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Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction
Malcolm Gaskill
162 pages
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15 black and white halftones
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174x111mm
978-0-19-923695-4
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Paperback
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25 March 2010
Price:
£7.99 £3.99
Please note, this offer price only applies to individual customers when ordering direct from Oxford University Press, while stock lasts. No further discounts will apply. If you are a bookseller, please contact your OUP sales representative.
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- Examines the history and origins of witchcraft, from pre-history to the present day, considering why it still features so heavily in our culture
- Considers the classic period (1500-1900) of Witchcraft trials, and witch-hunting, such as the infamous Salem panic of 1692
- Relates concepts of witchcraft to anthropology, sociology, psychology, and politics
- Challenges false assumptions about witchcraft by separating the myths from the historical reality, explaining why the myths exist, and why they matter
- Features stories and interesting examples of witchcraft from different times, places, and contexts
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.Readership: General readers and students interested in witchcraft, psychology, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies and history.
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Malcolm Gaskill, Reader in Early Modern History, University of East Anglia
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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
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1: Fear
2: Heresy
3: Malice
4: Truth
5: Justice
6: Rage
7: Fantasy
8: Culture
References
Further Reading
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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