Witchcraft in the Middle Ages

Rating:
Summary: Leaves the Reader Wanting More
Review: A book tracing the evolution of witchcraft through the Middle Ages is a very promising topic. On the surface, it seems that this would provide great insight into the beginnings of the "witchcraze" of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. However, the idea is flawed from the start. The Middle Ages provides few primary sources and the records are spotty at best. The information he provides about the trials of heretics are often second hand accounts. At one point, he cites a confession from a work that was written 50 years later. He assimilates what limited information he can get and then he is forced to make leaps to his conclusions.
The logic of his conclusions is based on the idea that similarities between heretics and witches implies that witches existed as heretics. This, of course, ignores any other possibilities that may have caused such similarities. He downplays or ignores inversion all together (the accusations of witches were merely the opposite of what was considered "proper"). In addition, he fails to provide any evidence that witches existed in reality at all (I have yet to find convincing evidence that witches existed outside of people's minds).
Overall, this book provides a nice overview of medieval heretics, but any broader application to witchcraft must be very cautiously applied. If your grasping at straws trying to find some "historical reality" to modern witch beliefs (wicca, etc) you may find some support here. Be cautioned, he attacks Margaret Murray's idea of the survival of a pagan fertility cult into Earl Modern Europe.

Rating:
Summary: Leaves the Reader Wanting More
Review: A book tracing the evolution of witchcraft through the Middle Ages is a very promising topic. On the surface, it seems that this would provide great insight into the beginnings of the "witchcraze" of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. However, the idea is flawed from the start. The Middle Ages provides few primary sources and the records are spotty at best. The information he provides about the trials of heretics are often second hand accounts. At one point, he cites a confession from a work that was written 50 years later. He assimilates what limited information he can get and then he is forced to make leaps to his conclusions.
The logic of his conclusions is based on the idea that similarities between heretics and witches implies that witches existed as heretics. This, of course, ignores any other possibilities that may have caused such similarities. He downplays or ignores inversion all together (the accusations of witches were merely the opposite of what was considered "proper"). In addition, he fails to provide any evidence that witches existed in reality at all (I have yet to find convincing evidence that witches existed outside of people's minds).
Overall, this book provides a nice overview of medieval heretics, but any broader application to witchcraft must be very cautiously applied. If your grasping at straws trying to find some "historical reality" to modern witch beliefs (wicca, etc) you may find some support here. Be cautioned, he attacks Margaret Murray's idea of the survival of a pagan fertility cult into Earl Modern Europe.

Rating:
Summary: Not a book on Modern Witchcraft
Review: This is a very well written scholastic book about the sociopolitical events and ideas that led to the formation of the modern concept of Witchcraft. This is not a book on the Witch Trials of the 17 or 18th century. Nor is it ment to be all inclusive of every witch trial that ever took place. The writer does a credible job of leading the reader to understand the medieval mindset of how witchcraft, sorcery and religion filled the lives of a rapidly changing environment moving from fuedalism to the reniassance. There are always bleeding of the writer's personal beliefs and thoughts as it was when the book was written. This book is no different as some of the attitudes posed by the writer is common for the period that he wrote the book in (the 70's). This should not deter the reader from enjoying this book for the intelligent and excellent read that it is. Definately a book to add to your collection.

Rating:
Summary: Not a book on Modern Witchcraft
Review: This is a very well written scholastic book about the sociopolitical events and ideas that led to the formation of the modern concept of Witchcraft. This is not a book on the Witch Trials of the 17 or 18th century. Nor is it ment to be all inclusive of every witch trial that ever took place. The writer does a credible job of leading the reader to understand the medieval mindset of how witchcraft, sorcery and religion filled the lives of a rapidly changing environment moving from fuedalism to the reniassance. There are always bleeding of the writer's personal beliefs and thoughts as it was when the book was written. This book is no different as some of the attitudes posed by the writer is common for the period that he wrote the book in (the 70's). This should not deter the reader from enjoying this book for the intelligent and excellent read that it is. Definately a book to add to your collection.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding interpretation of events....
Review: WITCHCRAFT IN THE MIDDLE AGES by Jeffrey Russell is a salient and well-written history about religious persecution during the Middle Ages involving individuals accused of the practice of "witchcraft". WITCHCRAFT was first published in the early 1970s when a renewed interest in the craft was gaining public attention.

Adherents of the craft have suffered a severe and enduring persecution--worse than any other religious persecution--including that of the Jews. Even today, in an era when folks pat themselves on the back for their religious "tolerence" and/or secular outlook, "witchcraft" is still largely misunderstood. Even the name is a misnomer.

Russell, who seems mostly objective, refers to the modern practice of "witchcraft" as "puerile" indicating he does not really understand the practice per se. Russell is not a participant-observer, he is an outsider examining in as objective a manner as possible events that transpired over a period of thousand years. He does not examine and order these events from the perspective of the practicioner being persecuted, he arranges them from the standpoint of the authories who now wonder what happened.

Russell says currently there are four views extant in the West concerning "witchcraft" -- mainstream Roman Catholics, Protestants and Jewish groups pretty much ignore it; Fundamentalist Judeo-Christian groups see it as a "clear and present danger" and "the work of the devil"; Liberals see it as silly or sick behaviour ignorant church people persecute and mentally deranged and confused souls practice; Ethnographers describe "witchcraft" as worldwide and real, with devoted adherents.

In the Middle Ages, the practice of "witchcraft" was associated with the diverse behaviors of various individuals or groups who for one reason or another found themselves on the wrong side of church law--first Roman Catholic and then Protestant Reformed. Russell says amazingly, individuals who participated in the Renaissance and Reformation, who overturned, destroyed, and abandoned many of the practices of the Church of Rome, retained the Catholic position on "witchcraft" and persecuted people suspected of the practice with a vengence unequaled by their predecessors.

Russell examines the roots of the Chistian attitude toward witchcraft. He says that during the Babylonian captivity, when the Jews were cruelly carried off and enslaved, they came to accept the reality of evil. Through their efforts to understand and deal with evil, they accepted it must have a creator, i.e. a source. But how can a good God be the source of evil? Enter the devil.

Russell says the dual thinking of the Jews (God and Satan--he provides many Biblical references to Satan--including the book of JOB), combined with the Greco-Roman belief in daemons (angelic entities who communicated with the gods) influenced thinking in the newly evolved Christian world. As the Church fathers grappled with folk beliefs that included Roman lares/penates and Celtic/Germanic Valkyries, fairies, elves and other supernatural folks, they came to believe Satan ruled all these magical creatures.

During the Middle Ages, individuals punished for "witchcraft" (evil practicies associated with Satan) fell into a number of different categories. Russell attempts to tease these categories apart and determine what "witchcraft" was (the concept and definition changed over time) and who exactly engaged in the practices that came to be viewed as "witchcraft" (many people of diverse interest and background did many different things--or were accused of doing these things).

Russell says for the most part, the church viewed individuals accused of "witchcraft" as heretics--i.e. engaged in non-church approved religious practices. The most famous example is the Cathars. Cathars were accused of witchcraft based on their dualistic belief in the brothers Jesus and Satan. Some non-Cathars accused of "witchcraft" were probably mentally deranged if their testimony is to be belived and the church on occasion recognized these sick souls for what they were--in writing. There were those accused of witchcraft, however, who were engaging in magical practices involving herbs, charms, illness, childbirth, and other aspects of daily living. Early records indicate these souls existed long before the church took an interest in their behavior. Much of what these practicioners believed and did was an outgrowth of their pagan beliefs. Russell says the brothers have Grimm recorded much of their belief system as "fairytales".

"Witchcraft" and its adherents came to be viewed as evil because the church could not condone magic practiced outside God's proscribed domain--and of course the church leaders determined what that domain was so this was basically a control issue. The church itself practiced magic--there is no other way to describe prayer and indulgences designed to manipulate God. The miracles of Christ and the Saints--turning water into wine, walking on water, raising the dead, expanding fishes and loaves to feed the multitude, etc. may be divine magic but are nevertheless magic.

Russell has divided his book into several chapters that deal with early, middle, and late phases of the Middle Ages. He notes that while some would define the later years as early Renaissance, he defines the Middle ages from the years following the demise of Rome's rule in Europe to the end of the 1400s when the Church in Rome lost control of Christianity in Europe.

This is an exellent book and a good place to start if you want to know more about the church's persecution of people accused of "witchcraft" during the Middle Ages. If you want to know more about "witchcraft", wicca or whatever you call the practice, I suggest DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding interpretation of events....
Review: WITCHCRAFT IN THE MIDDLE AGES by Jeffrey Russell is a salient and well-written history about religious persecution during the Middle Ages involving individuals accused of the practice of "witchcraft". WITCHCRAFT was first published in the early 1970s when a renewed interest in the craft was gaining public attention.

Adherents of the craft have suffered a severe and enduring persecution--worse than any other religious persecution--including that of the Jews. Even today, in an era when folks pat themselves on the back for their religious "tolerence" and/or secular outlook, "witchcraft" is still largely misunderstood. Even the name is a misnomer.

Russell, who seems mostly objective, refers to the modern practice of "witchcraft" as "puerile" indicating he does not really understand the practice per se. Russell is not a participant-observer, he is an outsider examining in as objective a manner as possible events that transpired over a period of thousand years. He does not examine and order these events from the perspective of the practicioner being persecuted, he arranges them from the standpoint of the authories who now wonder what happened.

Russell says currently there are four views extant in the West concerning "witchcraft" -- mainstream Roman Catholics, Protestants and Jewish groups pretty much ignore it; Fundamentalist Judeo-Christian groups see it as a "clear and present danger" and "the work of the devil"; Liberals see it as silly or sick behaviour ignorant church people persecute and mentally deranged and confused souls practice; Ethnographers describe "witchcraft" as worldwide and real, with devoted adherents.

In the Middle Ages, the practice of "witchcraft" was associated with the diverse behaviors of various individuals or groups who for one reason or another found themselves on the wrong side of church law--first Roman Catholic and then Protestant Reformed. Russell says amazingly, individuals who participated in the Renaissance and Reformation, who overturned, destroyed, and abandoned many of the practices of the Church of Rome, retained the Catholic position on "witchcraft" and persecuted people suspected of the practice with a vengence unequaled by their predecessors.

Russell examines the roots of the Chistian attitude toward witchcraft. He says that during the Babylonian captivity, when the Jews were cruelly carried off and enslaved, they came to accept the reality of evil. Through their efforts to understand and deal with evil, they accepted it must have a creator, i.e. a source. But how can a good God be the source of evil? Enter the devil.

Russell says the dual thinking of the Jews (God and Satan--he provides many Biblical references to Satan--including the book of JOB), combined with the Greco-Roman belief in daemons (angelic entities who communicated with the gods) influenced thinking in the newly evolved Christian world. As the Church fathers grappled with folk beliefs that included Roman lares/penates and Celtic/Germanic Valkyries, fairies, elves and other supernatural folks, they came to believe Satan ruled all these magical creatures.

During the Middle Ages, individuals punished for "witchcraft" (evil practicies associated with Satan) fell into a number of different categories. Russell attempts to tease these categories apart and determine what "witchcraft" was (the concept and definition changed over time) and who exactly engaged in the practices that came to be viewed as "witchcraft" (many people of diverse interest and background did many different things--or were accused of doing these things).

Russell says for the most part, the church viewed individuals accused of "witchcraft" as heretics--i.e. engaged in non-church approved religious practices. The most famous example is the Cathars. Cathars were accused of witchcraft based on their dualistic belief in the brothers Jesus and Satan. Some non-Cathars accused of "witchcraft" were probably mentally deranged if their testimony is to be belived and the church on occasion recognized these sick souls for what they were--in writing. There were those accused of witchcraft, however, who were engaging in magical practices involving herbs, charms, illness, childbirth, and other aspects of daily living. Early records indicate these souls existed long before the church took an interest in their behavior. Much of what these practicioners believed and did was an outgrowth of their pagan beliefs. Russell says the brothers have Grimm recorded much of their belief system as "fairytales".

"Witchcraft" and its adherents came to be viewed as evil because the church could not condone magic practiced outside God's proscribed domain--and of course the church leaders determined what that domain was so this was basically a control issue. The church itself practiced magic--there is no other way to describe prayer and indulgences designed to manipulate God. The miracles of Christ and the Saints--turning water into wine, walking on water, raising the dead, expanding fishes and loaves to feed the multitude, etc. may be divine magic but are nevertheless magic.

Russell has divided his book into several chapters that deal with early, middle, and late phases of the Middle Ages. He notes that while some would define the later years as early Renaissance, he defines the Middle ages from the years following the demise of Rome's rule in Europe to the end of the 1400s when the Church in Rome lost control of Christianity in Europe.

This is an exellent book and a good place to start if you want to know more about the church's persecution of people accused of "witchcraft" during the Middle Ages. If you want to know more about "witchcraft", wicca or whatever you call the practice, I suggest DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler.