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

Author(s)

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, 2018 [i.e. 2017]

2nd ed

  • : hbk
  • : pbk

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Note

"First edition published by Routledge 2004"--T.p. verso

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Strange Histories is an exploration of some of the most extraordinary beliefs that existed in the late Middle Ages through to the end of the seventeenth century. Presenting serious accounts of the appearance of angels and demons, sea monsters and dragons within European and North American history, this book moves away from "present-centred thinking" and instead places such events firmly within their social and cultural context. By doing so, it offers a new way of understanding the world in which dragons and witches were fact rather than fiction, and presents these riveting phenomena as part of an entirely rational thought process for the time in which they existed. This new edition has been fully updated in light of recent research. It contains a new guide to further reading as well as a selection of pictures that bring its themes to life. From ghosts to witches, to pigs on trial for murder, the book uses a range of different case studies to provide fascinating insights into the world-view of a vanished age. It is essential reading for all students of early modern history. .

Table of Contents

  • Figures
  • Preface to the second edition
  • Introduction: strange worlds
  • Angels on a pinhead
  • They hang horses, don't they?
  • The roaming dead
  • "A shipwreck of souls": understanding witchcraft
  • Werewolves and flying witches
  • Raptures and forbidden words
  • Suffering saints
  • The case for killing heretics
  • Conclusion: the edge of wonder
  • Further reading
  • Index

by "Nielsen BookData"

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