Synopses & Reviews
Witches and Neighbours is a highly original and unconventional analysis of a fascinating historical phenomenon. Unlike other studies of the subject which focus on the mechanisms of persecution, this book presents a rich picture of witchcraft as an all-pervasive aspect of life in early modern Europe.
Robin Briggs combines recent research with his own investigations to produce a brilliant and compelling account of the central role of witchcraft in the past. Although the history of witchcraft can only be studied through records of persecutions, these reveal that trials were unusual in everyday life and that witchcraft can be viewed as a form of therapy. Witchcraft was also an outlet and expression of many fundamental anxieties of society and individuals in a time when life was precarious. The book argues that witchcraft - its belief and persecutions - cannot be explained by general causes but was as complex and changing as the society of which it formed a vital part.
Since its original publication in 1996, this book has become the standard work on the subject of witchcraft. It now appears in a revised edition with an updated bibliography.
This book is not available from Blackwell in the United States and the Philippines.
Synopsis
Witches and Neighbours is a highly original and unconventional analysis of a fascinating historical phenomenon. Unlike other studies of the subject which focus on the mechanisms of persecution, this book presents a rich picture of witchcraft as an all-pervasive aspect of life in early modern Europe.
This book is not available from Blackwell in the United States and the Philippines.
- A fascinating and accessible account of the central role of witchcraft in early modern Europe.
- A standard work on the subject of witchcraft now available in a revised edition with an updated bibliography.
- Presents an unconventional interpretation of the role and influence of witchcraft
- Argues that witchcraft was as complex and changing as the society of which it formed a vital part.
- Draws on a range of original sources to vividly illustrate the arguments.
Table of Contents
Maps.
Preface.
Introduction.
1. Myths of the Perfect Witch.
2. The Experience of Bewitchment.
3. Supernatural Power and Magical Remedies.
4. The Projection of Evil.
5. Witch-Finders and Witch Cures.
6. Love and Hatred; Spouses and Kin.
7. Men against Women: The Gendering of Witchcraft.
8. The Age of Iron.
9. The Web of Power.
10. Internal and External Worlds.
Conclusion.
Notes.
Further Reading.
Index.