Witchcraft cover art

Witchcraft

A History in Thirteen Trials

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Witchcraft

By: Marion Gibson
Narrated by: Rose Akroyd
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About this listen

 Salem, King James VI, Malleus Maleficarum. The world of witch hunts and witch trials sounds antiquated, relics of an unenlightened and brutal age. However, 'witch hunt' is heard often in the present-day media, and the misogyny it is rooted in is all too familiar today. A woman was prosecuted under the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 1944.

This book uses thirteen significant trials to explore the history of witchcraft and witch hunts. As well as investigating some of the most famous trials from the middle ages to the 18th century, it takes us in new and surprising directions. It shows us how witchcraft was decriminalised in the 18th century, only to be reimagined by the 1780s Romantic radicals. We will learn how it evolved from being seen as a threat to Christianity to perceived as gendered persecution, and how trials against chieftains in Africa stoked anger against colonial rule.

Significantly, the book tells the stories of the victims - women, such as Helena Scheuberin and Joan Wright - whose stories have too often been overshadowed by those of the powerful men, such as King James VI and I and “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins, who hounded them.

While this will be a history of witchcraft, the subject cannot be consigned to the history books. Hundreds of people, mostly women, are tried and killed as witches every year in Africa. ‘WITCH HUNT!’ is as common in our language today as ever it was, and witches are still on trial across the world.

©2023 Marion Gibson. All rights reserved. (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, UK. All Rights Reserved. Law Magic Women Magic Users Witchcraft Scary Africa

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All stars
Most relevant  
There were some interesting elements in this book, but sometimes I found myself wanting more detail. I understand there are limits to the sources, but more quotes from the actual primary sources would have been appreciated. I enjoyed the medieval chapters far more than the modern witchcraft trials. I think the author tried to cover too much in the last few chapters, so it felt a bit rushed.

13 trials

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I’ve always been fascinated by the origins of the word “witch” and what it truly means, and this book provided an incredibly detailed and insightful journey through history. It was both educational and compelling, tracing the evolution of witchcraft and its symbolism over time. My favorite part was how it all came full circle at the end, tying historical witch trials to modern perspectives in a thought-provoking way. The narration was also excellent—engaging and immersive without any over-the-top voices, just a lovely, natural delivery. Highly recommend!

A Fascinating and Engaging Journey Through the History of Witchcraft

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Some good parts but others quite disappointing. Lacks a bit of detail.

The pre-C21 pieces are good but the author seems to loose it a bit in the later chapters. Becomes a bit of a rant on the evils of modern society.

Disappointing

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An engaging and well-researched analysis which is well-written. This book will prove of interest to anyone curious about the representation of witchcraft and witches across several contexts. The material is wide-ranging and well-managed and is presented in a very readable/listenable manner.

Engaging accounts of a range of ‘witch’ trials

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The accuracy of the stories, nowadays folk make stuff up or pass their interpretation off as fact!

Fantastic

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New insights into an important and devastating part of history and the present. Chapter on Stormy Daniels especially relevant now. Looking at what is hard to look at. Understanding what must be understood, in order to avoid new mistakes. Well told, easy to read and follow.

Reverent now.

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very interesting, triggered all sorts of feelings a very enjoyable and captivating listen. Highly recommended

amazing

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The writing and narration of this book wasn’t for me. I’m going to own it and say perhaps I didn’t realise what it was, or perhaps I was expecting something a little more engaging. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn’t this. I found it really dull in every sense and despite trying couldn’t ever get past the first half an hour or so before falling asleep.

Returned

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The books begins with a discussion of the development of demonological accounts of witches and witchcraft, setting up a good/evil binary. As the book goes on the terms of the binary change with “woman” equating to “good” and “man” equating to “evil”. Other terms stand in for good/evil at places in the text, for example in the accounts of witchcraft in colonial and contemporary Africa. Fine as far as it goes.

Later chapters explore figurative uses of the various terms, and how laws have tried to keep up with changing beliefs about witchcraft. Here there is a blurring of edges and the knocking down of straw men, sometimes with comic effect; that Donald Trump can not be a witch because he is a powerful, rich, white man.

These chapters demonstrate how unhelpful it can be to assume that terms retain the same meaning through historical time and place. Accepting that Stormy Daniels is a witch does not help explain why King James feared that there were those who had the means to drown him and his companions by blowing on straw. Nor does it help explain why there are 20,000 child “witches” living homeless on the streets of one Africa city today.

That is the problem, I think. In the end the book is less about witchcraft than about outing the usual suspects for a wide variety of crimes. In that sense it is itself a kind of a witch-hunt, I suppose.

A bit preachy

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I was really invested at first, but the stories get a little repetitive. I am really into witchy stuff, especially during the spooky season; however I found it hard to stay engaged with the narrative.
Well researched, but reads like a literature review.
I did listen to the last third in x1.7 speed.

Maybe not the most enjoyable read...

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