🏆 Bestseller Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft Durrant, Jonathan by Durrant, Jonathan

Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft Durrant, Jonathan — photo 1

Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft Durrant, Jonathan — photo 2

Witchcraft & Wicca

Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft Durrant, Jonathan

Name: Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft Durrant, Jonathan
Price: 175.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (2 reviews)
Author: Durrant, Jonathan
ISBN: 9780810872455

Durrant, Jonathan

Reader rating

4.6

(1 reviews) 128 sold

$175.00

Editorial score How we rate

In stock

Stock reported in the catalog; fulfillment is confirmed with your request.

📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

A comprehensive guide tracing the shadowed lineage of witchcraft from ancient codes to modern rituals.

Jonathan Durrant’s expanded second edition serves as an indispensable compass for navigating the complex history of magical practice. Moving beyond the narrow lens of early modern Europe, this volume spans from the Hammurabi Code’s prohibitions to the final English trials of 1944. It meticulously documents global witch hunts and legal frameworks while also charting the rise of contemporary Wiccan traditions. With over three hundred cross-referenced entries, a chronological timeline, and a robust bibliography, it offers both academic rigor and accessible reference for understanding how societies have feared, prosecuted, and revered the occult throughout millennia.

Key themes

Legal Persecution History Global Witchcraft Traditions Modern Wiccan Revival

Historical context

This volume occupies the scholarly intersection of historical anthropology and esoteric studies, serving as a definitive reference for the study of witchcraft's evolution across millennia. It bridges the gap between academic legal history and the lived experience of modern magical traditions.

Difficulty

●● Moderate

Fans will love it

Wendy Davies · H.R. Trevor-Roper · Graham Harvey · The Salem Witch Trials records

🌙 Witchcraft & Wicca

🏛 Scarecrow Press 📖 292 pages 📔 Hardcover 📐 Hardcover ISBN: 9780810872455

Fun fact

Durrant’s dictionary is a masterclass in contextualizing the occult. It excels in linking ancient legal precedents to modern spiritual movements, providing a cohesive narrative where others offer only fragments. Scholars will appreciate the breadth; practitioners will value the validation of their heritage. However, those seeking practical spellwork or romanticized tales of coven life will find it dry. It remains a vital, authoritative anchor in any serious occult library.

📚 This book appears in Esoterica Books

🌙 Witchcraft & Wicca ⚗️ Magick Studies

📝 Description: Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft Durrant, Jonathan

Witchcraft has proven an important, if difficult, historical subject to investigate and interpret over the last four decades or so. Modern historical research into witchcraft began as an attempt to tease out the worldview of ordinary people in 16th- and 17th-century England, but it quickly expanded to encompass the history of witchcraft in most cultures and societies that have existed with scholarly studies now extending back to the time of earliest law code that punished sorcery, the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi (1792-1750 B. C. E.), and forward to the last witchcraft cases in England, those of Helen Duncan and Jane Yorke, tried in 1944. There has also been a significant amount of interest in the development of the modern religion of witchcraft, or Wicca, as various forms of neo-paganism continue to attract adherents. The second edition of Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft covers the history of the Witchcraft from 1750 B. C. E. though the modern day. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on witch hunts, witchcraft trials, and related practices around the world. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the history of witchcraft.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Durrant’s second edition stands as a formidable reference work, offering unparalleled breadth in tracing witchcraft from Hammurabi to 1944. Its strength lies in its meticulous documentation and robust bibliography, catering well to those seeking academic rigor or deep historical context. However, it is not suited for casual readers seeking narrative flair or quick anecdotes; the density of cross-referenced entries and legal frameworks may overwhelm those looking for light entertainment. Additionally, while it covers modern Wicca, it remains firmly rooted in history rather than instructional magic. It is best appreciated by serious scholars and dedicated hobbyists willing to engage with substantial textual analysis.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This book is an essential resource for anyone seeking a rigorous, comprehensive understanding of witchcraft’s vast historical arc, from ancient legal codes to modern Wiccan practices. It is particularly valuable for students, researchers, and practitioners who desire a structured, cross-referenced guide that avoids mere sensationalism in favor of factual depth. By documenting global witch hunts and the rise of contemporary traditions, it provides context often missing in more niche occult texts. Readers will appreciate its accessible yet scholarly tone, making complex legal frameworks and historical timelines understandable without sacrificing academic integrity. It serves as a reliable compass for navigating the shadowed lineage of magical practice.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

Seekers of occult history, historians of religion, and practitioners of Wicca will find this volume essential. It bridges the gap between academic study and spiritual heritage, offering context for those who wish to understand the roots of their craft or the societal forces that shaped it.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Durrant’s second edition stands as a formidable reference work, offering unparalleled breadth in tracing witchcraft from Hammurabi to 1944. Its strength lies in its meticulous documentation and robust bibliography, catering well to those seeking academic rigor or deep historical context. However, it is not suited for casual readers seeking narrative flair or quick anecdotes; the density of cross-referenced entries and legal frameworks may overwhelm those looking for light entertainment. Additionally, while it covers modern Wicca, it remains firmly rooted in history rather than instructional magic. It is best appreciated by serious scholars and dedicated hobbyists willing to engage with substantial textual analysis.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No. While it covers European history extensively, it explicitly expands to include witchcraft practices and persecutions in cultures worldwide, tracing the concept back to ancient Babylon.

It is a historical and cultural reference work, not a practical grimoire. It explains the history and context of practices rather than instructing on how to perform rituals.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Legal Persecution History

The text meticulously maps the evolution of laws punishing sorcery, beginning with ancient Mesopotamian codes and extending through European witch trials. It analyzes how legal systems weaponized fear against alleged practitioners, detailing specific trials and the societal mechanisms that fueled mass hysteria and judicial murder.

Global Witchcraft Traditions

Rather than focusing solely on the West, the dictionary explores witchcraft as a universal human phenomenon. It examines how different cultures defined magic, the roles of shamans and healers, and the diverse practices that were often conflated under the singular, pejorative label of witchcraft by dominant powers.

Modern Wiccan Revival

A significant portion addresses the twentieth-century resurgence of witchcraft as a religion. It tracks the development of Wicca and neo-paganism, exploring how modern adherents reconstructed ancient practices into coherent spiritual paths, distinct from the historical persecution they sought to transcend.

💬 Quotes from the book

“Witchcraft has proven an important, if difficult, historical subject to investigate and interpret.”

“Tease out the worldview of ordinary people in 16th- and 17th-century England.”

📜 Historical context

This work sits at the intersection of social history and religious studies. Emerging from mid-century scholarly efforts to understand the worldview of persecuted peasants, it has evolved into a global examination of magic. By linking ancient legal texts to modern neo-paganism, it contextualizes witchcraft not as a monolithic evil, but as a dynamic cultural force reflecting humanity's ongoing struggle with power, fear, and the divine.

📚 Glossary

Hammurabi Code
Neo-paganism
Cross-referenced

📔 Questions to reflect on

How does the legal definition of 'witchcraft' in ancient codes reflect the societal anxieties of its time?
In what ways do modern neo-pagan rituals reinterpret or reject the historical narratives of persecution described in the trials?
Compare the portrayal of the 'witch' in legal documents versus folk folklore. How do these perspectives contradict each other?