A Popular History of Witchcraft

by Montague Summers

The practice of black magic is as common in modern times as it was in medieval days or any other era, asserts the dean of occult writers, Montague Summers. A Roman Catholic priest and eminent scholar, Summers wrote several authoritative books on witchcraft, demonology, and vampirism. In this accessible work, he draws upon his considerable expertise to offer persuasive evidence that witchcraft is no mere historical question, but a lively factor in contemporary issues of politics and society.
"My aim throughout is to show how the profession and practice of witchcraft are the same always and in all places," Summers explains, "be it in some remote English village, in a quiet cathedral city, or in the hinterlands of Jamaica or Africa." Focusing on England and English witchcraft of the early twentieth century, this captivating volume explores covens, black masses, and the casting of spells for ordinary mischief as well as for elaborate plots.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Occult, Folklore

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Augustus Montague Summers was an Anglican priest and later convert to Roman Catholicism known primarily for his scholarly work on the English drama of the 17th century, as well as for his studies on witches, vampires, and werewolves, in all of which he professed to believe. He was responsible for the first English translation, published in 1928, of the notorious 15th-century witch hunter's manual, the Malleus Maleficarum.

Reviews

[Brian O'Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an overview of beliefs about Satanic witchcraft, the well-known Rev. Montague Summers' book is perhaps unequalled. With fascinating pictures and a wealth of interesting anecdotes, the work is compulsively entertaining, and worth reading for anyone interested in the subject. Less enthralling is Summers' strong-held conviction in these beliefs: he genuinely believes all of these innocents should have been judicially murdered, and insists that the devil covens of rumor still exist today and must be stamped out. These rather repugnant assertions aside, the book is highly recommended.

[Brie Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched on centuries of witchcraft thought and practice. Author takes a clear stance that 1) they believe witchcraft is absolutely real, 2) the majority of witch accusations in history must be true, and 3) that witchcraft is a horrid practice worthy of condemnation. It's like reading from the perspective of a villain - amusing at times yet at others unsettling.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well researched and is full of solid information. However, I did find it dry at times.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange book indeed. A Popular History of Witchcraft is an excellent source of information about historical belief in & practices of witchcraft, particularly in western Europe, but it's written by Montague Summers, who includes his own extreme, even fanatical beliefs.

This is a wonderful resource if you don't want to go to primary sources, but if you're here only for information about witchcraft, you must be very careful about Summers' beliefs, which include the odd, ahistorical notions that witchcraft, Satanism, all forms of hereticism, and Communism, are all literally identical, and that the devil is physically real and literal.