A Popular History of Witchcraft

Montague Summers

Description

First published in 1937, this volume offers an overview of witchcraft and its practices and history, written by Montague Summers. Augustus Montague Summers (1880 – 1948) was an English clergyman and author most famous for his studies on vampires, witches and werewolves—all of which he believed to be very much real. He also wrote the first English translation of the infamous 15th-century witch hunter's manual, the “Malleus Maleficarum”, in 1928. Contents include: “Of the Practice and Profession of Witchcraft; of the Contact; and the Familiar”, “Of the Practice of Witchcraft; of the Malice and Mischief of Witches; of the Devi's Mark; and of the Grimore”, “Of the Witch Covens and their Grand Masters; of their Journey to the Sabbat; and of the Sabbat Orgy”, etc. Other notable works by this author include: “Witchcraft and Black Magic” (1946) and “The Physical Phenomena of Mysticism” (1947). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

Sujets

• Witchcraft
• Spirituality
• Wicca

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 14 juillet 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781528763868
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

A POPULAR HISTORY of WITCHCRAFT

By
MONTAGUE SUMMERS
First published in 1937
This edition published by Read Books Ltd.
Copyright 2019 Read Books Ltd.
This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any way without the express permission of the publisher in writing
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
All magic, all witchcraft, depends on the Devil, and is fundamentally evil.
M ONTAGUE S UMMERS
M ONTAGUE S UMMERS

Augustus Montague Summers was born in Bristol, England in 1880. He was raised as an evangelical Anglican in a wealthy family, and studied at Clifton College before reading theology at Trinity College, Oxford with the intention of becoming a Church of England priest. In 1905, he graduated with fourth-class honours, and went on to continue his religious training at the Lichfield Theological College. Summers entered his apprenticeship as a curate in the diocese of Bitton near Bristol, but rumours of an interest in Satanism and accusations of sexual misconduct with young boys led to him being cut off; a scandal which dogged him his whole life. Summers joined the growing ranks of English men of letters interested in medievalism and the occult. In 1909, he converted to Catholicism and shortly thereafter he began passing himself off as a Catholic priest, the legitimacy of which was disputed. Around this time, Summers adopted a curious attire which included a sweeping black cape and a silver-topped cane.
Summers eventually managed to make a living as a full-time writer. He was interested in the theatre of the seventeenth century, particularly that of the English Restoration, and was one of the founder members of The Phoenix, a society that performed neglected works of that era. In 1916, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Summers also produced some important studies of Gothic fiction. However, his interest in the occult never waned, and in 1928, around the time he was acquainted with Aleister Crowley, he published the first English translation of Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger s Malleus Maleficarum ( The Hammer of Witches ), a 15th century Latin text on the hunting of witches. Summers then turned to vampires, producing The Vampire: His Kith and Kin (1928) and The Vampire in Europe (1929), and then to werewolves with The Werewolf (1933). Summers work on the occult is known for his unusual, archaic writing style, his intimate style of narration, and his purported belief in the reality of the subjects he treats.
In his day, Summers was a renowned eccentric; The Times called him in every way a character and a throwback to the Middle Ages . He died at his home in Richmond, Surrey.
CONTENTS
I NTRODUCTION
CHAP.
I. O F THE P RACTICE AND P ROFESSION OF W ITCHCRAFT; OF THE C ONTRACT; AND OF THE F AMILIAR
II. O F THE P RACTICE OF W ITCHCRAFT; OF THE M ALICE AND M ISCHIEF OF W ITCHES; OF THE D EVIL S M ARK; AND OF THE G RIMOIRE
III. O F THE W ITCH C OVENS AND THEIR G RAND M ASTERS; OF THEIR J OURNEY TO THE S ABBAT; AND OF THE S ABBAT O RGY
IV. O F THE B LACK M ASS; AND OF THE L OVES OF THE I NCUBI AND S UCCUBI
V. P ART I.-O F E NGLISH W ITCHCRAFT FROM THE B EGINNING UNTIL THE R EPEAL OF THE L AW , 1736
VI. P ART II.-O F E NGLISH W ITCHCRAFT FROM THE P ASSING OF THE S TATUTE OF 1736 UNTIL THE P RESENT D AY
I NDEX

THE NECROMANCERS Dr. Dee and Kelley raising the dead
ILLUSTRATIONS
I. T HE N ECROMANCERS
Dr. Dee and Kelley raising the dead. From Histoire curieuse et pittoresque des sorciers, devins, magiciens, astrologues, voyants, revenants, mes en peine, vampires, spectres, esprits malins, sorts jet s, exorcismes , etc., depuis l Antiquit jusqu nos jours , par Le Rev. P re Mathias de Giraldo, dominicain, ancien exorciste de l Inquisition. Revue et augment e par Fornari. Paris, 1846.
II. T HE S ABBAT AT N ORTH B ERWICK C HURCH
Dr. Fian and his Coven pacing round the Church (withershins). All Hallows E en, 1589. Drawn and Etched by F. Armytage. Pub. London: William Tegg. Collection of the author.
III. T HE D EMON K ING M AYMON
Maymon Rex. From a manuscript Book of Black Magic written in England c. 1600, and now in the possession of Messrs. Maggs, by whose kind permission this drawing is reproduced.
IV. T HE W ORLD T OST AT T ENNIS
Title-page of the First Quarto, 1620, of the Masque by Middleton and Rowley.
V. M AGIC, G HOSTS AND P HANJOMS
The engraved title-page of a rare volume, a study of witchcraft Magica De Spectris et Apparitionibus Spirituum , etc. This book, which contains a number of histories of the supernatural, compiled from more than one hundred and fifty authors, was first issued by Hennig Gr sse of Leipzig at Eisleben in 1597, but the Second Edition, Leyden, 1656, is far more uncommon and more highly esteemed. Collection of the author.
VI. T HE W ITCHES S YNAGOGUE . G OYA .
VII. T HE D EVIL C HASTISING THE W ITCHES .
George Cruikshank. From Twelve Sketches Illustrative of Sir Walter Scott s Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft , pub. J. Robins and Co., London, 1830. Cruikshank describes his sketch as Black John Chastising the Witches. The apposite quotation is from the Ninth Letter: The ceremonial of the Sabbath meetings was very strict. The foul fiend was very rigid in exacting the most ceremonious attention from his votaries, and the title of Lord when addressed by them. Sometimes, however, the weird sisters when whispering amongst themselves, irreverently spoke of their sovereign by the name of Black John; upon such occasions, the fiend rushed on them like a schoolmaster who surprises his pupils in delict, and beat and buffeted them without mercy. Collection of the author.
VIII. A Y ORKSHIRE W ITCH AND H ER I MPS .
This contemporary drawing, 1622, which is said to have been done by the Rev. Miles Gale, vicar of Keighley, is from the illustrated transcript (British Museum, Add. MS. 32496) of the account compiled by Edward Fairfax of Fewstone in the Forest of Knaresborough in which he describes the tormenting of his own children and other victims by seven witches. The hag here portrayed is Elizabeth Fletcher, the daughter of a witch, Mother Foster. Elizabeth Fletcher is spoken of as greatly feared by her neighbours on account of her evil cantrips and spells.
INTRODUCTION
During the eleven years which have passed since I published my History of Witchcraft and Demonology a second edition has repeatedly been asked for, and-wisely or no-I have as often delayed this and deferred. The fact is that throughout this time owing to my further researches into an immense subject-as old as the world and as wide as the world-and perhaps more especially owing to the interest and kindness of correspondents from every continent I found that I had accumulated so vast a quantity of new material that in order to include a tithe, and yet keep my work within a reasonable compass, there would have to be frequent excisions from the original pages together with a certain amount of compression. At first I began upon these lines, but I soon recognized that again and again I was at a loss how to abbreviate without in some way impairing the structure and sequence of the chapters, and thus it was a matter of no little difficulty to avail myself to any extent of many recent and extraordinarily interesting narratives and investigations whilst not essentially altering and even recasting the whole.
A considerable amount of time also was taken up in closely examining and discussing cases and incidents which were brought under my notice. Not a few persons were, quite naturally, at first reluctant to give details. The majority shrank from furnishing their names, dates, and the exact localities, such precise information as might bring them into a notice they were far from desiring or indeed would for a moment allow. This, an entirely reasonable and prudent point of view, must often hinder and obstruct the student of these dark and riddling mysteries. Yet he has no right whatsoever to complain or show himself embarrassed by the discretion of a reticence which is perfectly justifiable and fair. It was necessary to poise delicate questions and to probe with great tact in order to obtain knowledge together with the confirmation of knowledge which not unseldom was only supplied on condition that it was not publicly utilized, or, if so employed, disguised in such a way that the informant could not be identified. Persons who have been brought in contact with, and it may be who have hardly escaped from the clutches of, the Satanists are loath that their experiences, however valuable to others, should be published. They are afraid too of the vengeance and pursuit of the witches. This is quite understandable, nor are they to be blamed who lack courage to expose and confront those infernal gangs whose weapons are poisons, black magic, and evil spells.
As time went on and I was even more frequently being requested to issue a second edition of my book it became increasingly difficult satisfactorily to myself to find a happy issue from the impasse. In the view of so much that was new and vitally important I did not wish to send it from the press without certain added matter. I was, too, perpetually being urged by those whose opinion carries no little weight that I would bring the subject right up to the very day of writing, that I would emphasize the oneness of witchcraft throughout the world, the unchangeableness of the church of Satan throughout the centuries, and thus expose the horrid ctivities and propaganda of the society of devil-worshippers in our midst.
Such arguments were scarcely to be resisted, and decided that in order to