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Zusatztext Retains a freshness of approach largely because it contains so many interesting studies ... All the essays have something valuable to contribute to our understanding. Klappentext 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 thehistory 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 thestudies--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 contributorshas produced an indispensable guide to the study of witchcraft! of interest not only to historians! but to anthropologists! criminologists! psychologists! and sociologists. Zusammenfassung An examination of the relationship between witchcraft, law, and theology, and the sociology and criminology of witch-hunting, which shows that what had been seen as peculiar to England was characteristic of much of northern Europe. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of figures; List of maps; List of tables; Introduction; I: Witchcraft, Law, and Theology: Witchcraft and Catholic theology; Protestant demonology: Sin, superstition, and society; Inquisitorial law and the witch; II: Origins of the Witches' Sabbath: The nature of the Sabbath; Satanic myths and cultural reality; 'Fantasticall and devilishe persons': European witch-beliefs in comparative perspective; 'The ladies from outside': An archaic pattern of the Witches' Sabbath; III: Witch-Hunting in Scandinavia and other Peripheries: Hungary: The accusations and the universe of popular magic; Estonia I: Werewolves and poisoners; Estonia II: The crusade against idolatory; Sweden: The mass burnings; Finland: The male domination; Denmark: The Sociology of accusations; Norway: The criminological context; Iceland: Sorcerers and Paganism; Portugal: A scrupulous inquisition; IV: Conclusions: Scandinavian witchcraft in Anglo-American context; The comparative approach to European witchcraft; Notes on contributors; Bibliography of secondary works; Index...
