Witchcraft in the Middle Ages
- Available
- Backordered, shipping soon
How did scattered beliefs about sorcery, demons, heresy, and forbidden magic gradually coalesce into the terrifying figure of the European witch?
In this landmark historical study, medieval scholar Jeffrey Burton Russell traces the development of witchcraft in Western Europe from the fifth through the fifteenth century. Drawing upon theological writings, legal records, chronicles, folklore, and accounts of heretical movements, Russell examines the long and complicated process through which older traditions of magic became entangled with Christian ideas of Satan, apostasy, and demonic conspiracy.
Rather than treating medieval witchcraft as a single, unchanging tradition, Russell carefully reconstructs its many constituent elements: pagan survivals, popular sorcery, learned demonology, ecclesiastical anxieties, accusations of nocturnal gatherings, and the persecution of religious dissent. Of particular importance is his argument that the fully developed concept of diabolical witchcraft emerged within the distinctive religious and social environment of medieval Christianity—especially through its confrontation with heresy.
Rigorous yet highly readable, Witchcraft in the Middle Ages remains an essential work for understanding the intellectual and cultural foundations of the later European witch trials. It will appeal to historians, medievalists, folklorists, students of demonology, and serious readers interested in the darker currents of Western esoteric and religious history.
A foundational volume for any substantial library of witchcraft, magic, demonology, or medieval studies.
We ship via USPS within the continental United States. Orders are packed with care appropriate to the item and typically dispatched within 1–2 business days.
All rare and antiquarian sales are final unless an item was materially misrepresented. Non-rare titles may be returned within 14 days in original condition.
For full details, see our Shipping & Returns page.