Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft [Paperback]

Walter Scott (Author), Sir Walter Scott (Author), Henry Morley (Designer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 1994 | ISBN-10: 1564594300 | ISBN-13: 978-1564594303

Partial Contents: Origin of the general Opinions respecting Demonology among Mankind; Belief in the Immortality of the Soul; Situations of excited passion in humanity which teach men to wish or apprehend Supernatural Apparitions; Story of Somnambulism; Witches and the Bible; Creed of Zoroaster; Law of the Romans against Witchcraft; Roman customs survive the fall of their Religion; Correspondence between Northern and Roman Witches; Fairy Superstition; Elves; Those who dealt in fortune-telling, mystical cures by charms; Immediate Effect of Christianity on Articles of Popular Superstition; Prosecution of Witches and Sorcerers.

Editorial Reviews

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Kessinger Publishing reprints over 1,500 similar titles all available through Amazon.com.

About the Author

This is an O-RYAN Edition. O-RYAN Editions are handsome softbound books in either 6x9 (novel)or 7x10 (journal) format, meant to complement hardbound books on your library's shelves. We offer rarer titles for eclectic tastes. We sell only Unabridged books. Additional author biographies, footnotes or glossaries may be included. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (March 8, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564594300
• ISBN-13: 978-1564594303
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,488,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for Scully OR Tabitha, January 13, 2005

By 

J. Mccormick - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letters On Demonology & Witchcraft (Paperback)

This is a reprint of a book published in the 1830's by Sir Walter Scott as a favor to his son-in-law. Scott researches folklore, superstition, and witchcraft (through folklore, trial records, and previous scholars) in depth to give the reader a comprehensive body of knowledge. The modern reader will find more here than she ever knew. Countless court cases from all of Europe and especially Scotland (where the author resided) and England are presented. Scott writes from the point of view that he lives in a scientific age and that the possibility of these occurances is absurd, but, because he gives you all of the information from which he derives his opinion, you can make your own. Personally, I'm a fanciful person and would like to believe in ghosts and such, but in most of the cases he has plausible explanations for their being impossible (especially pertaining to witchcraft). Interesting to note, in not one of the cases of witchcraft did any of the accused, or the accusers mention goddess worship. Neither did they in any of the 'accepted' mystical hobbies of the era either. He talks of things of which I have never heard. For example, seers claimed to have captured fairies or slyphs in their crystal balls and they were not "seeing something" as in the movies, but getting the information from the agent inside the ball. It takes a while to read, as the editors of the period didn't know what to do with commas and run on sentences. Some of the words are outdated, and are used differently in our time than in his. This is an excellent book for both the sceptic and believer, as well as Christian or pagan.

25 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterful work from 1900, January 5, 2004

By 

S. Strider (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letters on demonology and witchcraft (Hardcover)

Oddly enough, this book talks more about Faeries and defends many accused of witchcraft of influence by the fair folk upon the glens and moors.

It is a remarkable work that has Scott's own articulate hand bringing a very interesting world of Celtic myths and fables to life while the rigors of a new age dawn upon them.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hard to Understand, December 26, 2010

By 

Jesse - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft (Kindle Edition)

I was pleased to see this book was free for the kindle, but upon begining it, discovered it most dificult to understand, which isn't suprising seeing how it was written so long ago. Just be warned.