Just Finished Reading: Witchcraft – A Very Short Introduction by Malcolm Gaskill

I’ve been interested in magical thinking, magic and witchcraft for some time now. I’ve read quite a few books on the subject (pre-Blog) and have even actively studied the subject at an academic level. So when I found this book – part of a series I’ve been very impressed with – I picked it up to reacquaint myself with the subject.

In 8 chapters (Fear, Heresy, Malice, Truth, Justice, Rage, Fantasy and Culture) and a little over 120 pages the author managed to cover the ground very well indeed. As with most things the author started out with definitions, and the problems of defining something as widespread, ancient and controversial as witchcraft. Heresy and Malice both dealt with the Christian response to ‘the discovery of witches’ and the many deaths that followed in what modern day witches refer to as the Burning Times. Truth, Justice and Rage went into some details with individual trial transcripts and tales of the mass executions – especially in Germany and parts of France - whilst Fantasy noted how, over time, increasingly sceptical judges, magistrates and political leaders moved away from such witch trials and witch burnings seeing both accusers and the accused being part of a fantastical belief system rather than a conspiracy against Christian civilisation. Finally in Culture the author explores the (comparatively) recent re-emergence of the witch in western culture from its invention in post-war Britain to the recognition of Wicca as a religion in some countries (notably the USA) and, of course, its ever present place in movies, TV and books.

If your only experience or knowledge of witchcraft comes from ready Harry Potter and you’re interested in increasing your knowledge of the subject – before moving on to better and more detailed things – this is definitely the introduction for you. The focus is very much on the western European and North American experience but despite that it should pique its reader’s interests enough to investigate other aspects too. Recommended.