Witchcraft: The Basics

Witchcraft: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to the scholarly study of witchcraft, exploring the phenomenon of witchcraft from its earliest definitions in the Middle Ages through to its resonances in the modern world. Through the use of two case studies, this book delves into the emergence of the witch as a harmful figure within western thought and traces the representation of witchcraft throughout history, analysing the roles of culture, religion, politics, gender and more in the evolution and enduring role of witchcraft.


Key topics discussed within the book include:











The role of language in creating and shaping the concept of witchcraft







The laws and treatises written against witchcraft







The representation of witchcraft in early modern literature











The representation of witchcraft in recent literature, TV and film











Scholarly approaches to witchcraft through time







The relationship between witchcraft a