The Witch in History

by Diane Purkiss

'Diane Purkiss ... insists on taking witches seriously. Her refusal to write witch-believers off as unenlightened has produced some richly intelligent meditations on their -- and our -- world.' - The Observer

'An invigorating and challenging book ... sets many hares running.' - The Times Higher Education Supplement

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Witches, Witchcraft, Feminism, Womens, Folklore

308 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 1996

About the author

Purkiss also writes children's books with her son, Michael Dowling, under the pseudonym Tobias Druitt.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

One reviewer noted that he or she believed this book to be anti-feminist at times. I do not agree with that assessment - I think Purkiss is criticizing the history that some feminists did on the history of witches, in particular in calling it a holocaust.

I think I would have gotten more out of the first section of this book if I had read the books that Purkiss is examining. However, the section on Jacobean and Elizabethan plays was very good, including the bit on the tempest.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a fan of Purkiss' other works, I was predisposed to like "The Witch in History" and I was not dissappointed. The degree of scholarship and analysis present in this book makes it a must-read and a must-have for anyone interested in engaging the history of witches.

[Holly Redshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are lots of great things and interesting perspectives in this book, but I do question the decision to write about witches by someone who...clearly just hates witches (in all depictions and sense) and spends a lot of it looking down her nose at other people, including women and feminists who simply hold a different opinion to her and grew up in different circumstances?

[Gabriela Luz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livro incrível! Desmistifica a figura da "bruxa moderna", pós contos de fadas, e recupera casos verídicos de condenações sobrenaturais a partir da Idade Média.

[anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Astonishingly anti-feminist at points, but probably reasonably suspicious at others. and, definitely, an incredible treasure trove of research.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Witch in History (Paperback)
by Diane Purkiss

ILL
barely had time to look at it ordered on date above

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough exploration of the concept of the witch, mostly in the early modern period. Diane Purkiss's entertaining book is split into three sections which compliment each other, these following on from a lengthy introduction in which she attempts to wrest the subject matter back from what she sees as the biased hands of early feminists. Part 1 is particularly interesting for the ways in which Purkiss dispels some of our common beliefs about witch burning and hunting, as well as exploring the ways that historians have conceptualised the subject. Part 2 brings together the woman and the witch, looking at some specific accounts and details of witch cases from the era, usefully bringing in Julia Kristeva's work on abjection to explain some of the common revulsion surrounding witchcraft. Part 3 moves onto a detailed exploration of the witch on stage, analying a whole array of Elizabethan and Jacobean plays to examine how they handle their witch characters. All of this makes for an elaborate and involving read.

[Katheryn Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of breadth rather than depth, The Witch in History benefits and suffers from the resultant pros and cons. I found this one an interesting read that overturns and nuances many views still commonly held today. Four stars rather than five, because we largely have to rely on Purkiss' narrative rather than getting to evaluate the evidence for ourselves.

[Kate Innes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating - enlightening of an era I knew little about.

[lea ౨ৎ]

read for uni

[Laura Mckinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars because Purkiss is an expert navigator of the plethora of witch texts out there. However, her hypotheses do not always ring true. An excellent place to begin your journey on the witch in The English Reniassance.

[Rachel]

This is a really good book, interesting and exciting. Not too many sources to support her claims and she focuses a lot on feminist theories which can get a little exhausting but it is a marvellous read.

[Mad Woman in the Attic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful thesis on witches in history. Purkiss is an incredible thinker. Loved it.