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Witchcraft, Demonology and Magic
Witchcraft and magic are topics of enduring interest for many reasons. The main one lies in their extraordinary interdisciplinarity: anthropologists, folklorists, historians, and more have contributed to build a body of work of extreme variety and consistence. Of course, this also means that the subjects themselves are not easy to assess. In a very general way, we can define witchcraft as a supernatural means to cause harm, death, or misfortune, while magic also belongs to the field of supernatural, or at least esoteric knowledge, but can be used to less dangerous effects (e.g., divination and astrology). In Western civilization, however, the witch hunt has set a very peculiar perspective in...
Prognostication in the Medieval World
Two opposing views of the future in the Middle Ages dominate recent historical scholarship. According to one opinion, medieval societies were expecting the near end of the world and therefore had no concept of the future. According to the other opinion, the expectation of the near end created a drive to change the world for the better and thus for innovation. Close inspection of the history of prognostication reveals the continuous attempts and multifold methods to recognize and interpret God’s will, the prodigies of nature, and the patterns of time. That proves, on the one hand, the constant human uncertainty facing the contingencies of the future. On the other hand, it demonstrates the f...
Becoming a Witch
This book is not about witches. First of all, because it focuses on the Middle Ages. And, despite common misconceptions among the general public, the figure of the witch as a woman who seals a pact with the Devil is not a "medieval" invention. Becoming a Witch explores the feminization of what civil and religious authorities defined as "magic" in medieval times. It looks into the complex connections between women, the natural, the supernatural, and the tragedy of existence. The chapters in this book span from the far north of Europe to the Mediterranean area, and investigate topics such as divination, erotic "magic", flying and dancing bodies, cannibalism, milk-stealing witchcraft, the circulation of "superstitious" knowledge among women, Otherness, agency, and, last but not least, contemporary representations of the witch in books, TV series, and cinema productions. From whom did women learn their beliefs and remedies? Were they really in contact with demons? Were they a social threat? And, most importantly, should men fear and stop them?
Women and Magic in Medieval Romance
Explores the conventions and contradictions inherent in archetypes of magical femininity - from loathly ladies to monstrous mothers - in a range of popular late medieval English romances. The female characters in Middle English romances with particular power and agency are often portrayed as supernatural, possessing either magical abilities or identities. This book argues that a genre-focused reading of these supernatural women reveals romance's strategies for working through and articulating anxieties about the changing world of the late medieval period, as well as exposing their contemporary audiences' unexpectedly flexible attitudes toward feminine authority and moral ambiguity. It explor...
A History of West Bromwich
"If I have saved one dingle fact of the far off past from being lost, or have thrown any light on that which was doubtful on our local traditions, I shall not have spent the time occupied in writing this record altogether in vain." A wonderful record of the rich history of West Bromwich and the surrounding area. A fine addition to the bookshelf of any one interested in the local history of the Black Country. Originally published in 1882. It includes a wealth of information of the families connected with the town, parish records, the history of Sandwell House and much more.
Performing Magic in the Pre-Modern North
This book addresses the varied performances of magic in medieval and early modern Scandinavia. It provides a comprehensive review of the rapidly expanding field of European magic and specifically discusses performances of magic in the pre-modern north. By employing innovating methodologies and covering a wide temporal range, the book offers a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to the study of magic in the pre-modern North. In addition, the minority-driven contributions, written by an international group of dynamic and diverse scholars, complement one another to highlight the many multicultural realities of the pre-modern North.
The Mage's Images: Heinrich Khunrath in His Oratory and Laboratory, Volume 4
This is the 4th volume in a 4-volume work entitled The Mage’s Images. The work provides the first in-depth examination of the life and works of Heinrich Khunrath (1560–1605), ‘one of the great Hermetic philosophers’, whose Amphitheatre of Eternal Wisdom (1595/1609) has been described as ‘one of the most important books in the whole literature of theosophical alchemy and the occult sciences’. Khunrath is best known for his novel combination of ‘scripture and picture’ in the complex engravings in his Amphitheatre. In this richly illustrated monograph, Forshaw analyses occult symbolism, with previously unpublished material, offering insight into Khunrath’s insistence on the necessary combination of alchemy, magic, and cabala in ‘Oratory and Laboratory’.
The New Los Angeles Poets
This anthology offers selections from the works of 57 Los Angeles poets, continuing a long tradition of publishing by independent presses.
