Why do societies around the world fear magic? This book explores in depth the context, beliefs, and roots of it in European history.
It follows the idea of witches far beyond the Salem trials, presenting beliefs and attitudes about witches around the world throughout history. The witch came to the fore - and often to a painful death - in early modern Europe, yet her roots are much more geographically diverse and historically deep.
In this revolutionary volume, Ronald Hutton traces magic from the ancient world to the early modern era. This book places the notorious European witch trials in the largest and deepest possible perspective and traces the major historiographical developments of magic.
Hutton, a distinguished expert in ancient, medieval, and contemporary pagan and magical beliefs, combines Anglo-American and continental academic approaches to examine attitudes toward magic and the treatment of suspected witches around the world, including regions of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Australia, and North and South America, from the ancient pagan era to modern interpretations.
His fresh anthropological and ethnographic approach focuses on cultural heritage and change, while examining shamanism, folk religion, the spectrum of witch trials, and how the fear of magic can be eradicated.
Pages: 376, Year of Publication: 0911, Dimensions: 12.7x12.7cm
