Fear in Early Modern Society

Studies in Early Modern European History

by William G. Naphy (Editor), Penny Roberts (Editor)

Fear of fire, flood, and plague. Fear of invasion by the infidel. Fear of purgatory and of death. Fear of witchcraft. These are just some of the events and crises that haunted the early modern world, Drawing on British and Continental examples, this fascinating and well-integrated collection of essays explores the panoply of personal and communal tragedies that tormented and terrified both elite and popular communities in this period. Groundbreaking new research explores how strategies were formed for dealing both practically and psychologically with these fears. Various authors unearth amazing stories, telling of, among other things, the creation of the first fire: service in France, dog-massacres in times of plague in England, and flood emergency plans in Holland.

245 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 1997

About the author

Professor Naphy received his doctorate (in Reformation History) from the University of St Andrews in 1993. He was appointed a lecturer at the University of Manchester in 1993 and, in 1996, at Aberdeen where he was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1999. He was awarded a personal chair in 2007. He is the author of six books with translations into six languages (including an up-coming translation into Bosnian for an NGO raising awareness of homosexuality in Bosnia) as well as numerous edited volumes and articles in scholarly journals.