History Of Witchcraft"It separates centuries of supernatural nonsense from documented fact spellbinding."—Los Angeles Times For nearly thirty years, Jeffrey B. Russell's authoritative book has been the one illustrated history to which anyone interested in this subject could turn with confidence. Now, in collaboration with Brooks Alexander, who has himself conducted innovative research in the field, this classic book has been fully revised, with an updated introduction and bibliography, new information throughout, and an extended account of witchcraft from ancient times to the present day. Drawing comparisons between modern sorcery and that of the ancient world, the book shows how the European witch craze in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries developed out of a combination of ancient sorcery and medieval Christian heresy, paganism, folklore, scholastic theology, and inquisitorial trials. Whether the diabolical witchcraft for which men and women went to the stake ever existed is open to question. What matters more is that it was believed to exist by intellectuals and peasants alike. |
Contents
Preface | 7 |
PARTI SORCERY AND HISTORICAL | 17 |
The roots of European witchcraft 377 | 37 |
Copyright | |
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accused Aleister Crowley alleged ancient anthropologists Aradia became began belief in witchcraft Boyer and Nissenbaum Canon Episcopi Catharists Catholic charges Christ Christian Christian heresy Church common concept confessed continental coven Craft craze Crowley cult culture death deity demons Devil diabolical witchcraft Diana divination Doreen Valiente England English Europe European witchcraft evidence evil exist father fear fertility fifteenth century folklore Frew Gardner Gardnerian Wicca Gerald Gardner Germany girls Goddess helped heresy heretics Hexenbanner historians human idea influence inquisition inquisitors intellectual interfaith Leland London magician maleficia Malleus Malleus Maleficarum medieval Michelet Middle Ages modern witchcraft modern witches Murray nature Neopagan night occult Opposite orgy pact pagan practice prosecution religious rites ritual Roman Ronald Hutton sabbat Satan sexual simple sorcery social society sorcery spirits superstition survival teenagers torture tradition Valiente Waldensians Wild Hunt witch beliefs witch trials witch-craze witch-hunts witchcraft movement Witchcraft Today woman women worship