The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America

Abstract The scholarly study of the history of witchcraft, which began with the publication of Wilhelm Soldan’s study of witch trials in the mid-nineteenth century, continues to grow at a furious pace and shows no signs of abating. This book aims to summarize the current state of knowledge in the field; identify the most important historical literature that has been produced on the subject, to discuss the different ways scholars have approached the subject and comment on the controversies to which the subject has given rise; and propose new ways of looking at the topic or suggest avenues for further research. The book is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on witch beliefs – the ideas of both educated elites and illiterate villagers and townspeople regarding the identity, powers, and activities of those people known as witches. The second part deals with witchcraft prosecutions – the formal accusation, trial, and punishment of those suspected of perpetrating the crime of witchcraft. The third part addresses some of the thematic issues that scholars have explored in studying the subject.