Magician, the Witch and the Law
by Edward Peters
Published by University of Pennsylvania Press, U.S.A., 1978. First Edition. Very good hardcover, in very good dustjacket. Tight binding, solid spine, clean unmarked text, previou sowner’s blindstamp to half-title page, small tears & edgewear to dj repaired with archival tape. 8vo, index, 218 pages. Middle ages, history, magic history, witchcraft history.
In the early Middle Ages, magic was considered a practical science, requiring study and skill. But as European society became more articulate and self-conscious, the old tradition of magic as a science became associated with heresy and sorcery. Thereafter the Middle Ages knew no safe, learned magic that was not subject to accusation of diabolism in one form or another, and the magician, like the later witch, could be punished for both spiritual and temporal offenses. Through Peters's analysis of the legal, ecclesiastical, and literary responses to this problem, magic and witchcraft are located more accurately in the cultural context of the time, providing important insight into medieval history.
Loc: E18
Magician, the Witch and the Law
by Edward Peters
Published by University of Pennsylvania Press, U.S.A., 1978. First Edition. Very good hardcover, in very good dustjacket. Tight binding, solid spine, clean unmarked text, previou sowner’s blindstamp to half-title page, small tears & edgewear to dj repaired with archival tape. 8vo, index, 218 pages. Middle ages, history, magic history, witchcraft history.
In the early Middle Ages, magic was considered a practical science, requiring study and skill. But as European society became more articulate and self-conscious, the old tradition of magic as a science became associated with heresy and sorcery. Thereafter the Middle Ages knew no safe, learned magic that was not subject to accusation of diabolism in one form or another, and the magician, like the later witch, could be punished for both spiritual and temporal offenses. Through Peters's analysis of the legal, ecclesiastical, and literary responses to this problem, magic and witchcraft are located more accurately in the cultural context of the time, providing important insight into medieval history.
Loc: E18
