The witch-cult in Western Europe

by Margaret A. Murray

Paper Book, 1967

Status

Available

Call number

291.216

Collection

Publication

Clarendon P, 1962.

Description

The mass of existing material on this subject is so great that the author has not attempted to make a survey of the whole of European 'Witchcraft', but has confined herself to an intensive study of the cult in Great Britain. In order, however, to obtain a clearer understanding of the ritual and beliefs she had recourse to French and Flemish sources, as the cult appears to have been the same throughout Western Europe. The sources from which the information is taken are the judicial records and contemporary chroniclers. In the case of the chroniclers, the author has studied their facts and not their opinions. This is an excellent book for those interested in learning the history of Witch-Craft in Western Europe.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Seshen
Even though it's been debunked by modern scholars, this is valuable for the insight into where Gardner got his original historical influences.
LibraryThing member earthlistener
While Margaret Murray's book is classic research into the witch trials of the middle ages and their connection to pre-Christian pagan religion is historically important as a Wiccan/Neopagan foundation document, the books research and theory is somewhat flimsy in the light of hard historical fact.
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In the book, it states that many of those killed during the witch trails were actually part of various witch-cults. This conclusion has been refuted by other scalars and researchers time and time again.
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Language

Original publication date

1921

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