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The Oxford handbook of witchcraft in early modern Europe and colonial America / edited by Brian P. Levack.
The essays in this handbook, written by leading scholars working in the rapidly developing field of witchcraft studies, explore the historical literature regarding witch beliefs and witch trials in Europe and colonial America between the early fifteenth and early eighteenth centuries. During these years witches were thought to be evil people who used magical power to inflict physical harm or misfortune on their neighbours. Witches were also believed to have made pacts with the devil and sometimes to have worshipped him at nocturnal assemblies known as sabbaths. These beliefs provided the basis for defining witchcraft as a secular and ecclesiastical crime and prosecuting tens of thousands of women and men for this offence. The trials resulted in as many as fifty thousand executions. These essays study the rise and fall of witchcraft prosecutions in the various kingdoms and territories of Europe and in English, Spanish, and Portuguese colonies in the Americas.
Record details
- ISBN: 0199578168
- ISBN: 9780199578160
- Physical Description: xiv, 630 pages ; 25 cm.
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2013.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Series statement on jacket. |
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Introduction / Brian P. Levack -- Part I: Witch beliefs. Magic and its hazards in the late medieval West / Richard Kieckhefer ; Fifteenth-century witch beliefs / Hans Peter Broedel ; Popular witch beliefs and magical practices / Edward Bever ; Demonologies / Gerhild Scholz Williams ; Sabbath stories: towards a new history of witches' assemblies / Willem de Blécourt ; The sceptical tradition / Walter Stephens ; Witchcraft in early modern literature / Diane Purkiss ; Images of witchcraft in early modern Europe / Charles Zika -- Part II: Witchcraft prosecutions. The first wave of trials for diabolical witchcraft / Richard Kieckhefer ; The German witch trials / Thomas Robisheaux ; Witchcraft and the local communities: the Rhine-Moselle region / Robin Briggs ; Witchcraft trials in France / William Monter ; Witchcraft and wealth: the case of the Netherlands / Hans de Waardt ; Witchcraft prosecutions in Italy / Tamar Herzig ; Witchcraft in Iberia / William Monter ; Witchcraft trials in England / Malcolm Gaskill ; Witchcraft in Scotland / Julian Goodare ; Witchcraft in Poland: milk and malefice / Michael Ostling ; Witch-hunting in early modern Hungary / Ildikó Sz. Kristóf ; Witchcraft trials in Russia: history and historiography / Valerie Kivelson ; Witchcraft criminality and witchcraft research in the Nordic countries / Rune Blix Hagen ; Witchcraft in British America / Richard Godbeer ; Merging magical traditions: sorcery and witchcraft in Spanish and Portuguese America / Iris Gareis ; The decline and end of witchcraft prosecutions / Brian P. Levack -- Part III: Themes of witchcraft research. Witchcraft and gender in early modern Europe / Alison Rowlands ; Witchcraft and the law / Brian P. Levack ; Sixteenth-century religious reform and the witch-hunts / Gary K. Waite ; On the neuropsychological origins of witchcraft cognition: the geographic and economic variable / Oscar Di Simplicio ; Politics, state-building, and witch-hunting / Johannes Dillinger ; Science and witchcraft / Peter Elmer ; Medicine and witchcraft / Peter Elmer ; Demonic possession, exorcism, and witchcraft / Sarah Ferber. |
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| Subject: | Witch hunting > History. Trials (Witchcraft) > History. Witchcraft > History. |
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Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Kirtland Community College.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirtland Community College Library | BF 1571 .O94 2013 | 30775305505571 | General Collection | Available | - |
The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America
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Table of Contents
The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America
| Section | Section Description | Page Number |
|---|---|---|
| List of Tables | p. viii | |
| Notes on Contributors | p. ix | |
| Introduction Brian P. Levack | p. 1 | |
| Part I | Witch Beliefs | |
| 1 | Magic and its Hazards in the Late Medieval West Richard Kieckhefer | p. 13 |
| 2 | Fifteenth-Century Witch Beliefs Hans Peter Broedel | p. 32 |
| 3 | Popular Witch Beliefs and Magical Practices Edward Bever | p. 50 |
| 4 | Demonologies Gerhild Scholz Williams | p. 69 |
| 5 | Sabbath Stories: Towards a New History of Witches' Assemblies Willem de Blécourt | p. 84 |
| 6 | The Sceptical Tradition Walter Stephens | p. 101 |
| 7 | Witchcraft in Early Modern Literature Diane Purkiss | p. 122 |
| 8 | Images of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe Charles Zika | p. 141 |
| Part II | Witchcraft Prosecutions | |
| 9 | The First Wave of Trials for Diabolical Witchcraft Richard Kieckhefer | p. 159 |
| 10 | The German Witch Trials Thomas Robisheaux | p. 179 |
| 11 | Witchcraft and the Local Communities: The Rhine-Moselle Region Robin Briggs | p. 199 |
| 12 | Witchcraft Trials in France William Monter | p. 218 |
| 13 | Witchcraft and Wealth: The Case of the Netherlands Hans de Waardt | p. 232 |
| 14 | Witchcraft Prosecutions in Italy Tamar Herzig | p. 249 |
| 15 | Witchcraft in Iberia William Monter | p. 268 |
| 16 | Witchcraft Trials in England Malcolm Gaskill | p. 283 |
| 17 | Witchcraft in Scotland Julian Goodare | p. 300 |
| 18 | Witchcraft in Poland: Milk and Malefice Michael Ostling | p. 318 |
| 19 | Witch-Hunting in Early Modern Hungary Ildikó Sz. Kristóf | p. 334 |
| 20 | Witchcraft Trials in Russia: History and Historiography Valerie Kivelson | p. 355 |
| 21 | Witchcraft Criminality and Witchcraft Research in the Nordic Countries Rune Blix Hagen | p. 375 |
| 22 | Witchcraft in British America Richard Godbeer | p. 393 |
| 23 | Merging Magical Traditions: Sorcery and Witchcraft in Spanish and Portuguese America Iris Gareis | p. 412 |
| 24 | The Decline and End of Witchcraft Prosecutions Brian P. Levack | p. 429 |
| Part III | Themes of Witchcraft Research | |
| 25 | Witchcraft and Gender in Early Modern Europe Alison Rowlands | p. 449 |
| 26 | Witchcraft and the Law Brian P. Levack | p. 468 |
| 27 | Sixteenth-Century Religious Reform and the Witch-Hunts Gary K. Waite | p. 485 |
| 28 | On the Neuropsychological Origins of Witchcraft Cognition: The Geographic and Economic Variable Oscar Di Simplicio | p. 507 |
| 29 | Politics, State-Building, and Witch-Hunting Johannes Dillinger | p. 528 |
| 30 | Science and Witchcraft Peter Elmer | p. 548 |
| 31 | Medicine and Witchcraft Peter Elmer | p. 561 |
| 32 | Demonic Possession, Exorcism, and Witchcraft Sarah Ferber | p. 575 |
| Index | p. 593 |
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