The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial AmericaThe essays in this Handbook, written by leading scholars working in the rapidly developing field of witchcraft studies, explore the historical literature regarding witch beliefs and witch trials in Europe and colonial America between the early fifteenth and early eighteenth centuries. During these years witches were thought to be evil people who used magical power to inflict physical harm or misfortune on their neighbours. Witches were also believed to have made pacts with the devil and sometimes to have worshipped him at nocturnal assemblies known as sabbaths. These beliefs provided the basis for defining witchcraft as a secular and ecclesiastical crime and prosecuting tens of thousands of women and men for this offence. The trials resulted in as many as fifty thousand executions. These essays study the rise and fall of witchcraft prosecutions in the various kingdoms and territories of Europe and in English, Spanish, and Portuguese colonies in the Americas. They also relate these prosecutions to the Catholic and Protestant reformations, the introduction of new forms of criminal procedure, medical and scientific thought, the process of state-building, profound social and economic change, early modern patterns of gender relations, and the wave of demonic possessions that occurred in Europe at the same time. The essays survey the current state of knowledge in the field, explore the academic controversies that have arisen regarding witch beliefs and witch trials, propose new ways of studying the subject, and identify areas for future research. |
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The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America Brian P. Levack No preview available - 2013 |
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accused activities Ages appeared argued authorities became beliefs body Catholic caused central charges Christian communities concept confessions courts crime culture death decline demonology demons developed devil diabolical Early Modern Early Modern Europe England English especially European evidence example executions exorcism fear followed France further gender German harm historians History Holy human Hunting ideas images important individual influence Inquisition inquisitors involved Italy judges judicial late later less London magic major male means medieval natural neighbours origins period persecution person played political popular possession practice procedure prosecutions question reality recent records Reformation region Religion religious remained rituals role sabbath scepticism Scotland seventeenth century sixteenth social society sorcery Spanish spirits suggest suspects took torture town traditional University village witch trials witch-hunting witchcraft trials woman women
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America Oxford Handbooks in History Oxford handbooks |
| Editor | Brian P. Levack |
| Contributor | Brian P. Levack |
| Publisher | OUP Oxford, 2013 |
| ISBN | 0199578168, 9780199578160 |
| Length | 630 pages |
| Subjects | › › Body, Mind & Spirit / Magick Studies Body, Mind & Spirit / Witchcraft History / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies) History / Europe / General History / Europe / Renaissance History / Social History History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775) Religion / History |
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