Imagine this: the year is 1692 A.D., and you are a very spry 60 year old who goes by the name of Bridgette. Along with your third… Read more “Cotton Mather, Bridgette Bishop and the Witches of Salem: Give a God Man Power…”
Category: Magic and Witchcraft
A Transylvanian in Ireland: Dracula’s Celtic Roots
So, What’s In A Name? Sometimes, what was an odd bit of cultural theorizing becomes mainstream; C.K., or common knowledge as it’s known in academic circles. A… Read more “A Transylvanian in Ireland: Dracula’s Celtic Roots”
the Demonization of Morgan La Fey: A Timeline
In recent decades, there has been a pop cultural and feminist reclamation of Morgan La Fey, savior and nemesis to King Arthur. This re-appropriation is historically grounded,… Read more “the Demonization of Morgan La Fey: A Timeline”
Waterfall Demon Princess: Raising the Bones of the Dead
Imagine this: your father was a powerful Samurai, who led an unsuccessful revolt against the emperor. And so, in the (Western) year 939 C.E., the Emperor had… Read more “Waterfall Demon Princess: Raising the Bones of the Dead”
Chickens for Christ, Books Bound In Blood: The Magical, Murderous Mayhem of Mary Bateman, the Yorkshire Witch
Mary Bateman nee Harker was many things: a servant girl, a dress maker, a fortune teller… She was also a compulsive thief, a religious charlatan, and an… Read more “Chickens for Christ, Books Bound In Blood: The Magical, Murderous Mayhem of Mary Bateman, the Yorkshire Witch”
How (not) to Convert the Pope: the Curious Cause of Abraham Abulafia
Imagine this: the year is 1280 C.E. You are forty years old, and you’ve spent the last twenty of those years traveling and studying. And now, through… Read more “How (not) to Convert the Pope: the Curious Cause of Abraham Abulafia”
Touched by a Zombie: the Tibetan Ro-Langs
In the past, Zombie possession was typically presented in Western media as a function of sorcery, often tied to Africa or Haiti. While these Zombies were mind… Read more “Touched by a Zombie: the Tibetan Ro-Langs”
Deals with the Devil: the Red Dragon’s Demons
Let me begin with a significant disclaimer: Kids, don’t try this at home. To be a little more serious about it, today’s topic is demonology; specifically, the… Read more “Deals with the Devil: the Red Dragon’s Demons”
Pope Innocent VIII and the Hammer of the Witches
If you’re familiar with the late Medieval European witch-hunts, chances are you’ve heard of the Malleus Maleficarum (English: The Hammer of the Witches). This text, published in 1487, would… Read more “Pope Innocent VIII and the Hammer of the Witches”