Witchcraft, Lycanthropy, Drugs and Disease

Homayun Sidky

Description

Long before the political mass-murders witnessed in the present century, western Europe experienced another kind of holocaust--the witch-hunts of the early modern period. Condemned of flying through the air, changing into animals, and worshipping the Devil, over a hundred thousand people were brutally tortured, systematically maimed and burned alive. Why did these persecutions take place? Was it superstition, irrationality, or mass delusion that led to the witch-hunts? This study seeks explanation in the tangible actions of human actors and their worldly circumstances. The approach taken is anthropological; inferences are grounded on a wide spectrum of variables, ranging from the political and ideological practices used to mystify earthly affairs, to the logical structure of witch-beliefs, torture technology, and the role of psychotropic drugs and epidemic diseases.

Sujets

• Humanities
• Witchcraft
• Social sciences
• Anthropology
• Lycanthropy

Informations

• Publié par: Wipf and Stock Publishers
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781725228252
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 86 Mo

Extrait

Wipf and Stock Publishers 199 W 8th Ave, Suite 3 Eugene, OR 97401 Witchcraft, Lycanthropy, Drugs and Disease An Anthropological Study of the European Witch - Hunts By Sidky, Homayun Copyright©1997 by Sidky, Homayun ISBN 13: 978-1-60899-616-2 Publication date 4/13/2010 Previously published by Peter Lang, 1997