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A HISTORY OF

WITCHCRAFT

Sorcerers, Heretics, and Pagans


By

Jeffrey B. Russell


WITH 94 ILLUSTRATIONS



LONDON

Thames & Hudson

1980

First Edition





Book Specification 


Format Cloth bound hard back book with dust jacket

Language English

Pagination 192

Book Size Octavo

Approx. Book Dimensions (Width, Height, Depth) in mm 182 x 245 x 18

Approx weight (grammes) 577g

(I)SBN 0 904041 76 X

Date This Edition Published 1980 [First Edition]

Date Of Original Publication 1980



Condition / Description 

(please see foot of listing for rating key) 


VERY GOOD : dust jacket lightly rubbed, minor edge creases, light indentations, minor water stain along lower edge shows on reverse, unclipped ; book is hard cover bound in original purple cloth stamped in gilt on upper panel & spine, shelf rubbing, light bumps to corners & spine ends, page ends a little toned, light stain along bottom edge of front board, hinges strong, binding firm, no inscriptions, couple of spots on front endpaper, faint stain at lower edge at gutter shows to first twenty pages, to about p.40 slight ripple at lower edge of pages from historic minor moisture exposure, slight toning to paper stock, one or two light marks



A History of Witchcraft, Sorcerers, Heretics & Pagans


With 94 Illustrations


The witch-craze that swept through Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries cost the lives of over 100,000 people. Sorcerers in many parts of the world today are still feared for their magic powers.

Modern witches in the West participate in a serious religion. Yet, for such an important aspect of human experience, il is surprising how little sustained critical study there has been of witchcraft as a whole - in all its historical, anthropological and religious manifestations. Now, in this lucid and thought-provoking book, Professor Russell provides the comprehensive account that has long been needed.


Drawing fruitful comparisons between modern sorcery and that of the ancient world the book shows how the European witch-craze developed out of a combination of ancient sorcery with medieval Christian heresy (Catharism, Waldensianism), paganism, folklore, scholastic theology and inquisitorial trials. Whether the diabolical witchcraft that men and women went to the stake for ever existed is open to question. What matters more is that it was believed to exist - by intellectuals and peasants alike. When this world view became discredited with the growth of empirical scientific knowledge in the late seventeenth century, the witch-craze rapidly died out. Modern witchcraft, the author argues, has nothing whatsoever to do with this diabolical witchcraft: it is in fact a substantial religion, based on the worship of the ancient gods, that has much to offer as an alternative to orthodox religion on the one hand, and to atheism and materialism on the other.


Jeffrey B. Russell is Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has written several important books on the history of witch-craft, demonology and Christianity, including A History of Medieval Christianity (1968), Witchcraft in the Middle Ages (1972) and The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity (1977).


This is the First Edition, published in London by Thames & Hudson, 1980.



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Definitions of the Condition of a Book 


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MINT (M): Without faults or defects, unread, in the same immaculate condition in which it was published (Note: very few 'new' books qualify for this grade, as many times there will be rubs/scuffs to the dust jackets from shipping, or bumped lower spine ends/corners from shelving). 


FINE (F): Approaches the above, but not crisp. May have been carefully read and dust jacket may have been slightly rubbed or spine ends slightly bumped from shelving/shipping, but no real defects or faults. 


(NOTE: From here on, there may be '+' and '-' in a grade, which will mean that it is above the grade noted but not quite to the next higher grade for '+', and that it is below the grade noted but not quite to the next lower grade for '-'. 


NEAR FINE: A book or dust jacket approaching FINE but with a couple of very minor defects or faults. 


VERY GOOD: A used book showing some small signs of wear on either binding or dust jacket. Any defects/faults must be noted. 


GOOD: The average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted. 


FAIR: A worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title page, etc. (which must be noted). Binding, dust jacket, etc. may also be worn. All defects/faults must be noted. 


POOR / READING COPY: A book that is sufficiently worn that its only merit is the complete text, which must be legible. Any missing maps or plates should still be noted. May be soiled, scuffed, stained, or spotted, and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc. 


EX-LIBRARY: Will always be designated as such no matter what the condition of the book. 


BOOK CLUB: Will always be noted as such no matter what the condition of the book. 


BINDING COPY: A book in which the pages or leaves are perfect but the binding is very bad, loose, off, or non-existent. 


Always, if issued with one, the lack of a dust jacket or slipcase will be noted. 



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