Description: The history of witchcraft and sorcery has attracted a great deal of interest and debate, but until now studies have been largely from the Anglo-Saxon perspective. This book shows how that approach has blurred our understanding and definition of the issues involved, and sheds new light on the history of witchcraft in England. What had thus far been seen as peculiar to England is here shown to be characteristic of much of northern Europe. Taking into account major new developments in the historiography of witchcraft--in methodology, and in the chronological and geographical scope of the studies--the authors explore the relationship between witchcraft, law, and theology; the origins and nature of the witch's sabbath; the sociology and criminology of witch-hunting; and the comparative approach to European witchcraft. An impressive amount of archival work by all of the contributors has produced an indispensable guide to the study of witchcraft, of interest not only to historians, but to anthropologists, criminologists, psychologists, and sociologists.
Review Quotes: "This book, an English translation of Häxornas Europa, 1400-1700 published in Swedish in 1987, will be helpful to scholars and advanced students."--History: Review of New Books
"Opens new perspectives with almost every article...This marvelous book...is the best book on witchcraft I have read since Stolen Lightning and it is much easier to follow. It is mandatory for all students of the legal systems and the religious beliefs of early modern Europe...A truly international and interdisciplinary masterwork."--Bibliotheque d'Humanisme et Renaissance"[An] excellent volume...No one with an interest in the historical sociology of European society should miss it."--Sociology"Possesses the virtue of presenting a wealth of material in terms of a coherent analytical framework."--Times Higher Education Supplement"Makes a superb contribution to historical scholarship."--Times Literary Supplement"Retains a freshness of approach largely because it contains so many interesting studies...All the essays have something valuable to contribute to our understanding."--History Today"The republication of these pathbreaking studies in paper makes available to a wide variety of readers bold new work which clarifies the common threads and regional differences in early-modern witchcraft."--Ralph Keen, University of Iowa"[A]ll the publications on [witchcraft] are political wish fulfillment or New Age mush. How good to find solid scholarship at last."--Prof. George Leonard, San Francisco State University