Witch Hunts in Europe and America
Subtitle: An Encyclopedia
Publisher: Greenwood Press
Published: October 30, 2003
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 400
ISBN-13: 9780313321429
Subjects: History of specific subjects; Reference works; Modern period, c 1500 onwards; c 1000 CE to c 1500; Body, Mind & Spirit; New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit; New Age; The Americas; USA; Europe - General; Magick Studies; United States - Colonial Period; History / Europe / General; Witchcraft & Wicca; Encyclopedias; Europe; History; Persecution; United States; Witchcraft
Description: "From the wicked witch of children's stories to Halloween and present-day Wiccan groups, witches and witchcraft still fascinate observers of Western culture. Witches were believed to affect climatological catastrophes, put spells on their neighbors, and cavort with the devil. In early modern Europe and the Americas, witches and witch-hunting were an integral part of everyday life, touching major events such as the Reformation and the Scientific Revolution, as well as politics, law, medicine, and culture." "From early sorcery trials of the 14th century - associated primarily with French and Papal courts - to the witch executions of the late 18th century, this book's entries cover witch-hunting in individual countries, major witch trials from Chelmsford, England, to Salem, Massachusetts, and significant individuals from famous witches to the devout persecutors. Entries such as the evil eye, familiars, and witch-finders cover specific aspects of the witch-hunting process, while entries on writers and modern interpretations provide insight into the current thinking on early modern witch hunts."--Jacket.