreme Deity (Assyrian)
A Prayer for the Dying (Assyrian)
Babylonian Prayer For Health (Exorcism of Spirits of Disease)
Prayer to the Sun (Chaldean)
Magical Incantation (Chaldean)
Chinese Liturgy
Chinese Prayer
Prayer of Transformation Into a Lotus (Egyptian)
A Prayer for Preservation of the Heart (Egyptian)
Hymn to Amun-Ra (Egyptian)
Prayer of the Sower (Finnish)
Hymn To Panu (Finnish)
The Salutation of the Dawn (Hindu)
Prayer to Buddha (Buddhist)
Hymn to Agni (Hindu)
Prayer of the Gambler (Hindu)
Prayer to Kami-Dana (Japanese)
Prayer of the Singer (Mexican)
Hymn Of Tla-loc (Mexican)
Hymn to the All-Mother (Mexican)
Hymn of the God of Flowers (Mexican)
Prayer to the Mexican God of Fire (Mexican)
The Prayer of the Maize (Mexican)
Hymn To Cihua-coatl (Mexican)
Prayer to the God of Thieves (South Pacific Island)
Invocation to Ormazd (Persian)
Mohammedan Prayer of Adoration (Persian)
An Inca's Death Prayer (Peruvian)
Hymn to the Unknown God (Peruvian)
Bibliography