The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft

Ronald Hutton

Oxford University Press, 2001 - Body, Mind & Spirit - 486 pages

Here is a book that brings witchcraft out of the shadows. The Triumph of the Moon is the first full-scale study of the only religion England has ever given the world--modern pagan witchcraft, otherwise known as wicca. Meticulously researched, it provides a thorough account of an ancient religion that has spread from English shores across four continents.
For centuries, pagan witchcraft has been linked with chilling images of blood rituals, ghostlike druids, and even human sacrifices. But while Robert Hutton explores this dark side of witchery, he stresses the positive, reminding us that devotion to art, the natural world, femininity, and the classical deities are also central to the practice of wicca. Indeed, the author shows how leading figures in English literature--W.B. Yeats, D.H. Lawrence, and Robert Graves, just to name a few--celebrated these positive aspects of the religion in their work, thereby softening the public perception of witchcraft in Victorian England. From cunning village folk to freemasons and from high magic to the black arts, Hutton chronicles the fascinating process by which actual wiccan practices evolved into what is now a viable modern religion. He also presents compelling biographies of wicca's principal figures, such as Gerald Gardner, who was inducted into a witch coven at the age of 53, and recorded many clandestine rituals and beliefs.
Ronald Hutton is known for his colorful, provocative, and always thoroughly researched studies on original subjects. This work is no exception. It will appeal to anyone interested in witchcraft, paganism and alternative religions.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - cbloky - LibraryThing

Was an interesting book, differently read more like a text book and wasn't an easy read. The book did cover lots of facts and I was glad i have been a practicing Wiccan for years before reading the ...

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - scarylullabies - LibraryThing

Triumph of the Moon is an academic work and is therefore full of thoroughly researched and deeply interesting information - presented in a very dry and inaccessible way.

About the author

Ronald Hutton is Professor of History at the University of Bristol. He is the author of seven other books, including The Stations of the Sun, which The Times Literary Supplement called "a tour de force from one of the liveliest and most wide-ranging English historians." He lives in the United Kingdom.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft
• Author: Ronald Hutton
• Edition: illustrated, reprint, revised
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2001
• ISBN: 0192854496, 9780192854490
• Length: 486 pages
• Subjects: Body, Mind & Spirit / Witchcraft; Religion / Mysticism