GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON WITCH
BELIEFS & WITCH TRIALS
General Works
Brian Levack, The Witch-Hunt in
Early Modern Europe (1987)
Joseph Klaits, Servants of
Satan: The Age of the Witch Hunts (1985)
BFl566/K53/1985 - good, recent survey of witchhunts, with bibliography
H.R. Trevor Roper, European
Witch Craze of the 16th & 17th C.
- famous older essay: theory of thin "mountain air" as source of w/c
delusions
E. William Monter ed, European
W/C anthology of primary & secondary material
Alan Kors & Edward Peters, W/C
in Europe, 1100-1700:
A Documentary History- anthology of basic w/c documents; new edition 2001
Henry Charles Lea, Materials
Toward a History of W/C (3 vols) -
reference work; notes for his unwritten history of w/c, published posthumously
Anthropological background:
Lucy Mair, Witchcraft -
survey of anthropological literature
on African witchcraft; last chapter on European situation
Mary Douglas (ed) Witchcraft
Confessions & Accusations(1970)
articles drawing on diverse tribal belief systems
E.E. Evans Pritchard, Witchcraft,
Oracles & Magic among the Azande (1937) -
classic account of Azande witch beliefs
History of demonology:
Dictionary of Angels,
Including the Fallen Ones (Reference)
Jeffrey Burton Russell, The
Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to
Primitive Christianity (1977)
J. B. Russell, Satan: The
Early Christian Tradition (1981)
J. B. Russell, Lucifer:
The Devil in the Middle Ages (1984)
Entry on the Problem of Evil" in Encyclopedia of
Philosophy (Reference)
D.P. Walker, Unclean Spirits:
Possession & Exorcism in France & England (1981)
Fernando Cervantes, The Devil
in the New World: the impact of diabolism in
New Spain (1994) on demonization of new world peoples
W/C as fertility cult: Margaret Murray and her
critics
Margaret Murray, The Witch Cult
of Western Europe (1921) and The God of the Witches;
see also her article in Encylopedia Britannica 1929 edition
(through 1960's)
Arno Runeberg, Witches, Demons
and Fertility (1947)
Elliot Rose, A Razor for a Goat
(1962)
J. B. Russell, History of
Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics, Pagans (1980)
Chap on 20th C. Witch Revivals (Leland, Crowley, Gardner &
Wicca)
Norman Cohn, "The
Non-Existent Society of Witches," in
Europe's Inner Demons definitive critique of Murray
Carlo Ginzburg, Ecstasies:
Deciphering the Witches' Sabbath (1989 Italian/1991 English)
General reference
Richard
Golden (ed) Encyclopedia of Witchcraft (2006) BF1566
.E56 2006 v.1 -4
availalbe in
Suzzallo Reference Section for Library
Use Only (LUO)
Learned Magical Tradition and the Faust Legend
Palmer, P.M. and More, R.P., The
Sources of the Faust Tradition from Simon
Magus to Lessing (1936):
primary sources for Faust legend
Frances Yates, Giordano Bruno
and the Hermetic Tradition (espec first half)
Richard Kieckhefer, Magic in
the Middle Ages(1990)
Valerie Flint, Magic in the
Early Middle Ages
Wayne Shumaker, Occult Sciences
in the Renaissance
Medieval Witch Beliefs Norman
Cohn Europe's Inner Demons: (1970)
Richard Kieckhefer, European
Witch Trials (Berkeley 1976)- important discussion of
pre-1500 trials; makes useful
distinctions between popular & learned witch beliefs
J. B. Russell, Witchcraft in
Middle Ages (1972) - general account of medieval events, but unlike
most other historians, Russell believes there really was a
"devil-worshipping sect" in Middle Ages
Edward Peters, The Magician,
the Witch and the Law: on extension of medieval legal jurisdiction over
sorcery and witchcraft
Sydney Anglo, "Evident
Authority & Authoritative Evidence: The Malleus Maleficarum,"
Sydney Anglo (ed) The Damned Art: Essays in the Literature of Witchcraft
(1977)
16TH & 17TH CENTURY WITCH TRIALS
England:
James Sharpe, Instruments of Darkness: Witchcraft in
Early Modern England
Keith Thomas, Religion &
the Decline of Magic (1971) (N.B.: 600+ pages)
work of major importance which re-interprets the relationship between late
medieval religion,
the Protestant Reformation and English witch trials; extensivediscussion of
magical beliefs &
astrology; important chapters on sociological context of English witchcraft
accusations
(especially Ch 15-16"The Making of a Witch")
Alan Macfarlane, Witchcraft in
Tudor-Stuart England (1970)
- important sociological/historical study of trials in Essex, 1560-1680; most
extensive
statistical analysis of patterns behind accusations, trials & convictions
for w/c, with
numerous variables examined (e.g. gender, class, place of origin)
Wallace Notestein, History of Witchcraft in England
1588-1718 (1911) - early but reliable general account
Scotland:
Christina Larner, Enemies of
God: Witch-Hunt in Scotland (1981) - sociologicallysophisticated studY of
witch trials; discussion of social perception of witchcraft as female crime.
Colonial America:
Boyer & Nissenbaum, Salem
Possessed - examines social patterns underlying
Salem accusations & trials
John Demos, Entertaining Satan:
Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England
(1982) - psychological & sociological approach to New England witch beliefs
John Demos, "Underlying
themes in w/c of l7th C. New England,"
American Historical Review Vol. 75 (1970) pp. 1311-1320
Carol Karlsen, The Devil in the
Shape of a Woman (1987): role of "anomalous"
property inheritance in accusations against New England women
Chadwick Hansen, Witchcraft at
Salem (1969)- general account of Salem trials
Marion Starkey, The Devil in
Massachusetts (1950)- general account of Salem trials
Richard Weisman, Witchcraft,
Magic and Religion in 17th Century Massachusetts
(1984) - good sociological study of pre-Salem trials
Marc Mappen, Witches & Historians: Interpretations of
Salem (1980) BFl576/M34
Germany: several other important titles in
German (references available)
H.C. Erik Midelfort, Witch-Hunting
in Southwestern Germany, 1562-1684 (1972) -
major work on German witch trials, good on large panic trials.
H.C. Erik Midelfort, "Were
there really witches?" in Robert M. Kingdon (ed.) Transition & Revolution
in
Early Modern Europe (1974) -
concise attempt to answer this basic question in German context
Christopher Friedrichs, Urban
Society in Age of War: Nordlingen
1580-1720 (1979) -chap on witch trials
R.J.W. Evans, Making of
Hapsburg Monarchy (1979) - chapter on campaign against popular magic &
w/c
Kunze, The High Road to the
Stake (1986) - reconstruction of a single German witch trial.
Roper, Lyndal "Witchcraft
& Fantasy in Early Modern Germany,"History Workshop #32 (1991),
pp. 19-43 on post-partum accusations against "lying-in maids."
Now included in her Oedpius and the Devil.
Lyndal Roper, Witch Craze (2005)
on German witch trials, especially on role of older women
France & Switzerland:
Robert Muchembled, "The
Witches of the Cambresis, " in James Obelkevich, (ed.)
Religion & the People, 800-l700, (1979), pp. 22l-276: trials in NE
France near
Belgium where trial of Suzanne Gaudry occurred (Kors & Peters, #57)
Robin Briggs, Witches and
Neighbors (1996) excellent book on Duchy of Lorraine
R. Briggs, Communities of
Belief, on “spontaneous” confessions to diabolical pact Ch 1-3
E. William Monter, Witchcraft
in France & Switzerland (1976) focuses on 16th-17th
century trials in area of southwestern France known as Jura
E. William Monter, "Patterns
of W/C in the Jura," Journal of Social History Vol. II (1972) pp.
435-451
Spain:
Julio Caro Baroja, World of the Witches (1964) chap on Spanish trials
Gustav Henningsen, The Witches'
Advocate (1980) (N.B.: 600+ pages)
- massive study of the Spanish trials & Fra Alonso Salazar, Inquisitor who
put a stop
to witch-hunting in Spain in the early 17th century
Maria Tausiet, “Witchcraft as
Metaphor: Infanticide & its Translations in Aragon in 16-17th C”
Stuart Clark (ed), Languages of Witchcraft, pp 179-95
Italy:
Carlo Ginzburg, Night Battles:
W/C & Agrarian Cults in 16-17 C Italy (1983) on benandanti &
Inquisition
Ruth Martin, Witchcraft in
Venice, 1550-1650 (1988) - urban sorcery
Mary O'Neil, "Magical
Healing, Love Magic & Inquisition/16 C Modena," in
Stephen Haliczer, Inquisition & Soc in E Mod Europe (1987) pp.
88-114
William Monter, Ritual Myth and
Magic in Early Modern Europe
Midwives: (Harley,
Greilshammer & Green will be on e -reserve)
D. Harley, "Historians as
demonologists: the myth of the midwife-witch,"
Social History of Medicine, Vol 3 (1990) pp. 1-26 (Health Sci Libr)
Myriam Greilsammer, "The
midwife, the priest & the physician: subjugation of midwives in Low
Countries
Middle Ages,"Journal of Medieval & Ren. Studies, Vol. 21
(1991) pp. 285-323 (Suzz Periodicals)
Monica Green, "Women's
Medical Practice & Health in Medieval Europe,"
Signs: Journal of Women in Culture & Society Vol. 154 (1989) pp.
434-473
E. William Monter "The
Pedestal & the Stake: Courtly Love & Witchcraft, "
in Renata Bridenthal (ed), Becoming Visible: Women in European History
(1977) -
on ambivalent attitudes to women in European culture
Thomas Forbes, The Midwife
& the Witch (1966) -discusses the medical role of
midwives & how they frequently came to be accused as witches (dated use
with caution)
Gregory Zilboorg, The Medical
Man & the Witch during the Renaissance (1935) -
16th C. medicine & w/c theory
(dated; use with caution)
DEMONIC POSSESSION AND EXORCISM
Andre Goddu, "The Failure of
Exorcism in the Middle Ages," in Albert
Zimmermann and Dudrun Vuillemin-Diem (eds), Soziale Ordnungen
im Selvstverstandnis des Mittelalters, Miscellanea Mediaevalia, Vol. 12/2
(Berlin: De Gruyter, 1980), pp. 540-547. [HN11/K63/1978/v.2]
H.C. Erik Midelfort, "The
Devil and the German People: Reflections on
the Popularity of Demon Possession in Sixteenth Century Germany," in
Steven Ozment (ed.) Religion and Culture in the Renaissance and Reformation,
(1989), pp. 99-119 [Vol. XI of Sixteenth Century Essays and Studies].
[BL65/C8R443/1989]
H.C. Erik Midelfort,
"Catholic and Lutheran Reactions to Demon Possession/
Late l7th C: Two Case Studies," Daphnis Vol. l5 (1986), pp. 623-48.
H.C. Erik Midelfort, "Sin,
Melancholy, Obsession: Insanity and Culture in Sixteenth C.
Germany," in Steven Kaplan (ed), Understanding Popular Culture
(1984), pp. 113-146.
[CB203/U54/1989]
H.C. Erik Midelfort, "Madness
and Civilization in Early Modern Europe:
A Reappraisal of Michel Foucault," in Barbara Malament (ed.)
, After the Reformation: Essays in Honor of J.H. Hexter (1980)
Bodo Nischan, "The Exorcism
Controversy and Baptism in the Late
Reformation," Sixteenth Century Journal, Vol. l8 (1987), pp. 31-51.
Mary O'Neil, "Sacerdote
ovvero strione: Ecclesiastical and Superstitious
Remedies in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Italy," in Steven Kaplan
(ed)
Understanding Popular Culture (1984) pp 53-84. [CB203/U54/1989]
D.P. Walker, Unclean Spirits:
Exorcism and Possession in
Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century France and England (1981) (see next
reference)
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN WITCHCRAFT AND POSSESSION CASES:
Primary Sources: Barbara Rosen
(ed) Witchcraft: anthology of English w/c documents
Sec. VI "Possession" pp. 225-297 includes text of 1574 case of
"Witch of Warboys"; see also pp. 227 & 310 FN 5-7 for ref.
Anita Walker/Edmund Dickerman,
"A Woman Under the Influence: Case of Alleged
Possession in 16th C France," 16th C Journal 22 (1991), 535-554
(expands on witchcraft aspects of possession case in Walker, Unclean Spirits)
Robin Briggs, Communities of
Belief Chap. 1-3 on French witch cases
discussion of spontaneous (untortured) confessions to diabolical
pact by poor women to whom Devil offers food, clothing, money etc.
Roper, Lyndal, Oedipus and the
Devil (1994): witchcraft and sexuality
JEWISH MAGICAL TRADITION; JEWS AS SORCERERS
Jerome Friedman, The Most
Ancient Testimony: Sixteenth Century Christian
Hebraica in the Age of Renaissance Nostalgia, (Athens, Ohio: Ohio
University Press, 1983)
R. Po-chia Hsia, "Jewish
Magic in Early Modern Germany," in Steven Ozment (ed)
Religion and Culture in the Renaissance and Reformation (1989), pp.
81-97
[Vol. XI of Sixteenth Century Essays and Studies]. [BL65/C8R443/1989]
R. Po-chia Hsia, The Myth of
Ritual Murder: Jews and Magic in Reformation
Germany (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988).
T. Schrire, Hebrew Amulets:
Decipherment and Interpretation (London, 1966)
R. Trachtenburg, The Devil and
the Jews (New Haven: Yale University Press)