Rudolf Simek provides a comprehensive representation of the diverse manifestations of the religious world of the Germans based on archaeological finds and authentic sources. A focus is placed on cult practices, which recent research can clarify in great detail. The author traces how the mythological pantheon evolved from the Ice Age to the Viking Age, transitioning from numinous powers associated with rivers or swamps to a complex pantheon of gods. A separate chapter is dedicated to magic. Simek vividly illustrates which practices and mythological beings have survived the Christianization and continue to exist today in many forms of folk religiosity. He also clarifies how and why Christianity connected with certain religious concepts of the Germans.