The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe

Author: Brian P. Levack
ISBN: 0582419018

Between 1450 and 1750 thousands of people – most of them women – were accused, prosecuted and executed for the crime of witchcraft. The witch-hunt was not a single event; it comprised thousands of individual prosecutions, each shaped by the religious and social dimensions of the particular area as well as political and legal factors. Brian Levack sorts through the proliferation of theories to provide a coherent introduction to the subject, as well as contributing to the scholarly debate. The book: Examines why witchcraft prosecutions took place, how many trials and victims there were, and why witch-hunting eventually came to an end. Explores the beliefs of both educated and illiterate people regarding witchcraft. Uses regional and local studies to give a more detailed analysis of the chronological and geographical distribution of witch-trials. Emphasises the legal context of witchcraft prosecutions. Illuminates the social, economic and political history of early modern Europe, a

Publisher: Routledge
Publish Date: 2013-11-05

Subjects: History / General, History / Modern / 17th Century, History / Europe / General

This book is available in the following Community Centers: Cross-Cultural Center (Location: Europe (EURO))