A Popular History Of Witchcraft

The practice of black magic is as common in modern times as it was in medieval days or any other era, asserts Montague Summers. A Roman Catholic priest and eminent scholar, Summers offers persuasive evidence that witchcraft is no mere historical question, but a lively factor in contemporary issues of politics and society. "My aim throughout is to show how the profession and practice of witchcraft are the same always and in all places," he explains, "be it in some remote English village, in a quiet cathedral city, or in the hinterlands of Jamaica or Africa." Focusing on England and English witchcraft of the early twentieth century, Summers explores covens, black masses, and the casting of spells for ordinary mischief as well as for elaborate plots.