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.