The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present
This "magisterial account" explores the fear of witchcraft across the globe from the ancient world to the notorious witch trials of early modern Europe (The Guardian, UK).
The witch came to prominence—and often a painful death—in early modern Europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. In The Witch, historian Ronald Hutton sets the European witch trials in the widest and deepest possible perspective and traces the major historiographical developments of witchcraft.
 
Hutton, a renowned expert on ancient, medieval, and modern paganism and witchcraft beliefs, combines Anglo-American and continental scholarly approaches to examine attitudes on witchcraft and the treatment of suspected witches across the world, including in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Australia, and the Americas, and from ancient pagan times to current interpretations. His fresh anthropological and ethnographical approach focuses on cultural inheritance and change while considering shamanism, folk religion, the range of witch trials, and how the fear of witchcraft might be eradicated.
 
"[A] panoptic, penetrating book."—Malcolm Gaskill, London Review of Books
1125781572
The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present
This "magisterial account" explores the fear of witchcraft across the globe from the ancient world to the notorious witch trials of early modern Europe (The Guardian, UK).
The witch came to prominence—and often a painful death—in early modern Europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. In The Witch, historian Ronald Hutton sets the European witch trials in the widest and deepest possible perspective and traces the major historiographical developments of witchcraft.
 
Hutton, a renowned expert on ancient, medieval, and modern paganism and witchcraft beliefs, combines Anglo-American and continental scholarly approaches to examine attitudes on witchcraft and the treatment of suspected witches across the world, including in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Australia, and the Americas, and from ancient pagan times to current interpretations. His fresh anthropological and ethnographical approach focuses on cultural inheritance and change while considering shamanism, folk religion, the range of witch trials, and how the fear of witchcraft might be eradicated.
 
"[A] panoptic, penetrating book."—Malcolm Gaskill, London Review of Books
17.99 In Stock
The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present

The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present

by Ronald Hutton
The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present

The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present

by Ronald Hutton

eBook

$17.99 

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers

LEND ME® See Details

Overview

This "magisterial account" explores the fear of witchcraft across the globe from the ancient world to the notorious witch trials of early modern Europe (The Guardian, UK).
The witch came to prominence—and often a painful death—in early modern Europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. In The Witch, historian Ronald Hutton sets the European witch trials in the widest and deepest possible perspective and traces the major historiographical developments of witchcraft.
 
Hutton, a renowned expert on ancient, medieval, and modern paganism and witchcraft beliefs, combines Anglo-American and continental scholarly approaches to examine attitudes on witchcraft and the treatment of suspected witches across the world, including in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Australia, and the Americas, and from ancient pagan times to current interpretations. His fresh anthropological and ethnographical approach focuses on cultural inheritance and change while considering shamanism, folk religion, the range of witch trials, and how the fear of witchcraft might be eradicated.
 
"[A] panoptic, penetrating book."—Malcolm Gaskill, London Review of Books

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780300231243
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication date: 08/11/2020
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 385
File size: 3 MB

About the Author

Ronald Hutton is a professor of history at the University of Bristol and a leading authority on ancient, medieval, and modern paganism; the history of the British Isles in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; and the global context of witchcraft beliefs.Gildart Jackson's acting credits span the stage and screen. He is most often recognized for his roles as Gideon on Charmed and Simon Prentiss on General Hospital. He has also starred in numerous television shows, including CSI and Vegas, and he played the lead in the highly acclaimed independent feature film You, directed by his wife, Melora Hardin.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vi

Author's Note ix

Introduction xiii

Part I Deep Perspectives

1 The Global Context 3

2 The Ancient Context 44

3 The Shamanic Context 74

Part II Continental Perspectives

4 Ceremonial Magic - The Egyptian Legacy? 99

5 The Hosts of the Night 120

6 What the Middle Ages Made of the Witch 147

7 The Early Modern Patchwork 180

Part III British Perspectives

8 Witches and Fairies 215

9 Witches and Celticity 243

10 Witches and Animals 262

Conclusion 279

Appendix 289

Notes 293

Illustration Credits 345

Index 346

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews