Witchcraft, magic and culture 1736-1951

by Owen Davies

Overview

In this classic text, one of the leading academic historians of magic presents the first exploration of witchcraft in Britain in the centuries following the witch trials, from 1736 to 1951.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526192660
Publisher:	Manchester University Press
Publication date:	10/07/2025
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.73(d)

About the Author

Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He is the author of numerous books, including Folklore: A Journey through the Past and Present (2025), Art of Grimoire (2023) and Troubled by Faith: Insanity and the Supernatural in the Age of the Asylum (2023). He has been described as Britain’s foremost academic expert on the history of magic.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Educated attitudes towards the popular belief in witchcraft and magic
2. Popular justice and witchcraft
3. The witch
4. Cunning-folk, astrologers, and fortune-tellers
5. Magic and medicine
6. Witchcraft, magic, literacy and literature
7. Cultural Change
Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

'With exemplary energy and imagination, Davies has uncovered vast patches of continuing “superstition” and magical practice, down into the twentieth century.'
Journal of Social History

'Davies's researches have revealed a rich, complex and shifting occult culture [...] A strong and stimulating study.'
Rural History

'Owen Davies’s book is particularly welcome and timely... it establishes quite clearly that magical beliefs and practices continued to flourish in Britain for more than two centuries after the repeal of the old witchcraft statute in 1736.'
Journal of Ecclesiastical History

From the Publisher

Owen had no academic position while writing a good portion of the book, so he had to slip into university libraries and gather his information surreptitiously<-->not quite midnight beneath the gallows, but still a suitable practice for the subject matter. His goal is to spark serious scholarship on magic and witchcraft in England and Wales after the witch trials and to review recent studies that apply new theories and techniques. He discusses educated attitudes towards the popular belief, popular justice, popular literature, the witch, occult practitioners, and the declining belief. He does not cover the Occult Revival of the second half of the 19th century<-->the Golden Dawn and all<-->because other scholars have done so and continue their studies. US distribution is by St. Martin's Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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