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From the Publisher
Witchcraft: A Secret History
Introduction
Witchcraft has been controversial throughout history. The very mention of the word excites strong emotions. For some people it conjures up the rather folksy image of the storybook elderly witch with her pointy hat, broomstick, black cat, and crooked smile. For others, all witches are evil, devil-worshipping enemies of society, whose very existence is a danger to our young people.
The popularity of witchcraft has never been greater, especially among young people, who are taking up the challenges of the craft in ever increasing numbers. Yet the current image of witchcraft, despite its popularity and all the cozy images of the commercialized Halloween, is still not particularly positive.
Witchcraft: A Secret History looks behind the scenes of this history— from Babylonian gods to King Solomon, from the Roman Empire to Puritan New England—to explain how and why witches got the reputation they have. Along the way it will chart how they have had to fight for their survival and for their identity
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LilithThe Sumerians had a demon known as Lilitu. The equivalent in Hebrew culture was Lilith. She, too, was depicted as a demon of the night, fl ying out to strangle or kidnap newborn children or sleeping with men to produce demonic children. |
Goddess of the HuntThe story goes that, while still young, Diana displayed such a love of the wild that her father gave her a bow and arrow and a pack of hunting hounds so she could run through the wilderness, able to look after herself and to protect others. This is another important aspect of the goddess Diana: she is closely identified with helping out those who needed protection, in particular with helping those women who had been brutalized by men. |
Legends of EuropeA famous character of European legend who has occasionally been associated with Herne is Robin Hood. This English outlaw, who may or may not have been a real historical character, supposedly lived in the once-massive Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire in central England, from where he fought daily to take from the rich and give to the poor. |
Trial, Torture, and OrdealThe tortures used were horrific. Thumbscrews, red-hot irons, setting people alight, beatings, and immersing hands or feet in boiling oil were just some of them. If victims didn’t confess under torture it didn’t mean they were innocent: it meant, simply, that the Devil was helping them. |
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Increase and Cotton MatherIncrease Mather was a Puritan minister who held strong views on obedience to the Bible and all its teachings. A very influential person in the political arena, he helped to negotiate a new charter for the colony after the Glorious Revolution in England in 1688. Increase believed that the growing number of problems in New England, including disease, attacks from Indians, and the presence of witchcraft, were signs that God was displeased and that society needed to rediscover its moral purpose. |
The Case of John ProctorProctor was the first man to be accused of witchcraft in the Salem trials and was a victim of his own outspoken doubts about the presence of witchcraft. Before his trial Proctor alleged that torture had been used to gain some confessions of witchcraft, and he appealed to clergy in Boston who were known to be sympathetic. Nonetheless, he was tried, convicted on “spectral evidence” of charges that he practiced witchcraft, and executed; though his wife Elizabeth escaped hanging because she was pregnant at the time. |
The Civil Servant: Gerald GardnerWhen the religion of Wicca emerged in Britain in the early 1950s, its early adherents maintained that it was a direct, surviving descendant of an ancient fertility cult which had worshipped a goddess and a horned god, and that this tradition had lasted through the dark days of the Burning Times and been preserved in one or two covens in England. |
Feminism and WitchcraftIt is hard to overemphasize the importance of feminism in its influence on Wicca fi rst in America, then in the rest of the world. In effect, Wicca became the spiritual dimension of feminism, while feminism strengthened Wicca’s social and political identity. The combination of these two activations was to transform the nature of modern witchcraft. |
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Reviews with images
Loved it
This book is an expansive history of witchcraft. The author didn't just focus on the Burning Times and witch trials, but also explored some of the ancient history and more modern history.The book is well written, too. I expected it to be a bit dry, being a history book, but it wasn't. I really enjoyed reading it.I also like that the author threw in tidbits about Wicca and what it really means. I especially loved the line "It is impossible for witches to be Satanists, since they do not believe in the Christian God-Devil duality."Also, some small things that I appreciated. The font is easy to read, no eye straining. The size of the book is perfect, I read the whole thing in one sitting and my hands didn't go numb.One complaint, the orange and black color scheme is not my favorite. The author would do better to just do everything in black and white.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2020
This easily digestible read is informative, beautifully illustrated and well researched for a broad view of one of the world’s oldest practices.
I had always had a small interest in the history of witchcraft and it’s origins and this book does a great job of covering the ancient beginnings up through modern society. This book would be voluminous if it covered minutia details of the history of witchcraft but, this book is meant to cover with the highlights versus detailed history. What I loved the most was the illustrations to go along with the storytelling. It really gives you the insight into what you are reading.
Would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an overview of the history of witchcraft.
I had always had a small interest in the history of witchcraft and it’s origins and this book does a great job of covering the ancient beginnings up through modern society. This book would be voluminous if it covered minutia details of the history of witchcraft but, this book is meant to cover with the highlights versus detailed history. What I loved the most was the illustrations to go along with the storytelling. It really gives you the insight into what you are reading.
Would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an overview of the history of witchcraft.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2006
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2020
This book is an expansive history of witchcraft. The author didn't just focus on the Burning Times and witch trials, but also explored some of the ancient history and more modern history.
The book is well written, too. I expected it to be a bit dry, being a history book, but it wasn't. I really enjoyed reading it.
I also like that the author threw in tidbits about Wicca and what it really means. I especially loved the line "It is impossible for witches to be Satanists, since they do not believe in the Christian God-Devil duality."
Also, some small things that I appreciated. The font is easy to read, no eye straining. The size of the book is perfect, I read the whole thing in one sitting and my hands didn't go numb.
One complaint, the orange and black color scheme is not my favorite. The author would do better to just do everything in black and white.
The book is well written, too. I expected it to be a bit dry, being a history book, but it wasn't. I really enjoyed reading it.
I also like that the author threw in tidbits about Wicca and what it really means. I especially loved the line "It is impossible for witches to be Satanists, since they do not believe in the Christian God-Devil duality."
Also, some small things that I appreciated. The font is easy to read, no eye straining. The size of the book is perfect, I read the whole thing in one sitting and my hands didn't go numb.
One complaint, the orange and black color scheme is not my favorite. The author would do better to just do everything in black and white.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2020
Top reviews from other countries
Paul M.
An excellent non biased book full of illustrations and easy to ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2016Meghan
THESE BLACK CATS HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE BAG FOR A WHILE...
Reviewed in Canada on July 28, 2020