The Athlone History of Witchcraft and Magic in Europe, Volume 4: The Period of the Witch Trials

Witchcraft and Magic in Europe #4

by Bengt Ankarloo, Stuart Clark, William Monter

The fifteenth to eighteenth centuries was a period of witchcraft prosecutions throughout Europe and modern scholars have now devoted a huge amount of research to these episodes. This volume will attempt to bring this work together by summarising the history of the trials in a new way - according to the types of legal systems involved. Other topics covered will be the continued practical use made of magic, the elaboration of demonological theories about witchcraft and magic, and the further development of scientific interests in natural magic through the 'Neoplatonic' and 'Hermetic' period.Amongst the topics included here are Superstition and Belief in high and popular culture, the place of Medicine, Witchcraft survivals in art and literature, and the survival of Persecution.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, Occult, Esoterica, Witches, Folklore

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jesse G.]

A very well done academic work on not just Witchcraft and witch trials from the 16th and 17th centuries but how magical thinking and practice permeated different aspects of society and intellectual thought.

[Ned Leffingwell]

This book is more about the history of the study of witchcraft that about witchcraft itself. There were a few interesting tidbits. I learned that the SS completed a study of witchcraft in Germany. The cover picture is pretty cool. Otherwise I would have given up on this book except that I am writing a grad paper on this topic.

[Heather]

This is a good overview of the witchcraft trials in Europe.