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A review by hollyleaf
Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England by Keith Thomas
informative
slow-paced
4.5
Genuinely fascinating and insanely detailed account of magic in all its forms and the abandonment thereof. The specificity of the examples is stunning. One of those books that has fundamentally shifted my understanding of the periods and topics covered.
The language is outdated in places but I can forgive that in a book from the 70s, though at times he makes generalisations that smack more of amateur anthropology than actual social history. The connections between folk magic in specific African tribes and that of 17th century England are sincerely interesting, but I'm not sure they're delved into enough to substantiate some of the conclusions drawn.
Anyway I cried over the poor woman who was executed as a witch because of her mice 'familiars' called prettyman, littleman, and daynty. Also page 509 reshuffled my understanding of old theatre. This book is gonna stick with me.
The language is outdated in places but I can forgive that in a book from the 70s, though at times he makes generalisations that smack more of amateur anthropology than actual social history. The connections between folk magic in specific African tribes and that of 17th century England are sincerely interesting, but I'm not sure they're delved into enough to substantiate some of the conclusions drawn.
Anyway I cried over the poor woman who was executed as a witch because of her mice 'familiars' called prettyman, littleman, and daynty. Also page 509 reshuffled my understanding of old theatre. This book is gonna stick with me.