Picture Book of Devils, Demons and Witchcraft [Paperback]

Ernst Lehner (Author), Johanna Lehner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Pictorial Archive | Publication Date: June 1, 1971

This masterwork presents 244 representations, symbols, and manuscript pages of devils and death from Ancient Egypt to 1913. Fascinating graphics depict demons, witches and warlocks, the Danse Macabre, Hell and Damnation, the Art of Dying, and more. Includes works by Dürer, Cranach, Holbein, and Rembrandt.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; 1st edition (June 1, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486227510
• ISBN-13: 978-0486227511
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devilishly Delightful Illustrated Reference Work, April 13, 2005

By 

Matthew S. Schweitzer "zohoe" (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Picture Book of Devils, Demons and Witchcraft (Paperback)

This book is not meant to be an introduction to Wicca or a history of witchcraft and demonology. It's intended purpose is simply to provide an illustrated reference work primarily for historians, teachers, artists, craftsman, and authors working in the area of witchcraft and demonology.

That being said, the book is divided into twelve chapters, each dealing with various aspects of witchcraft, death, demons, and the occult and providing a plentiful cornucopia of illustrations, woodcuts, copperplates, and artwork representative of the subject at hand. The works of Durer, Dore, and others appear together with illustrations from such famous demonological works such as Colin De Plancy's "Dictionnarie Infernal" and Francesco Maria Guazzo's "Compendium Maleficarum" as well as countless others from ancient to modern times.

This is a first class illustrated reference book and will be useful to any number of those interested in the history of illustration of the Dark Arts.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book of Pictoral Demonology, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Picture Book of Devils, Demons and Witchcraft (Paperback)

Not only does this book not say anything particully bad about Wicca or witchcraft, the first sentence of the chapter of Witches and Warlocks explicitly states:

"The true practicing witches of the late Middle Ages,Renaissance and later periods were most likely stubborn adherents of pre-Christian pagan religious beliefs in which the deity or deities partook of animal forms."

The reviewer who stated that it's books like these that promote religious intolerance against neopaganism obviously just took one look at the title without ever even opening the book. The pictures provide us with a great insight into the mentality of the Christian church throughout history. The favorite works are the ones depicting the four horsemen of the appocolypse. Anyone who is interested paganism, demonology, Christian history or religion in general should pick this book up. It delongs on the shelf of every neopagan for the same reason as Malleus Malificarum and Compendium Malificarum.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming Artistic Woodcuts, August 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Picture Book of Devils, Demons and Witchcraft (Paperback)

A wonderfull book of woodcuts on a facinating subject, with short and to-the-point commentary. Unlike one of the reveiwers, I have found nothing in the book that spreads falsehoods or encorages hatred of the Wiccan religion.