The Routledge History of Witchcraft is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary study of the belief in witches from antiquity to the present day, providing both an introduction to the subject of witchcraft and an overview of the on-going debates.

This extensive collection covers the entire breadth of the history of witchcraft, from the witches of Ancient Greece and medieval demonology through to the victims of the witch hunts, and onwards to children's books, horror films, and modern pagans. Drawing on the knowledge and expertise of an international team of authors, the book examines differing concepts of witchcraft that still exist in society and explains their historical, literary, religious, and anthropological origin and development, including the reflections and adaptions of this belief in art and popular culture. The volume is divided into four chronological parts, beginning with Antiquity and the Middle Ages in Part One, Early Modern witch hunts in Part Two, modern concepts of witchcraft in Part Three, and ending with an examination of witchcraft and the arts in Part Four. Each chapter offers a glimpse of a different version of the witch, introducing the reader to the diversity of witches that have existed in different contexts throughout history.

Exploring a wealth of texts and case studies and offering a broad geographical scope for examining this fascinating subject, The Routledge History of Witchcraft is essential reading for students and academics interested in the history of witchcraft.

About the Author

Johannes Dillinger is Professor of Early Modern History at Oxford Brookes University. He has published widely on witchcraft and magic, political crime, and constitutional history. His previous publications include Hexen und Magie (2018) and Magical Treasure Hunting in Europe and North America (2012).

Reviews

'The history of witchcraft, once narrowly focused on early modern Europe, now ranges widely across time and territory, and reaches deeply into every nook and cranny of human activity and experience. This diverse collection of essays, by leading experts in their fields, both reflects this remarkable historiographical development and does full justice to the importance of the subject in the twenty-first century.'

Malcolm Gaskill, University of East Anglia

Book Information
ISBN 9781032082615
Author Johannes Dillinger
Format Paperback
Page Count 422
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 780g