Witchcraft is a subject that fascinates us all, and everyone knows what a witch is - or do they? From childhood most of us develop a sense of the mysterious, malign person, usually an old woman. Historically, too, we recognize witch-hunting as a feature of pre-modern societies. But why do witches still feature so heavily in our cultures and consciousness? From Halloween to superstitions, and literary references such as Faust and even Harry Potter, witches still feature heavily in our society. In this Very Short Introduction Malcolm Gaskill challenges all of this, and argues that what we think we know is, in fact, wrong. Taking a historical perspective from the ancient world to contemporary paganism, Gaskill reveals how witchcraft has meant different things to different people and that in every age it has raised questions about the distinction between fantasy and reality, faith and proof. Telling stories, delving into court records, and challenging myths, Gaskill examines the witch-hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and explores the reinvention of witchcraft - as history, religion, fiction, and metaphor.
Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction
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This pocket-book eloquently and clearly introduces and summarizes the theories and theorists of the historical study of witchcraft. His account is concise enough to stand alone, but also a great introduction to the work of other scholars in the field, with excellent recommended reading. Journal of Folklore Research Each chapter in this small but perfectly-formed book could be the jumping-off point for a year's stimulating reading. Buy it now. Fortean Times
About the Author
Malcolm Gaskill is Reader in Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Mlp29
Format:Paperback
Malcolm Gaskill is arguably the world's leading academic authority on English witchcraft, but don't let that put you off: he is also one of the best writers and storytellers in his field. Within a loose chronological structure, Gaskill explores here both the history of witchcraft and the history of its study and interpretation.
For Gaskill, the study of witchcraft offers a way in to the past: the history of witchcraft teaches us about the growth of the state, the development of the legal system, and the history of gender constructs, for example.
Only by studying witchcraft in its multiple contexts, Gaskill argues, can we begin to enter and better-understand the world of our ancestors and why they believed and felt the way they did. Ultimately, however, as he explains at the end of this book in a passage of stunning prose, it is only by understanding and accepting our own immutable humanity that we can we really begin to understand why anyone, past or present, believes anything at all.
"To be human is to feel emotion: to compete, loathe, destroy and fantasize...we all fear the future, scorn opponents, and dream of success, and these are the basic ingredients of witchcraft."
For Gaskill, the study of witchcraft offers a way in to the past: the history of witchcraft teaches us about the growth of the state, the development of the legal system, and the history of gender constructs, for example.
Only by studying witchcraft in its multiple contexts, Gaskill argues, can we begin to enter and better-understand the world of our ancestors and why they believed and felt the way they did. Ultimately, however, as he explains at the end of this book in a passage of stunning prose, it is only by understanding and accepting our own immutable humanity that we can we really begin to understand why anyone, past or present, believes anything at all.
"To be human is to feel emotion: to compete, loathe, destroy and fantasize...we all fear the future, scorn opponents, and dream of success, and these are the basic ingredients of witchcraft."
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book may call itself a 'very short introduction', but it has more quality information than most books I own on the subject. It takes you through how witchcraft 'came about' and does this in an easy to understand way. The book is by a man who knows more on the subject than most people, and is very respected in his area. I love this book. It's worth looking at the other Very Short Introdution books - they are all quality publications.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I'd already studied the European witch craze when I read this book, so I was just buying it for a bit of revision, but I was really impressed by what this book manages to cover. It focuses not just on early modern witch hunts, but also on modern witch hunts in Africa and Wicca. Although this is a short book, it provides lots of references to longer books and covers all the important aspects of witchcraft, from its anthropological origins to present day. This book also provides an excellent summary of the historiography of witchcraft, which I have found very useful in steering me away from the many internet sites on the subject which present outdated views and information. A great book for anyone studying this subject or who just wants to get a good rounded introduction to the topic - although be aware that the material covered is not all that basic, so this is not light reading.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Stephen
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The phrase is a quotation from Samuel Butler, relating to witchcraft. What this stimulating and scholarly little book demonstrates very clearly is how difficult it is to pin down a definiton of witchcraft. Throughout many ages people have thought they knew what they meant by it: sometimes it was just strange behaviour (what we would now regard as mental illness); sometimes it was genuine malevolence; sometimes it was a reaction against adversity such as famine, war or other misfortune.
All these aspects and more are explored in a most approachable way, by an author who is clearly a leading scholar on the subject. An excellent addition to the VSI series.
All these aspects and more are explored in a most approachable way, by an author who is clearly a leading scholar on the subject. An excellent addition to the VSI series.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By M. J. Saxton
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Interesting, if a little wordy in parts. This book serves its purpose as a whetter of appetite because reading it makes you want to know more about the cases mentioned throughout history. Fortunately it has a very good Further Reading section.
It scoots through attitudes to witchcraft down the ages and notes cases and legislation as it goes along. I was rather disappointed that the Hellfire Club didn't get a mention when it got to the eighteenth century - maybe not witchy enough.
Malcolm Gaskill is really looking at the social and cultural background to the perceptions of witchcraft and not its practice which may not be what some readers are looking for, but an intriguing little book for all that.
It scoots through attitudes to witchcraft down the ages and notes cases and legislation as it goes along. I was rather disappointed that the Hellfire Club didn't get a mention when it got to the eighteenth century - maybe not witchy enough.
Malcolm Gaskill is really looking at the social and cultural background to the perceptions of witchcraft and not its practice which may not be what some readers are looking for, but an intriguing little book for all that.
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