# The Old Ways Library MCP server > Search and read cited passages from historical editions and mythology reference pages across five traditions. - Listing: https://mcp.tc/i/the-old-ways-library - Connect: use the server's own URL `https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp` (no sign-in); clients connect to it directly. The listing link is a page, not an MCP endpoint. - Type: remote (Streamable HTTP) - Auth: none - Category: [Docs & Knowledge](https://mcp.tc/c/docs-knowledge) - Vendor: The Old Ways - Homepage: ## About Connects to The Old Ways reference collection covering Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Celtic and Zoroastrian traditions. You can search texts, glossary entries, deity profiles and explanatory pages, then read bounded excerpts with canonical citation URLs and edition notes. It runs as a hosted Streamable HTTP endpoint at https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp. All tools are read-only. No sign-in or API key is needed. Search uses a periodically rebuilt word index, not live web search, and imported editions can contain transcription errors. ## What it can do - Search the library by query, tradition and content type - Read page excerpts with citation URLs and edition notes - Continue long pages with an offset - List books, traditions and index build time ## Tools (3) - `search_library`: Search historical texts, glossary, deity profiles and explanations; returns citation URLs and… (read-only) - `read_page`: Read a bounded excerpt of an indexed page with citation URL, edition note and next offset. (read-only) - `list_collections`: List books, traditions, content types, index build time and source policy. (read-only) ## Example prompts - "Find the Hávamál in The Old Ways library and read a passage about hospitality." - "Search for Egyptian deity profiles about Osiris and cite the pages." - "List the traditions and books available in the Old Ways library." - "Look up Zoroastrian Gathas passages on truth and quote them with sources." ## Install ### Claude Code 1. Run this in a terminal, in your project folder: ```bash claude mcp add --transport http the-old-ways-library https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp ``` 2. Start Claude Code and type `/mcp`. **the-old-ways-library** should show as connected. Add `--scope user` to make it available in every project, not just this one. ### Claude Desktop 1. Open **Customize → Connectors**, click **+ Add**, then **Add custom connector**. 2. Name it **The Old Ways Library** and paste this URL: ```url https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp ``` 3. Click **Add**. Its tools appear in the chat’s tools menu. Claude Desktop’s JSON config file only starts local servers. Remote servers go through Connectors, and connectors you add on claude.ai show up here too. ### claude.ai 1. Open the connector form on claude.ai. This button fills in the name and URL for you: [Add to claude.ai]() (opens connector settings) 2. Check that the URL reads `https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp` and click **Add**. 3. Turn it on in a chat from the tools menu. Free plans allow one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds it under **Organization settings → Connectors**. ### ChatGPT 1. On chatgpt.com, go to **Plugins**, select **+**, then **Add custom MCP server**. 2. Enter a name for the server. 3. Under **Connection**, paste `https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp` as the server URL, then for authentication choose **No authentication**. 4. Check **I understand and want to continue**, then select **Create as a plugin**. Whether you can add a custom MCP server depends on your ChatGPT plan and your workspace permissions (in Business workspaces, admins and owners can). ### Cursor [Add to Cursor]() (opens Cursor) Or add it by hand to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (all projects) or `.cursor/mcp.json` (this project): `mcp.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "the-old-ways-library": { "url": "https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp" } } } ``` ### VS Code [Install in VS Code]() (opens VS Code) Or from a terminal: ```bash code --add-mcp '{"name":"the-old-ways-library","type":"http","url":"https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp"}' ``` Or commit it to the repo in `.vscode/mcp.json`: `.vscode/mcp.json`: ```json { "servers": { "the-old-ways-library": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp" } } } ``` ### Devin Desktop 1. Add it to `~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json` (macOS and Linux) or `%APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json` (Windows): `mcp_config.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "the-old-ways-library": { "serverUrl": "https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp" } } } ``` 2. Refresh the MCP server list in Cascade. Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. It reads `serverUrl` (or `url`) for remote servers. ### Codex ```bash codex mcp add the-old-ways-library --url https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp ``` Or edit `~/.codex/config.toml` directly: `config.toml`: ```toml [mcp_servers.the-old-ways-library] url = "https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp" ``` ### Gemini CLI ```bash gemini mcp add --transport http the-old-ways-library https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp ``` This adds it to the current project. Add `-s user` to use it everywhere. ### Any client Most clients accept this shape. Some name the URL field differently: `serverUrl` in Devin Desktop, `httpUrl` in Gemini CLI’s settings file. ```json { "mcpServers": { "the-old-ways-library": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp" } } } ``` Zed puts servers under `context_servers` in its settings. Cline needs `"type": "streamableHttp"`, or it assumes SSE. Client only starts local servers? Bridge it with `npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.theoldways.co/mcp`. ## Recent changes - 2026-10-27 11:40 UTC: Tracking started: 3 tools read. Source: automatic check. More on the History tab, with descriptions before and after for the newest entries: https://mcp.tc/i/the-old-ways-library#history (Atom feed: https://mcp.tc/i/the-old-ways-library/history.xml). It records what mcp.tc's anonymous checks saw, every 3 hours where the tool list can be read without sign-in; it is not a security review. ## Details - Server version: 1.0.0 - MCP protocol version: 2025-11-25 - Last checked: 2026-11-14 (reachable) - Listed: 2026-10-27 - Updated: 2026-10-27 --- Source: https://mcp.tc/i/the-old-ways-library (mcp.tc is an independent directory, not affiliated with this server's publisher). Corrections: https://mcp.tc/report