BEYOND THE WITCH TRIALS: WITCHCRAFT AND MAGIC IN ENLIGHTENMENT EUROPE; ED. BY OWEN DAVIES

Beyond the Witch Trials is an important volume on the nature of witchcraft and magic in European society during the Enlightenment. This innovative book provides the reader with a challenging variety of approaches and sources of information, as well as advancing the study of witchcraft into the eighteenth century.The essays cover England, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Germany, Scotland, Finland and Sweden, and examine the experience of and attitudes towards witchcraft in those countries. The contributors come from different academic disciplines and move beyond the usual historical perspectives and sources.They emphasize the importance of studying such themes as the aftermath of witch trials, the continued role of cunning-folk in society, and the nature of the witchcraft discourse in different social contexts.tags: nonfiction | history | witchcraft | witches | Enlightment | 17th century | 18th century"This is a fine collection of essays on an important topic in witchcraft studies.The study of the persistence of witchcraft beliefs and accusations during a period of enlightenment has only recently begun, and these essays make a substantial contribution to that enterprise." - Brian P. Levack, University of Texas at Austin Beyond The Witch Trials Is A Volume On The Nature Of Witchcraft And Magic In European Society During The Enlightenment. This Book Provides The Reader With A Variety Of Approaches And Sources Of Information, As Well As Advancing The Study Of Witchcraft Into The Eighteenth Century. This Book Will Be Essential Reading For Those Interested In The Decline Of The European Witch Trials And The Continued Importance Of Witchcraft And Magic During The Enlightenment.--jacket. Introduction : Beyond The Witch Trials / Owen Davies And Willem De Blécourt -- Marking (dis)order : Witchcraft And The Symbolics Of Hierarchy In Late Seventeenth- And Early Eighteenth-century Finland / Raisa Maria Toivo -- Pro Exoneratione Sua Propria Coscientia : Magic, Witchcraft And Church In Early Eighteenth-century Capua / Augusto Ferraiuolo -- From Illusion To Disenchantment : Feijoo Versus The 'falsely Possessed' In Eighteenth-century Spain / María Tausiet -- Responses To Witchcraft In Late Seventeenth- And Eighteenth-century Sweden. The Aftermath Of The Witch-hunt In Dalarna / Marie Lennersand ; The Superstitious Other / Linda Oja -- Witchcraft And Magic In Eighteenth-century Scotland / Peter Maxwell-stuart -- The Devil's Pact : A Male Strategy / Soili-maria Olli -- Public Infidelity And Private Belief? The Discourse Of Spirits In Enlightenment Bristol / Jonathan Barry -- 'evil People' : A Late Eighteenth-century Dutch Witch Doctor And His Clients / Willem De Blécourt -- The Archaeology Of Counter-witchcraft And Popular Magic / Brian Hoggard -- The Dissemination Of Magical Knowledge In Enlightenment Germany. The Supernatural And The Development Of Print Culture / Sabine Doering-manteuffel ; Grimoires And The Transmission Of Magical Knowledge / Stephan Bachter. Edited By Owen Davies And Willem De Blécourt. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Beyond the witch trials provides an important collection of essays on the nature of witchcraft and magic in European society during the Enlightenment. The book is innovative not only because it pushes forward the study of witchcraft into the eighteenth century, but because it provides the reader with a challenging variety of different approaches and sources of information. The essays, which cover England, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Germany, Scotland, Finland and Sweden, examine the experience of and attitudes towards witchcraft from both above and below. While they demonstrate the continued widespread fear of witches amongst the masses, they also provide a corrective to the notion that intellectual society lost interest in the question of witchcraft. While witchcraft prosecutions were comparatively rare by the mid-eighteenth century, the intellectual debate did no disappear; it either became more private or refocused on such issues as possession. The contributors come from different academic disciplines, and by borrowing from literary theory, archaeology and folklore they move beyond the usual historical perspectives and sources. They emphasise the importance of studying such themes as the aftermath of witch trials, the continued role of cunning-folk in society, and the nature of the witchcraft discourse in different social contexts. This book will be essential reading for those interested in the decline of the European witch trials and the continued importance of witchcraft and magic during the Enlightenment. More generally it will appeal to those with a lively interest in the cultural history of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This is the first of a two-volume set of books looking at the phenomenon of witchcraft, magic and the occult in Europe since the seventeenth century. CONTENTS......Page 6 CONTRIBUTORS......Page 8 Introduction: beyond the witch trials / Owen Davies and Willem de Blécourt......Page 10 1 Marking (dis)order: witchcraft and the symbolics of hierarchy in late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century Finland / Raisa Maria Toivo......Page 18 2 Pro exoneratione sua propria coscientia: magic, witchcraft and Church in early eighteenth-century Capua / Augusto Ferraiuolo......Page 35 3 From illusion to disenchantment: Feijoo versus the ‘falsely possessed’ in eighteenth-century Spain / María Tausiet......Page 54 4 Responses to witchcraft in late seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Sweden: The aftermath of the witch-hunt in Dalarna / Marie Lennersand......Page 70 5 Witchcraft and magic in eighteenth-century Scotland / Peter Maxwell-Stuart......Page 90 6 The Devil’s pact: a male strategy / Soili-Maria Olli......Page 109 7 Public infidelity and private belief? The discourse of spirits in Enlightenment Bristol / Jonathan Barry......Page 126 8 ‘Evil people’: a late eighteenth-century Dutch witch doctor and his clients / Willem de Blécourt......Page 153 9 The archaeology of counter-witchcraft and popular magic / Brian Hoggard......Page 176 10 The dissemination of magical knowledge in Enlightenment Germany: The supernatural and the development of print culture / Sabine Doering-Manteuffel......Page 196 INDEX......Page 216