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The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic

Edited by Owen Davies

Oxford Illustrated History

The story of witchcraft and magic - from the ancient world to Harry Potter
Covers 4000 years of magical practices and ideas in the West, from the first examples of spells written on clay tablets in the ancient world
Explores the magical beliefs of the Roman, Greeks, Jews, and early Christians - and the role of the Arabs in preserving the magical knowledge of the Ancients
Investigates what the archives really tell us about the witch trials of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
Tells the story of post-Enlightenment magic and the rise of Wicca in the twentieth century
Examines the the anthropology of magic around the globe, from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries
Looks at the cinematic portrayal of witches and magicians, from The Wizard of Oz to Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic

Edited by Owen Davies

Description

This richly illustrated history provides a readable and fresh approach to the extensive and complex story of witchcraft and magic. Telling the story from the dawn of writing in the ancient world to the globally successful Harry Potter films, the authors explore a wide range of magical beliefs and practices, the rise of the witch trials, and the depiction of the Devil-worshipping witch.

The book also focuses on the more recent history of witchcraft and magic, from the Enlightenment to the present, exploring the rise of modern magic, the anthropology of magic around the globe, and finally the cinematic portrayal of witches and magicians, from The Wizard of Oz to Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic

Edited by Owen Davies

Oxford Illustrated History

Editor's Foreword
1: Magic in the Ancient World, Peter Maxwell-Stuart
2: Medieval Magic, Sophie Page
3: The Demonologists, James Sharpe
4: The Witch Trials, Rita Voltmer
5: The Witch and Magician in European Art, Charles Zika
6: The World of Popular Magic, Owen Davies
7: The Rise of Modern Magic, Owen Davies
8: Witchcraft and Magic in the Age of Anthropology, Robert J. Wallis
9: Witches on Screen, Willem de Blécourt
Further Reading
Picture acknowledgements
Index

The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic

Edited by Owen Davies

Oxford Illustrated History

Author Information

Edited by Owen Davies, Professor of Social History, University of Hertfordshire

Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He has written extensively on the history of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, and popular medicine, including The Haunted: A Social History of Ghosts (2007), Grimoires: A History of Magic Books (2009), Paganism: A Very Short Introduction (2011), Magic: A Very Short Introduction (2012), and most recently America Bewitched: The Story of Witchcraft after Salem(2013).

Contributors:

Owen Davies, University of Hertfordshire
Peter Maxwell-Stuart, University of St Andrews
Sophie Page, University College London
James Sharpe, University of York
Rita Voltmer, University of Trier
Charles Zika, University of Melbourne
Robert J. Wallis, Richmond University
Willem de Blécourt, Huizinga Institute/Meertens Institute, Amsterdam

The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic

Edited by Owen Davies

Oxford Illustrated History

Reviews and Awards

"As well as a masterly summary of Voltaires life, the reader gains a much better understanding of 18th-century France and Europe." - David Lorimer, Network Review

"An absorbing and illuminating study... Owen Davies succeeds in delivering an excellent, extremely useful work." - Clive Prince, Magonia Review

"Another quality book from Oxford University Press ... beautifully and informatively illustrated ... a goldmine for anyone looking for information on witchcraft and magic and perhaps those looking for inspiration and some unusual little fact or nugget if they want to dabble in some fiction involving witches or magicians, dark or otherwise." - Ian Hunter, Concatenation

"The breadth of knowledge shown here is impressive ... It informs, shocks, repulses and entertains ... The colour plates in the book are in turn sumptuous, beautiful and horrific a scholarly and impressive work" - On Magazine (Yorkshire)

"If you are looking for a book about the history of witchcraft that is comprehensive and impeccably researched, but also well written and fascinating to read, then the new The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic is what you should pop out and buy ... The illustrations, which include colour plates, really add to the book. As a practising witch myself, a photograph of what an ancient magical item or spell really looks like is more use than just a description." - Bad Witch

"[A] richly illustrated collection ... readable and compelling ... this ambitious project presents a helpful, visually stimulating contribution that should find a home as supplemental reading material in relevant undergraduate courses." - Jodie Ann Vann, Nova Religio

The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic

Edited by Owen Davies

Oxford Illustrated History

From Our Blog

A writer's guide to witches in pop culture [timeline]

From The Wizard of Oz to Harry Potter, witchcraft is a linchpin of contemporary fantasy writing'with each writer applying their own twist. Referencing The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic, we've put together a timeline of pop-culture's most well-known depictions of witchcraft.

Posted on November 12, 2017

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The art of witchcraft: six illustrations [slideshow]

Witchcraft dates back 5,000 years to the beginning of writing. Its history offers glimpses into the human psyche and has excited the minds of artists, playwrights, and novelists for centuries. Referencing The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic, we've pulled together a slideshow of six fascinating facts about the history of witchcraft.

Posted on October 22, 2017

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The feminist roots of modern witchcraft [excerpt]

Throughout modern history, witchcraft has been predominately practiced by women. Historically, women were considered more likely than men to partake in magic due to their inherent moral weakness and uncontrolled sexual nature. Unsurprisingly, as witchcraft spread throughout the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, it captured the interest of the growing feminist movement.

Posted on October 12, 2017

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Witches and Walpurgis Night

In modern British and American popular culture, Halloween is the night most associated with the nocturnal activities of witches and the souls of the dead. But in much of Europe the 30 April or May Eve, otherwise known as Walpurgis Night, was another moment when spirits and witches were thought to roam abroad. The life and death of Saint Walpurga, who was born in Dorset, England, in the eight century, has nothing to do with witchcraft or magic, though.

Posted on April 30, 2017

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