Author : Jeffrey Burton Russell
Publisher : Thames & Hudson
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 33,48 MB
Release : 1980
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780500012253
Studies the historical, anthropological, and religious manifestations of witchcraft, arguing that modern witchcraft in the West is in fact a serious religion that offers valuable insights
Author : T. C. Lethbridge
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 178 pages
File Size : 19,36 MB
Release : 2011
Category : History
ISBN : 0415604605
Clues to T.C. Lethbridgeâe(tm)s books lie in their subtitles. Witches: Investigating an Ancient Religion is no exception. In his study of the old pagan gods of Britain, Lethbridge believed that witch cults had their roots in prehistory and eventually became a religion of the suppressed classes.Similarities between eastern and ancient western religions provided him with evidence of ancient collusion. He believed Britainâe(tm)s island status acted as a filter for external inflences and ideas. No belief on the continent ever arrived intact which made the study of British customs so intriguing.His study of Dianic belief and the transmigration of souls led him to believe in a universal, controlling intelligence. He linked the concept of the evolving mind with the Laws of Karma, the Avatars and other religious teachings of the world and concluded that Druidic belief was not a million miles away from modern psychical research.
Author : S. K. Mendoza Forrest
Publisher : University of Texas Press
Page : 246 pages
File Size : 34,69 MB
Release : 2011-12-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0292742495
Early Iranians believed evil had to have a source outside of God, which led to the concept of an entity as powerful and utterly evil as God is potent and good. These two forces, good and evil, which have always vied for superiority, needed helpers in this struggle. According to the Zoroastrians, every entity had to take sides, from the cosmic level to the microcosmic self. One of the results of this battle was that certain humans were thought to side with evil. Who were these allies of that great Evil Spirit? Women were inordinately singled out. Male healers were forbidden to deal with female health disorders because of the fear of the polluting power of feminine blood. Female healers, midwives, and shamans were among those who were accused of collaborating with the Evil Spirit, because they healed women. Men who worked to prepare the dead were also suspected of secret evil. Evil even showed up as animals such as frogs, snakes, and bugs of all sorts, which scuttled to the command of their wicked masters. This first comprehensive study of the concept of evil in early Iran uncovers details of the Iranian struggle against witchcraft, sorcery, and other "evils," beginning with their earliest texts.
Author : Arkon Daraul
Publisher :
Page : 284 pages
File Size : 44,90 MB
Release : 2017-07-28
Category :
ISBN : 9781387130375
This fascinating book covers the lives and activities of famous and lesser known witches and sorcerers since 500 B.C. Beginning with the alchemist Pythagoras, it covers the history of sorcery and witchcraft in ancient society, then moves on to the medieval period, the Spanish Inquisition, the witches of England, France, and America, and closes with a discussion of modern magicians. In between, one meets Cornelius Agrippa, the temperamental 16th-century Belgian magician; the Count of Cagliostro, whose powers seemingly enabled him to monopolize winning lottery tickets in 18th century London; and of course, Johann Faust, the man who roused Mephistopheles himself. These and many others, such as Gilles de Raiz, Francis Barrett, and Eliphas Levi are covered in this intriguing work. ABOUT THE AUTHOR ARKON DARAUL IS A STUDENT OF MYTHOLOGY AND DEMONOLOGY. HE IS THE AUTHOR OF A HISTORY OF SECRET SOCIETIES.
Author : Owen Davies
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 342 pages
File Size : 12,67 MB
Release : 2023-02-23
Category : Magic
ISBN : 0192884050
Histories you can trust. This history provides a readable and fresh approach to the extensive and complex story of witchcraft and magic. Telling the story from the dawn of writing in the ancient world to the globally successful Harry Potter films, the authors explore a wide range of magical beliefs and practices, the rise of the witch trials, and the depiction of the Devil-worshipping witch. The book also focuses on the more recent history of witchcraft and magic, from the Enlightenment to the present, exploring the rise of modern magic, the anthropology of magic around the globe, and finally the cinematic portrayal of witches and magicians, from The Wizard of Oz to Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Author : Deborah Harkness
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 593 pages
File Size : 33,9 MB
Release : 2011-02-08
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 1101475692
Book one of the New York Times bestselling All Souls series, from the author of The Black Bird Oracle. “A wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight” (People). Look for the hit series “A Discovery of Witches,” now streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now, and Shudder! Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar's depth to this riveting tale of magic and suspense. The story continues in book two, Shadow of Night, book three, The Book of Life, and the fourth in the series, Time’s Convert.
Author : Jeffrey B. Russell
Publisher : Thames & Hudson
Page : 270 pages
File Size : 12,46 MB
Release : 2024-06-18
Category : History
ISBN : 050077871X
An authoritative and concise history of witchcraft from the ancient world up to the present day. Witchcraft has always been a fluid and intriguing belief system that has enchanted and sometimes terrified humanity. Now in its third edition, A History of Witchcraft has established itself as the authoritative history of witchery and the occult. Beginning with magic in the ancient world, Jeffrey B. Russell explores the definition of witchcraft in its many diverse forms, from the worship of the Greek goddess of magic, Hecate, and the witch crazes of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to the development of modern witchcraft by Aleister Crowley and Gerald Gardner in the early twentieth century. Brooks Alexander analyzes the development of witchcraft and neo-paganism in the present day, charting the dissemination of modern witchcraft through media and the tensions that arise when a secretive cult becomes an open and recognized religion. This updated edition features a new chapter exploring the challenges that witchcraft has faced in the past decade, including the rise of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, the COVID-19 pandemic, and new neo-pagan groups.
Author : W P
Publisher : Gale Ecco, Print Editions
Page : 158 pages
File Size : 32,25 MB
Release : 2018-04-18
Category :
ISBN : 9781379470489
The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars. Rich in titles on English life and social history, this collection spans the world as it was known to eighteenth-century historians and explorers. Titles include a wealth of travel accounts and diaries, histories of nations from throughout the world, and maps and charts of a world that was still being discovered. Students of the War of American Independence will find fascinating accounts from the British side of conflict. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library T092781 London: printed for C. Hitch and L. Haws; and R. Ware; H. Woodgate and S. Brook; S. Crowder, [1760?] [12],144p.: ill.; 12°
Author : Frances Timbers
Publisher : Pen and Sword
Page : 339 pages
File Size : 19,33 MB
Release : 2019-05-09
Category : History
ISBN : 1526731827
The author of Magic and Masculinity explores the history and development of magic and witchcraft in Western society. Broomsticks, cauldrons, familiars, and spells—magic and witchcraft conjure a vivid picture in our modern-day imagination. While much of our understanding is rooted in superstition and myth, the history of magic and witchcraft offers a window into the past. It illuminates the lives of ordinary people in the past and elucidates the fascinating pop culture of the premodern world. Blowing away folkloric cobwebs, this enlightening new history dispels many misconceptions surrounding witchcraft and magic that we still hold today. From Ancient Greece and Rome to the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era, historian Frances Timbers details the impact of Christianity and popular culture in the construction of the figure of the “witch.” The development of demonology and ceremonial magic is combined with the West’s troubled past with magic and witchcraft to chart the birth of modern Wiccan and Neopagan movements in England and North America. Witchcraft is a metaphor for oppression in an age in which persecution is an everyday occurrence somewhere in the world. Fanaticism, intolerance, prejudice, authoritarianism, and religious and political ideologies are never attractive. Beware the witch hunter!
Author : Pamela J. Stewart
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 21,5 MB
Release : 2004
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780521004732
This book combines two classic topics in social anthropology in a new synthesis: the study of witchcraft and sorcery and the study of rumors and gossip. First, it shows how rumor and gossip are invariably important as catalysts for accusations of witchcraft and sorcery. Second, it demonstrates the role of rumor and gossip in the genesis of social and political violence, as in the case of both peasant rebellions and witch-hunts. Examples supporting the argument are drawn from Africa, Europe, India, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
