Witchcraft: A History

by P.G. Maxwell-Stuart

From ancient times to the present, the aged, ugly crone has worked her evil magic and been burned at the stake by an outraged authority, or cured her neighbors and their animals with the help of gentle herbs and beneficent spells. Such, at any rate, is the popular picture. But not much of that picture is true. Many witches were young; many witches were men. Witches were not universally persecuted or tortured, and the period they were most at risk covered less than 100 years. So much more interesting than the cartoon stereotype, the real witch was a complex figure whose genuine story is only now starting to be unravelled.

Genres: History, Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Religion, Occult

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2000

About the author

Peter G. Maxwell-Stuart is a Research Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Aberdeen and an Honorary Lecturer in the Department of History in the University of St. Andrews.

Source: Macmillan

Reviews

[Wilhelmina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this book, and am very glad I read it. It was well-written, though not a quick read if you concentrate on all the historical concepts discussed. The book discusses magic, witchcraft, witches, and all the fun and sad history they involve. You learn a lot about various historical periods you might not have known before, as well. I especially liked the first chapter on Greco-Roman perceptions of magic and witches. If you're interested in the subject, it's a really great book to read.

[Marco Matteoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

La figura della strega è sempre stata oggetto di stereotipi, come quello della vecchia megera con il cappello a punta e a cavallo di una scopa. In verità la vera strega, che queste pagine ci aiutano a riscoprire, é molto più interessante rispetto allo stereotipo da cartone animato. Questo libro ci aiuta a comprenderne la storia e le diverse persecuzioni, che nei secoli sono state condotte, contro coloro che sono stati accusati di praticare la stregoneria o discipline simili.
Come per tutte le persecuzioni avvenute nella storia, alla base vi era tentativo di spiegare e creare un capro espiatorio per avvenimenti umani come carestie, epidemie, sconvolgimenti climatici, morte e sofferenze, e come avviene nella maggior parte dei casi, il capro espiatorio lo si trova in individui o organizzazioni che non si riescono a comprendere.

#lamedicinadellapovertá #streghe #stregoneria #libri #storia #witch #witchcraft #storiadellastregoneria #books #libridaleggere

[Dymphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Witchcraft: A History" is a brief synopsis about the history of witchcraft. It starts with how the image of witches that we nowdays have, was crafted during the Roman era. It follows with a three-piece on the "why" and "how" of the prosecution of the so-called witches in the Middle-Ages and later in history and concludes the book with a chapter on modern witches.

This book is more meant as an introduction into this history. The author goes to great length to establish the historical setting and motives of the witch prosecution. At times, I struggled to get through the book because the author switches the subject many times in the same chapter.

Good brief synopsis, great as an introduction into the subject.

[Alexis Wolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the author often fails to trace larger movements and patterns that influence the history he speaks about in the book; he speaks about the European witch hunts, for instance, and then specifies that they were up to individuals and local events rather than tracing societal and economic developments that influenced if not caused the witch hunts. If he is going to claim to identify not just the history but the reasons for the history, also, then he should have those reasons correct.

[Äsruþr Cyneaþsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maxwell-Stuart provides another excellent study, tracing here the history of witchcraft from antiquity to its modern incarnation and dispelling many of the myths, including erroneous Wiccan claims, associated with the art.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting narrative on how witchcraft and witches were seen through the ages, with analysis of how politics and religion in different eras influenced beliefs and cultivated fears in society. The Enlightenment led to a decline in absolute belief in Good and Evil as entities, although the persecution of witches carried on long after these ideas began to spread. Many people were simply put to death as 'witches' from cold calculating expediency, getting rid of a rival / wife, or gaining control of their land. Depressingly, profit underlying human action, as usual.

[mona]

was this book translated into german by google translator? -.-

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read.