Witchcraft has proven an important, if difficult, historical subject to investigate and interpret over the last four decades or so. Modern historical research into witchcraft began as an attempt to tease out the worldview of ordinary people in 16th- and 17th-century England, but it quickly expanded to encompass the history of witchcraft in most cultures and societies that have existed with scholarly studies now extending back to the time of earliest law code that punished sorcery, the Baby...

This edition includes the following editor's analysis: "The Golden Bough" as an essential analytical treatise on mythology, magic and religionOriginally published in two volumes in 1890, “The Golden Bough” is a wide-ranging, comparative study of mythology and religion, written by the Scottish anthropologist James George Frazer. The title is taken from Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid,” where the hero, Aeneas, uses a golden bough (or golden twig) to gain admissio...

Myths of the Norsemen is a great overview of Norse mythology. 29 chapters cover topics like the creation myth, Odin, Thor, Loki and more. Heraklion Press has included a linked table of contents.

Following on from the hugely successful Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, comes the next bumper encyclopedia celebrating all facets of witchcraft. This definite book is the most comprehensive, authoritative and entertaining guide you'll ever find on the mythology, folklore and traditions of magic.In this mammoth magical treasure trove, Judika Illes explores the history, folklore, spirituality, and mythology of witchcraft. A feast of facts and curiosities, rooted in magical and s...

Bringing together scholars from Europe, America, and Australia, this volume explores the more fantastic elements of popular religious belief: ghosts, werewolves, spiritualism, animism, and of course, witchcraft. These traditional religious beliefs and practices are frequently treated as marginal in more synthetic studies of witchcraft and popular religion, yet Protestants and Catholics alike saw ghosts, imps, werewolves, and other supernatural entities as populating their world. Embedded w...

A folklorist chronicles the history and lore of witchcraft in the Keystone State from William Penn's 17th century witch trial to 20th century occultism.As English and German settlers migrated to Pennsylvania, they brought their beliefs in magic with them from the Old World—sometimes with dangerous consequences. In 1802, for example, an Allegheny County judge helped an accused witch escape an angry mob. But Susan Mummey was not so fortunate. In 1934, she was killed ...

Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Halloween? Have you ever wondered what it is really about? For centuries, countries all over the world have celebrated this and I wanted to know why? Come with me, back to the 15th century, and see what I have found.

Where did China come from? What is China's history? How did China become one of the leading countries of today?Those are great questions, and not always easy to answer. To do so you need to go back to the dawn of time and the very first people that came to ancient China.These ancient cultures existed as long as 10,000 years ago and they'd form the basis for the first Chinese dynasty in 2070 BC, the Xia Dynasty.Long before that, however, there were ancient myths and ...

Magic is all around us - in stones, flowers, stars, the dawn wind and the sunset cloud. All we need is the ability to see it, understand it, and apply it. Natural Magic explains how to practise the age-old white magic that village wise women have used for centuries. It deals with the magic of herbs and flowers, of the four elements, of numbers and colours, amulets and talismans, how to read cards, how to interpret dreams, and much more. There are chapters on the secrets of sex magic, and o...

Illuminating the Dark Side’s Spirits, Fiends, Devils, and Demons.Throughout human history, we have been obsessed with the dark opposites of God and angels, light, and mercy. Whether it is our religious and sacred texts, folklore and myths of old, legends, fairy tales, novels, or the movies and television shows of today, the dark entities enthrall us, terrify us, and remind us of the dualities of life. But where did they originate? Are they real? Does every religion...

This edition of the Grimm’s Fairy Tales contains sixty-eight of their classic stories, beautifully illustrated with the black-and-white drawings of Ruth Moorwood and a frontispiece by Harry Rountree. It includes the narratives of ‘The Golden Bird’, ‘Tom Thumb’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘Snow-Drop’, ‘The Elves and the Shoemaker’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Rumpelstiltskin’, ‘Ashputtel’, and many more. Harry Rountree (1878 – 1950), was a prolific illustrator, originally from New Zealand, known for his frequen...

The Salvadoran priest Rutilio Grande, SJ, was killed in a hall of bullets on March 12, 1977, along with two passengers in the car he drove. The impact of this killing transformed his friend and archbishop, Oscar Romero, as well as the church in Latin America and throughout the world.How could powerful forces within the overwhelmingly Catholic country of El Salvador execute a Roman Catholic priest and two innocent people in broad daylight in front of witnesses? Why would this same g...