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Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Western Tradition [4 volumes]


Publishing Details

Full Title:

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Western Tradition [4 volumes]

Contributors:
ISBN:

9781576072431

Publisher:

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Imprint:

ABC-CLIO

Publication Date:

30th January 2006

Country:

United States

Classifications

Readership:

General

Fiction/Non-fiction:

Non Fiction

Main Subject:
Other Subjects:

Reference works

Dewey:

133.4303

Prizes:

Winner of Roland H. Bainton Prize for Best Reference Book on the Early Modern Period 2007

Physical Properties

Contains:

Contains 4 hardbacks

Weight:

5443g

Description

The definitive compilation on European witch hunting in the early modern era (1450-1750) exploring significant people, places, beliefs, and events. From Iceland to Russia, witch hunting engulfed Europe, eventually spreading to the New World. Why did Europeans believe witches flew to Sabbats, signed pacts with Satan, practiced cannibalism, and worked evil magic to overthrow Christian society Why were thousands of people persecuted, many tortured and burned, for the imaginary crime of diabolical witchcraft Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Western Tradition is the definitive reference on the age of witch hunting (approximately 1450-1750), its origins, expansion, and ultimate decline. Incorporating a wealth of recent scholarship in four richly illustrated, alphabetically organized volumes, it offers historians and general readers alike the opportunity to explore the realities behind the legends of witchcraft and witch trials. Approximately 150 of the world's experts provide vivid, documented descriptions and analyses of key trials and locations, folklore and beliefs, magical practices and deities, influential texts, and the full range of players in this extraordinary drama (witchcraft theorists and theologians, historians and authors, judges, clergy, and rulers, the accused, and their persecutors). Concentrating on Europe and the Americas in the early modern era, the work also covers relevant topics from the ancient Near East (including the Jewish and Christian Bibles), classical antiquity, and the European Middle Ages.

Reviews

"[L]arger public libraries with a strong interest in historical witchcraft will want to consider adding this set. Academic libraries with early modern history collections or interest in witchcraft as a social and political phenomenon will also find the encyclopedia very useful." - Booklist "Compared to other works on witchcraft ... the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Western Tradition provides significantly more entries ... and greater coverage... Due to the ongoing interest in witchcraft and occult sciences, this encyclopedia will be a welcome purchase in most medium-sized and larger academic and public libraries. For libraries serving religious institutions and seminaries, it is a required purchase since it provides a balanced, historically based discussion of witchcraft in the Western world." - Reference & User Services Quarterly "The more than 700 entries by over 250 scholars are well written, each including cross-references and bibliographies... Recommended. All collections, particularly those supporting history, religious studies, and gender studies at the lower undergraduate level and above." - Choice "Richard Golden successfully makes the scholarship on witchcraft accessible to high school students... It offers a scholarly yet accessible approach to a captivating subject that has endured for centuries. Highly recommended." - Library Media Connection

Author Bio

Richard M. Golden is professor of history and director of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of North Texas, Denton, TX. He can be reached via email at rmg@unt.edu.

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