- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: University of Chicago Press (14 Jun 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0226296938
- ISBN-13: 978-0226296937
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.9 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 399,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Product Description
For centuries witches on trial admitted to taking part in gruesome "sabbaths" where they cast spells, worshipped a bestial devil, enacted obscenely blasphemous rites and even devoured corpses. Many scholars believe that such confessions, often enacted under torture were just a reflection of their persecutors' fantasies. Certainly as Carlo Ginzburg shows, witch hunters adapted the stereotypes earlier used to descredit and persecute lepers and Jews.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
1. In 1321, we read in the chronicle of the monastery of St Stephen of Condom, a great deal of snow fell during the month of February. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
1. In 1321, we read in the chronicle of the monastery of St Stephen of Condom, a great deal of snow fell during the month of February. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This latest edition is a fascinating and involving modern insight into an area of the witch-hunt I simply didn't know even existed.
Would keenly recommend to any academic, historian or simply someone interested in reading something a little bit different about our understanding of witchcraft.
Would keenly recommend to any academic, historian or simply someone interested in reading something a little bit different about our understanding of witchcraft.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Shamanism In Europe
15 Oct 2002
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Yes, Ginzburg actually contends that the so-called "witches" of old Europe were in fact remanents of the old Shamanic cultures of Europe, and he does make an excellent arguement for it. I will admit, I do agree with him on some points. Shamanism is a universal phenomena, and yet (with the notable exception of the Lapps in Scandinavia and a few scattered myths and legends like Orpheus and Odin) Shamanism seems to have all but been absent in Europe, and this has always puzzled me. Certainly, had Shamanism been widespread in Europe, it probably would have survived well into the Christian era, just as it has in other parts of the world. As such, Ginzburg may be right on the money about the witch hunts and such. Regardless of your thoughts on the subject, this remains an excellent book. And if you like it, he has another book, entitled "Night Battles" about a community of Shaman in northern Italy.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
A Post-modern analysis of the Witchcraze of the Middle Ages
11 Aug 2001
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Ginzburg is one of the first historians who has come forward with a convincing theory that there may well have been pagan sects during the Middle Ages that were the focus of persecutions and regionalized hunts and crazes. This is a fascinating analysis of the legendary Witchs' Sabbath and its mythical foundations, as well as a convincing theory of what led localities to persecute those suspected of being witches.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Missing Link
5 Jan 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It is easy to be acquainted with the mainstream Greek, Roman, Norse and Egyptian mythologies that are so easily acquired from any mythology shelf in library or bookstore but the mainstream doesn't talk about the deities and their mythologies discussed in Carlo Ginzburg's books although his research shows they were obviously widely worshipped just didn't make it into the 'official' pantheons of Rome.
It is also easy to pick up a book on modern paganism/shamanism or on pagan/shamanic religions of exotic cultures--far harder to find anything on European shamanic roots.
Research in many books also too often divorce the mythology from religion; rituals, customs and practices from their adherents and their geographical locations; and don't quote their original sources. Carlo Ginzburg puts this all together and the depth and breadth of the research in this book is fabulous.
The book is a feast for anyone interested in mythology, folklore, old religions, the history of witchcraft, werewolves, history of shamanism or medieval history.
It is also easy to pick up a book on modern paganism/shamanism or on pagan/shamanic religions of exotic cultures--far harder to find anything on European shamanic roots.
Research in many books also too often divorce the mythology from religion; rituals, customs and practices from their adherents and their geographical locations; and don't quote their original sources. Carlo Ginzburg puts this all together and the depth and breadth of the research in this book is fabulous.
The book is a feast for anyone interested in mythology, folklore, old religions, the history of witchcraft, werewolves, history of shamanism or medieval history.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Europe
- Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Earth Based Religions > Witchcraft & Wicca
- Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Mythology > Folklore
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Earth-Based Religions > Wicca
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Academic Sociology
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Customs & Folklore > Folklore
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Sociology
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
