Origins of the Witches' Sabbath by Michael D Bailey

Origins of the Witches' Sabbath by Michael D Bailey

Explores the western European idea of the witches' sabbath, based on translations of five texts dating from the 1430s, and examines how these texts went on to influence conceptions of diabolical witchcraft for centuries to come.

“These translations by Michael Bailey, with his rich and up-to-date introductions and notes, will finally give readers of English access to these sources, which are essential for any historical work worthy of the name”

—Martine Ostorero,author of Le diable au sabbat. Littérature démonologique et sorcellerie (1440–1460)

“These are extremely important texts that merit wide attention in English. They are absolutely crucial to understanding the origins of ecclesiastical concern over what common people had long described as witchcraft but had been largely dismissed as impossible and/or illusory since the tenth century.”

—Walter Stephens,author of Demon Lovers: Witchcraft, Sex, and the Crisis of Belief

“This is a revealing volume of texts, newly translated by Michael Bailey, an expert in the history of witchcraft. They include secular as well as religious writers, given that witchcraft was a felony as well as a heresy.”

—Malcolm Gaskill Fortean Times

“Bailey’s collection of texts offers deep insight into the evolving ideas about secret witches’ assemblies, ideas that were interwoven either with actual witch trials or with inquisitors, theologians, and secular judges, who felt the urge to trigger them.”

—Rita Voltmer Speculum

Michael D. Bailey is Professor of History at Iowa State University and the author of five books on magic, superstition, and witchcraft, including Battling Demons: Witchcraft, Heresy, and Reform in the Late Middle Ages, also published by Penn State University Press.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780271089102
ISBN 10	0271089105
Title	Origins of the Witches' Sabbath
Author	Michael D Bailey
Series	Magic In History Sourcebooks
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Pennsylvania State University Press
Year published	2021-02-08
Number of pages	136
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.