Witchcraft and belief in Early Modern Scotland (Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic)

This book is a collection of essays on Scottish witchcraft. Unlike most such works, it concentrates on witchcraft beliefs rather than witch-hunting. It ranges widely across areas of popular belief, culture, and ritual practice, as well as dealing with intellectual life and incorporating regional and comparative elements. The editors were members of the team responsible for the recently-completed Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, and the book incorporates a number of pioneering findings from this rich online resource. Witchcraft Has Almost Always Had An Important Place In People's Belief Systems, Helping Them To Organise And Understand Their Ideas About Community And Neighbourliness, Good And Evil, Harm And Healing, And God And The Devil. These Ideas Took A Different Shape And Form Over Time And Place. In Early Modern Europe These Beliefs Became Matters Of Life Or Death. What Were The Beliefs Behind The Witchcraft Prosecutions Of Early Modern Scotland? What Was Their Wider Import In Scottish Society And Culture? A Collection Of Essays On Scottish Witchcraft Belief, This Book Ranges Across Areas Of Popular Belief, Culture And Ritual Practice, As Well As Dealing With Intellectual Life And Incorporating Regional And Comparative Elements. The Editors Were Members Of The Team Responsible For The Recently-completed Survey Of Scottish Witchcraft, And The Book Incorporates A Number Of Findings From This Online Resource.--jacket. Introduction / By Julian Goodare And Joyce Miller -- Scottish Witchcraft In Its European Context / By Julian Goodare -- Some Findings From The Survey Of Scottish Witchcraft / By Lauren Martin And Joyce Miller -- Witch Persecution And Popular Belief In Lowland Scotland : The Devil's Decade / By Edward J. Cowan -- Witch Hunting And Witch Belief In The Gidhealtachd / By Lizanne Henderson -- Scottish Witchcraft Panics Re-examined / By Lauren Martin -- Men In Black : Appearances Of The Devil In Early Modern Scottish Witchcraft Discourse / By Joyce Miller -- Demonic Possession In Early Modern Scotland / By Brian P. Levack -- A Comparative Perspective On Scottish Cunning-folk And Charmers / By Owen Davies -- The Mechanical World-view And The Decline Of Witch-beliefs In Scotland / By Michael Wasser -- Charms Against Witchcraft : Magic And Mischief In Museum Collections / By Hugh Cheape. Edited By Julian Goodare, Lauren Martin And Joyce Miller. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 249-251) And Index. This pioneering collection concentrates on witchcraft beliefs rather than witch-hunting. It ranges widely across areas of popular belief, culture and ritual practice, as well as dealing with intellectual life and incorporating regional and comparative elements. Witchcraft has almost always had an important place in people's belief systems, helping them to organise and understand their ideas about community and neighbourliness, good and evil, harm and healing, and indeed God and the Devil. These ideas took different shape and form over time and place. In early modern Europe these beliefs became matters of life or death. What were the beliefs behind the witchcraft prosecutions of early modern Scotland? What was their wider import in Scottish society and culture? The book is a collection of essays on Scottish witchcraft belief. It ranges widely across areas of popular belief, culture and ritual practice, as well as dealing with intellectual life and incorporating regional and comparative elements. The editors were members of the team responsible for the recently-completed Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, and the book incorporates a number of pioneering findings from this rich online resource Cover 1 Contents 6 List of Figures and Tables 8 Preface 9 Series Foreword 10 Abbreviations 11 Contributors 12 Introduction 15 1 Scottish Witchcraft in its European Context 40 2 Some Findings from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft 65 3 Witch Persecution and Folk Belief in Lowland Scotland: The Devil’s Decade 85 4 Witch Hunting and Witch Belief in the Gàidhealtachd 109 5 Scottish Witchcraft Panics Re-examined 133 6 Men in Black: Appearances of the Devil in Early Modern Scottish Witchcraft Discourse 158 7 Demonic Possession in Early Modern Scotland 180 8 A Comparative Perspective on Scottish Cunning-Folk and Charmers 199 9 The Mechanical World-View and the Decline of Witch Beliefs in Scotland 220 10 ‘Charms against Witchcraft’: Magic and Mischief in Museum Collections 241 Further Reading 263 Index 266 A 266 B 266 C 267 D 268 E 269 F 270 G 270 H 271 I 271 J 271 K 271 L 272 M 272 N 274 O 275 P 275 Q 275 R 275 S 276 T 277 U 277 V 277 W 277 Y 278 Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Introduction....Pages 1-25 Scottish Witchcraft in its European Context....Pages 26-50 Some Findings from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft....Pages 51-70 Witch Persecution and Folk Belief in Lowland Scotland: The Devil’s Decade....Pages 71-94 Witch-Hunting and Witch Belief in the G`idhealtachd....Pages 95-118 Scottish Witchcraft Panics Re-examined....Pages 119-143 Men in Black: Appearances of the Devil in Early Modern Scottish Witchcraft Discourse....Pages 144-165 Demonic Possession in Early Modern Scotland....Pages 166-184 A Comparative Perspective on Scottish Cunning-Folk and Charmers....Pages 185-205 The Mechanical World-View and the Decline of Witch Beliefs in Scotland....Pages 206-226 ‘Charms against Witchcraft’: Magic and Mischief in Museum Collections....Pages 227-248 Back Matter....Pages 249-264