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

ISBN: 0485891042

Author: Ankarloo, Bengt

Condition: New

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.

• An excellent study & examination of demonology, witch hunts, methods of torture and the scientific interest in magic spells | an intriguing volume of this excelent and ambitious series detailing the history of the European dark side from ancient times to the present day. This volume (v.4) focuses it's study on the most intense period of witch prosecutions that occured between the mid 14th century & the mid 15th century.