Enemies of God: The Witch-Hunt in Scotland [Paperback]

Christina Larner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0859765180 | ISBN-13: 978-0859765183 | Publication Date: November 2000

For many years the European witch craze of the 16th and 17th centuries was considered a subject of almost "bad taste" to study. Then came World War II and a genocide which was the greatest convulsion of evil the world had ever seen. Scholars realized that the witch cult was still with us. This is the story of how a rapidly growing and civilized European nation could turn on itself in a frenzy of violence, and marginalize and kill its own people in a hysteria which became both self-perpetuating and self-justifying; of how otherwise sober and intelligent people could defend this killing, and of how a state could use mass murder as an instrument of state policy.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Though one tends to think of witch trials as being limited to Salem, MA, Europe was also very happy to throw a young woman on the fire in the name of God. Larner's 1983 volume offers a detailed history of witch persecutions in Scotland, where the craft was a criminal offense punishable by death.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: John Donald (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0859765180
• ISBN-13: 978-0859765183
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > History > Europe > Scotland

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enemies of God., July 30, 2001

By 

Renee McSheffrey (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enemies of God: The Witch-Hunt in Scotland (Paperback)

Christina Larner has written and excellent and readable book about the horrors of the witch hunt in Scotland.

"Enemies of God" is very informative and well organized in its approach to the witch hunts in Scotland. Her book discusses everything from the start of, and reasons for the witch craze to the trials themselves, some of which are described in amazing (and rather unpleasant) detail.

I was impressed with the book not being simply an excuse to write some gory and horrific accounts of human torture, but rather Larner takes a scholarly approach and explores not only the cases themselves, but social structure, religion, politics and superstition of the times, and their influence on the witch trials.

The language is very adult and straightforward with out being too full of jargon or obscure references. However the book does seem at times to assume that the reader has access to the same sources as the author and has actually read them.

This is an excellent book for those wishing to study the witch trials of Scotland in a serious manner.