Strange histories : the trial of the pig, the walking dead, and other matters of fact from the medieval and Renaissance worlds

Bibliographic Information

Strange histories : the trial of the pig, the walking dead, and other matters of fact from the medieval and Renaissance worlds

Darren Oldridge

Routledge, 2005

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [176]-192) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Strange Histories presents a serious account of some of the most extraordinary occurrences of European and North American history and explains how they made sense to people living at the time. Using case studies from the Middle Ages and the early modern period, this book provides fascinating insights into the world-view of a vanished age and shows how such occurences fitted in quite naturally with the "common sense" of the time. Explanations of these phenomena, riveting and ultimately rational, encourage further reflection on what shapes our beliefs today. What made reasonable, educated men and women behave in ways that seem utterly nonsensical to us today? This question and many more are answered in this fascinating book.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Angels on a Pinhead 3. They Hang Horses, don't They? 4. The Roaming Dead 5. A Shipwreck of Souls: Understanding witchcraft 6. Werewolves and Flying Witches 7. Raptures and Forbidden Words 8. Suffering Saints 9. The Case for Killing Heretics 10. Conclusion: The edge of wonder

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