Witches and Witch-Hunts A Global History Themes in History Series

In this major new book, Wolfgang Behringer surveys the phenomenon of witchcraft past and present. Drawing on the latest historical and anthropological findings, Behringer sheds new light on the history of European witchcraft, while demonstrating that witch-hunts are not simply part of the European past. Although witch-hunts have long since been outlawed in Europe, other societies have struggled with the idea that witchcraft does not exist. As Behringer shows, witch-hunts continue to pose a major problem in Africa and among tribal people in America, Asia and Australia. The belief that certain people are able to cause harm by supernatural powers endures throughout the world today.

Wolfgang Behringer explores the idea of witchcraft as an anthropological phenomenon with a historical dimension, aiming to outline and to understand the meaning of large-scale witchcraft persecutions in early modern Europe and in present-day Africa. He deals systematically with the belief in witchcraft and the persecution of witches, as well as with the process of outlawing witch-hunts. He examines the impact of anti-witch-hunt legislation in Europe, and discusses the problems caused in societies where European law was imposed in colonial times. In conclusion, the relationship between witches old and new is assessed.

This book will make essential reading for all those interested in the history and anthropology of witchcraft and magic.

List of Illustrations.

List of Tables.

Preface.

Chronology.

List of Abbreviations..

1. Introduction..

2. The Belief in Witchcraft..

3. The Persecution of Witches..

4. The European Age of Witch-Hunting..

5. Outlawing Witchcraft Persecution in Europe..

6. Witch-Hunting in the 19th and 20th Centuries..

7. Old and "New Witches"..

8. Epilogue.

Notes.

Bibliography.

Index.

This book will make essential reading for all those interested in the history of witchcraft and magic.

Wolfgang Behringer served as chair in early modern history at the University of York (UK) from 1999 to 2003, and is now professor at the Saarland University (Germany).