(Ebook) Beyond the Witch Trials: Witchcraft and Magic in Enlightenment Europe by Owen Davies, Willem de Blécourt (eds) ISBN 9780719066603, 0719066603

(Ebook) Beyond the Witch Trials: Witchcraft and Magic in Enlightenment Europe by Owen Davies, Willem de Blécourt (eds) ISBN 9780719066603, 0719066603

Beyond the Witch Trials is an important volume on the nature of witchcraft and magic in European society during the Enlightenment. This innovative book provides the reader with a challenging variety of approaches and sources of information, as well as advancing the study of witchcraft into the eighteenth century.The essays cover England, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Germany, Scotland, Finland and Sweden, and examine the experience of and attitudes towards witchcraft in those countries. The contributors come from different academic disciplines and move beyond the usual historical perspectives and sources.They emphasize the importance of studying such themes as the aftermath of witch trials, the continued role of cunning-folk in society, and the nature of the witchcraft discourse in different social contexts.

tags: nonfiction | history | witchcraft | witches | Enlightment | 17th century | 18th century

"This is a fine collection of essays on an important topic in witchcraft studies.The study of the persistence of witchcraft beliefs and accusations during a period of enlightenment has only recently begun, and these essays make a substantial contribution to that enterprise." - Brian P. Levack, University of Texas at Austin