Witchcraft, Sorcery and Superstition

History interspersed with beautiful prose. The writer's skill lets the reader immerse her/himself inside the lives he writes about. Enchanting.

in 1939 this book was published under the name Satanism and Witchcraft a Study In Medieval Superstition. by Jules Michelet

Satan as Hero? Michelet a Satanist? The book is the basis for a group of Michelet Satanists? Oh for pete's sake. What some people think is "real" continues to astound me, and you'd think after all these years my astounder would have been pretty much astounded out. But no. Once again, someone expresses a belief so unfounded and so, well, stupid, there I go, getting astounded again. Too bad they wrote it yonks ago. Chances are they won't be reading this. In any case, this book, of which I have an ancient falling apart copy with a truly lurid cover, is a brilliant bit of historical writing. No pulling punches, no shying away from what the Church might think or say (and there was a time not so long ago, one had to be damned careful of old Popey), this book stands even now as a Classic on the Dark Ages. Were we nuts then? You bet. Are we nuts now? Yes. In a different kind of way, but getting nuttier by the day. Are we headed for a new Dark Age? Might be. Timely this book, no matter how long ago it was written. Dripping with blood and lust and hypocrisy and cruelty...that was us. Now we're dripping with greed and a casual indifference to the suffering of others, not to mention the suffering of animals and the earth itself. What do we care when scads of us are so crazed we think something called the Rapture is coming to take us away. Satan is here and Satan is us.

This book isn't so much a history book as it is a book by an individual Satanist elaborating his own historically-based reasons for joining the Devil's side. This book predates the Church of Satan by over a century, and forms the bases of the attitudes and ideas of "Michelet Satanism."

Some stuff never quits. And, it seems some stuff never starts, when it should, anyway. This book is a great example of both, I think. Strangely contemporary in its impact, this book is a startlingly empathic study of, well - oppressed women way back then - I mean just ordinary women trying to live their lives. These women are much more like us than is the society around them; I owe this emphasis much to the genius of Michelet. Not to be read by thrill seekers but by lovers of humanity and seekers of sociological truth, I guarantee you a very rich experience indeed. I'm a community radio producer and on my next show (just before Hallloween) I am going to try to read excerpts from this book mixed with pieces from Richard Thompson and Maddy Prior; any other suggestions?