Item #61052 The Dream of Ravan: A Mystery. G. R. S. MEAD, and Anonymous.

The Dream of Ravan: A Mystery.

London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1895. First edition. Hardcover. Small octavo. 248pp. Original olive cloth with black titling to upper board and spine. The first publication in book form of this mystical text which was originally published in "The Dublin University Magazine," in 1853 & 1854. The author remains unknown, but the book form has an added preface by G.R.S. Mead, the Cambridge-educated classicist and long term member of the Theosophical Society, who became famous for his translations and studies of Gnosticism and early Hermetic texts. The work itself appears to be a retelling of sections of the Ramayana and is said to have included the first western publication of the word "Kundalini" and to have furthered the then nascent interest in Eastern Religions amongst educated Westerners. Attractive engraved bookplate of one Joan Bevan with Latin phrase 'Vita hominis sine libris sine amore mors est' (more or less: 'The life of man, without books, without love, is death'). Cloth a a little rubbed and darkened, corners and spine ends lightly bruised, bookplate on front pastedown, uneven darkening to title and several other pages, text unmarked - overall a tight, clean VG copy (no dust jacket - presume none issued). Item #61052

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