Format:
1 Online-Ressource (352 p)
,
20 color illus
Edition:
[Online-Ausgabe]
ISBN:
9780300249453
Content:
Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- The British Isles -- The British Empire -- One. Black magic in modern times -- Two. Blood the witch, swim the wizard: 1800–30 -- Three. Tough superstitions: 1830–60 -- Four. Secret beliefs: 1860–1900 -- Five. Healing black magic: the unwitchers of late Victorian Britain -- Six. Occultists study dark arts: 1850s–1900 -- Seven. Gone native: witchcraft in the British Empire and beyond -- Eight. Witchcraft’s decline: 1900–60s -- Nine. Multicultural magic: 1970–2015 -- Ten. Conclusion: witchcraft’s decline and return -- Endnotes -- Select bibliography -- List of maps and illustrations -- Acknowledgements -- Index
Content:
The definitive history of how witchcraft and black magic have survived, through the modern era and into the present dayCursed Britain unveils the enduring power of witchcraft, curses and black magic in modern times. Few topics are so secretive or controversial. Yet, whether in the 1800s or the early 2000s, when disasters struck or personal misfortunes mounted, many Britons found themselves believing in things they had previously dismissed – dark supernatural forces. Historian Thomas Waters here explores the lives of cursed or bewitched people, along with the witches and witch-busters who helped and harmed them. Waters takes us on a fascinating journey from Scottish islands to the folklore-rich West Country, from the immense territories of the British Empire to metropolitan London. We learn why magic caters to deep-seated human needs but see how it can also be abused, and discover how witchcraft survives by evolving and changing. Along the way, we examine an array of remarkable beliefs and rituals, from traditional folk magic to diverse spiritualities originating in Africa and Asia. This is a tale of cynical quacks and sincere magical healers, depressed people and furious vigilantes, innocent victims and rogues who claimed to possess evil abilities. Their spellbinding stories raise important questions about the state’s role in regulating radical spiritualities, the fragility of secularism and the true nature of magic
Note:
restricted access online access with authorization star
,
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
,
In English
Additional Edition:
ISBN 9780300221404
Additional Edition:
Erscheint auch als Druck-Ausgabe Waters, Thomas Cursed Britain New Haven : Yale University Press, 2019 ISBN 9780300221404
Language:
English
Keywords:
Großbritannien
;
Schwarze Magie
;
Hexerei
;
Geschichte 1800-2015
DOI:
10.12987/9780300249453
URL:
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec
