ISBN European Magic and Witchcraft: A Reader book English 480 pages

Magic, witches, and demons have drawn interest and fear throughout human history. In this comprehensive primary source reader, Martha Rampton traces the history of our fascination with magic and witchcraft from the first through to the seventeenth century. In over 80 readings presented chronologically, Rampton demonstrates how understandings of and reactions toward magic changed and developed over time, and how these ideas were influenced by various factors such as religion, science, and law. The wide-ranging texts emphasize social history and include early Merovingian law codes, the Picatrix, Lombard’s Sentences, The Golden Legend, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By presenting a full spectrum of source types including hagiography, law codes, literature, and handbooks, this collection provides readers with a broad view of how magic was understood through the medieval and early modern eras.Rampton’s introduction to the volume is a passionate appeal to students to use tolerance, imagination, and empathy when travelling back in time. The introductions to individual readings are deliberately minimal, providing just enough context so that students can hear medieval voices for themselves.

Martha Rampton is Professor of History at Pacific University. She concentrates on the early medieval period with an emphasis on social history and the activities and roles of women. She is the founder and director of the Pacific University Center for Gender Equality.

"Anyone looking for significant attention paid to the medieval period, and especially the earlier medieval centuries, will find it here. And for the late medieval and early modern periods, its attention to different kinds of sources, especially its mix of literature and drama along with legal and demonological texts, is a welcome addition." Michael D. Bailey, Iowa State UniversityThe Medieval Review"A stupendous contribution to an already outstanding series of thematic primary source readers. Gripping selections from theological, legal, literary, artistic, and, of course, magical sources demonstrate the many ways people have conceived of and reacted to the occult and supernatural. This reader will be indispensable for all students of the history of premodern European magic and witchcraft."Michael A. Ryan, University of New Mexico"Anyone seeking an anthology of magic and witchcraft sources that spans the full temporal range from antiquity to the early modern period need look no further. The well-considered study questions that appear at the end of each reading make this collection perfect for the classroom."David Porreca, University of Waterloo"This is a wonderful collection of sources on witchcraft and magic in the medieval and early modern periods. It is quite thorough, including excerpts from many key texts on witchcraft and witch-hunting and covering a very wide temporal range, and would be very useful as a teaching aide as well as for general research on these topics." Sierra Dye, University of Guelph