About the author
R. Davies is the author of Four Centuries of Witch Beliefs, first published in 1947 and reissued by Routledge in its Library Editions: Witchcraft series, including a 2011 and a 2017 printing. The book examines the attitudes of Elizabethan and Stuart-era statesmen toward witchcraft, asking how significant a role witchcraft beliefs played in seventeenth-century English history and whether they had any bearing on the political upheaval of the period. Rather than surveying folk practice or ritual, it approaches witchcraft as a historical and political question, tracing how belief in witches intersected with governance and public life in early modern England. The book belongs to a tradition of mid-twentieth-century English social history that treated witchcraft accusations as evidence about the societies that produced them rather than as accounts of genuine magical practice. Its reissue as part of a dedicated witchcraft studies series indicates its continued use as a reference work for readers of early modern English history.
📖 Where to start with R Davies
💬 What our editors say about R Davies's books
“Davies provides a meticulous examination of witchcraft beliefs, offering a compelling look at their presence in the halls of power. However, this text is not suitable for casual readers seeking narrative thrills or…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Four Centuries of Witch Beliefs (Rle Witchcraft) Davies, R
“This book is a dense, academic examination best suited for serious historians specializing in early modern political culture. It meticulously dissects the arguments surrounding witchcraft beliefs among political elites, offering…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Four Centuries of Witch Beliefs (Rle Witchcraft) Davies, R
