Thats why witches are some of the most enchanting characters in history. Witchcraft and witchhunts in history nonfiction 90 books. This book sets the notorious european witch trials in the widest and deepest possible perspective and traces the major historiographical developments of witchcraft. Oct 30, 2015 written accounts of women who practice magic are as old as recorded history, and continue to the present day to this very week, with two much buzzedabout books. A history of fear, from ancient times to the present kindle edition by hutton, ronald. Best nonfiction books about witches nonfiction history. Witches history is as long as the history of the human beings. Many of the books on this list tackle the historical and political underpinnings of the salem witch trials, but frances hills book delves into the psychology and social issues that gave rise to the witchcraft hysteria which gripped new england in the late 17th century, while also connecting those longago events to modernday concerns such as the islamophobia that followed the terrorist attacks of 911. They are there to challenge the existence of good vs evil, in the world we have been living. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a secret history of witches. Sadly, the reality did not stand up to the concept.
Heres the oxford bibliography on the subject, mostly anthropology apologies if its paywalledmemail me for a copy. The study of magic and necromancy through the ages, with 340 illustrations. Oct 02, 2019 neither were witches with the exception of some targeted by the spanish inquisition generally persecuted by the church. The last of baums witches, glinda the good witch of the south, is said to be as elderly as. The hammer of witches, or the witch hunters bible are other names for a book called the malleus maleficarum, and it was a book that has influenced th e people writing laws throughout history, changing the world people knew. Although belief in witches was orthodox doctrine, following exodus 22.
These clever concocters can hide in plain sight, which is why even the most skeptical readers will find themselves believing in the spellbinding sorceresses in these best witch books. Illustrations and fun, quirky facts about all of historys weirdos. Alex mars witches of america and stacy schiffs the witches. Weve selected the very best books about witches and witchcraft, from classics like the crucible to recent releases like a secret history of. She is the healer, the medicine woman, the bruja, the mother, the crafty instagrammer. The main difference between the film and the original story is the ending in the book, there is no spell cast to change the boys state back to what it was before the witches found him. Marci jefferson, author of girl on the golden coin fresh and unpredictable. Between 1400 and 1700 alone, an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 souls. A look at some of the most chilling witches in history.
In 1863, an alleged male witch was drowned in a pond in headingham, essex and in 1945 the body of an elderly farm. The sexually neurotic malleus maleficarum had become the standard text on how to deal with witches, and this book stated authoritatively that all witches bore a numb devils mark which could be. Witchcraft and witchhunts in history nonfiction this list is for nonfiction works that cover the history of witchcraft and witchhunts. The serious history of hocus pocus in penguin book of. Oct 26, 2014 the serious history of hocus pocus in penguin book of witches in colonial america, a witch was not a halloween costume, but a criminal. Witches are one of the most traditional as well as mysterious entities we associate with halloween. The word witch owes its origin to anglosaxon word wicca which itself has been derived from the word wicce which means wise. A history of fear, from ancient times to the present. When you think of a witch, its easy to conjure up an image of an old, ugly, hooknosed woman, stirring up a steaming potion that is brewing away inside a cauldron. Louisa is a yogini, a musician, a mom, and a dog lover.
I would highly recommend this book not only to those with an interest in history, but also to those with an interest in neopaganism, wicca or simply the practice of witchcraft in whatever form or path they choose. Mar 27, 2019 in total, 10 were found guilty and hanged, one was found not guilty and another died in prison. A fearsome being of fairytale and myth, the witch has carved out a home in nearly every culture across the world and time. Caity weaver, gawker, the best things we read in 2014 i am just glad there is now, in this world, a book with the title the penguin book of witches, because, really, how cool is that. The real history of witches, however, is dark and, often for the witches, deadly. Some proponents hedge their claims, calling wicca a revival rather than a continuation of an ancient cult. Russells authoritative book has been the one illustrated history to which anyone interested in this subject could turn with confidence. Dr suzannah lipscomb investigates the events of this dark period in. A very brief history of witches by suzannah lipscomb. As we watch another agonizing attempt to shift the future of healthcare in the united states, we are reminded of the. The history may have been twisted a little here and there, but it is still quite charming and valid in the movements desires.
The origin of witches early witches were people who practiced witchcraft, using magic spells and calling upon. What is the history of halloween and when was it first celebrated. Books that cover witchhunts in a broader context i. A true history of witchcraft allee shadow tradition. May 12, 2017 in the da vinci code, leigh tebing calls it the most blood soaked book in history. A brief literary history of witches with 10 spellbinding. No limits on time periods covered, but all books should be nonfiction. The witch came to prominenceand often a painful deathin early modern europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. Indeed, the witch represents the dark side of the female presence. The bloody history of british witches spooky isles. Witches, midwives, and nurses is an essential book about the corruption of the medical establishment, rooted in witch hunters and the rise of capitalism.
Here, dr david clarke from sheffield hallam university, an expert on british folklore, brings you the facts. Harkness is wellschooled in history and academia, and her witch trilogy consisting of a discovery of witches, the shadow of night, and the book of life is. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the witch. This book is covered in sand and stained with salt water from the aegean seait was the only book i managed to read on my trip to greece, and i took it everywhere with me. Witches and witchcraft is defined by some as the manipulation of energy, via magic, to bring about a desired change.
Its not only a history of witches, but a history of one of the best experiences of my life. It was only in the 20th century that witchcraft saw a resurgence. A film version of the story, starring angelica huston as the witches leader the grand high witch, was released in 1990. This isnt an enjoyable book in that respect, but it does shed light on a part of european history. James vi and is book on the subject of witchcraft, daemonologie, published in 1597, is a case in point.
Mar 26, 2007 i would highly recommend this book not only to those with an interest in history, but also to those with an interest in neopaganism, wicca or simply the practice of witchcraft in whatever form or path they choose. Louisa morgan is the author of a secret history of witches, the witchs kind, and the age of witches. Chilling reallife accounts of witches, from medieval europe through colonial america, compiled by the new york times bestselling author of the physick book of deliverance dane and the daughters of temperance hobbs from a manual for witch hunters written by king james himself in 1597, to court documents from the salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper. I havent read it myself, but should be fairly readable. While this time of year brings about depictions of aging, ugly, hooknosed women. As a mouse, hes able to sneak into the head witchs room and steal some of the formula that the witches were planning to use to turn children into mice. Pottss account was one of many similar pamphlets aimed at stoking the flames of the witch. Oddly enough, there may never have been any such cult. The best books on witches five books expert recommendations. Their forerunners appear in the bible, in the story of king saul consulting the socalled witch of endor. In august 1612, the pendle witches, three generations of one family, were marched through the crowded streets of lancaster and hanged. But they arent all as obvious to the plain eye as, say, the sanderson sisters. Though many of the acts against witchcraft were repealed in 1736, witch hunting still went on. At once sprawling and intimate, a secret history of witches deftly captures the greatest magic of all.
The account of their trial, written by thomas potts, was one of the most popular works of the day and helped secure the pendle witches place in history. Theres a reason there are so many books about witches, many more than the 100 in this list. The accusers began, after titubas examination, including in their testimony specifics about signing the devils book, usually that the accused as specters had tried to force the girls to sign the book, even torturing them. The witchcraft statute of james i remained on the books until 1736. And while there is a broad spectrum of witch stories out there, there is a throughline common to them. Sep 04, 2018 this book is covered in sand and stained with salt water from the aegean seait was the only book i managed to read on my trip to greece, and i took it everywhere with me. The following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total. She lives in the pacific northwest with her family and her spirit familiar, oscar the border terrier. If you are okay with academic texts there is lots of anthropological and historical work on this.
A history of fear, from ancient times to the present by ronald hutton. Witchcraft or witchery is the practice of magical skills and abilities. In the da vinci code, leigh tebing calls it the most blood soaked book in history. Witchcraft is a broad term that varies culturally and societally, and thus can be difficult to define with precision. Apr 20, 2018 four hundred years ago, hundreds of innocent people were killed as an obsession to stamp out satanism swept the british isles.
For centuries, societies all over the world been terrified of. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The sexually neurotic malleus maleficarum had become the standard text on how to deal with witches, and this book stated authoritatively that all witches bore a numb devils mark which could be detected by sharp prodding. James morrows top 10 books on witch persecutions the guardian. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. In this landmark book, ronald hutton traces witchcraft from the ancient world to the earlymodern stake. Our narrator takes this formula into the hotel kitchen and manages to dump it into the witches dinner, which eventually turns them all into mice. From engrossing historical texts that examine occult practices through the ages and practical guides to performing modernday witchcraft to. A tale full of love and betrayal, happiness and terror. Russell doesnt bother trying to fluff up the history to make it more palatable to todays wiccans, and takes a look at three different kinds of witchcraft sorcery, diabolical witchcraft, and modern witchcraft. The combination of these celtic locations, combined with the story of hereditary witches, was impossibly seductive. Sharon shinn, author of archangel a secret history of witches is an epic family saga that speaks to the strength of all women and the difference that one true heart can make, not only for herself, but for the world.
For few, they have always been those stories which amuse. The word witch also means to twist or bend which is another phrase for psychogenesis or telekinesis, a psychic ability that was demonstrated by uri geller worldwide on television shows. She does, however, have only one eye, and a supernatural power over animals. We examine the way that torture though illegal in england was employed in late 16thcentury scotland and during the upheaval of. It follows the story of diana bishop, a history of science professor at yale university who, after accidentally finding an elusive, longthoughtlost manuscript, is compelled to embrace the magic in her blood that she has sought to keep out of her life and engage in a forbidden. Apr 18, 2017 a witch is a woman in possession of power. You dont need to be under a spell to know that witches have had a bad run of it in history. The night witches, by garth ennis and russ braun garth ennis new graphic novel creates a fictional character to flesh out the stories of the real night witches, soviet female. A discovery of witches is a 2011 historicalfantasy novel and the debut novel by american scholar deborah harkness. A true history of witchcraft 4 get any book for free on. A secret history of witches audiobook by louisa morgan. The serious history of hocus pocus in penguin book of witches. Modernday witches of the western world still struggle to shake their historical stereotype. Historian jeffrey russell presents an analysis of witchcraft in an historical context, from the early days of medieval europe, through the witch craze of the renaissance, and up into modern times.
The serious history of hocus pocus in penguin book of witches in colonial america, a witch was not a halloween costume, but a criminal. A secret history of witches by louisa morgan, paperback. This is back when people like joan of arc were alive and the aztecs were big, so yeah, it. A literary history of witches scaring men from time immemorial. Witches most often employ the use of spells, rituals and incantations to bring about the change in energy that they want, though modern witches and practitioners of witchcraft may not use any of these things in their practice. Either way, the best known period in the history of witchcraft is the late middle ages and early modern period during which time hundreds of thousands of alleged witches were tried and tens of thousands burned by the christian authorities in europes infamous witch trials. This book is a good gift to give to single women you know. Before fear, the history of witches demonstrates their important role in societies. James morrow is the author of the last witchfinder, an historical novel. All of these illustrations are my property if youd like to use them for. Witches in ancient egypt purportedly used their wisdom and knowledge of amulets, spells, formulas and figures to bend the cosmic powers to their purpose or that of their clients. A consistent theme by the accusers was that they refused to sign the book and refused to even touch the book. Poignant tale of mothers and daughters struggling to survive and preserve their craft in a hostile world.
688 45 1423 1409 1007 592 709 120 1264 119 1254 493 971 523 6 1557 1322 699 789 26 1140 1347 299 615 391 828 561 364 1498