Witches

by Jong, Erica

• ISBN13: 9780810981577
• ISBN10: 0810981572
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-09-01
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Summary

Best-selling author Erica Jong turns her attention to the fantastical and factual world of witchcraft, exploring the figure of the witch both as historical reality and as archetype. On page after page filled with magical illustrations by Joseph A. Smith, Jong spins tales in poetry and prose, even providing recipes for love potions and magic spells.

Table of Contents

The Witch	p. 11
Some Light on the Subject of Witchcraft	p. 13
The Word Witchcraft	p. 14
From Mother Goddess to Witch	p. 17
The White Goddess and the Witch	p. 24
From Paganism to Christianity	p. 35
Witchcraft vs. Witch-craze	p. 38
On the Subject of Torture	p. 43
Some Questions for Witches	p. 49
Witches and Heretics	p. 51
Satanism and Witchcraft	p. 52
Muddled Mythologies	p. 54
Becoming a Witch	p. 58
Theories of Witchcraft	p. 62
What Does a Witch Look Like?	p. 66
Witch Lore	p. 72
The Witch's Equipment	p. 85
The Witch's Costume	p. 93
Some Witch Rituals	p. 101
Sexual Union with the Devil	p. 107
Witches and Impotence	p. 108
Puppets or Poppets	p. 109
Love Poppets	p. 112
Love Spells and Why We Need Them	p. 116
The Witches' Year	p. 122
The Witches' Organization	p. 125
The Sabbat	p. 129
Favorite Haunts	p. 132
Witches and Flight	p. 134
Witches and Weather	p. 136
The Witches' Herbs	p. 138
Poisons and Cures	p. 141
A Deadly Herbal in Verse	p. 144
The Gathering of Herbs	p. 150
Flying Ointments: Some Recipes	p. 152
The Witch and the Fairy	p. 155
Some Legendary Witches	p. 158
Famous Witches in History	p. 165
In Conclusion: The Communal Myth of the Witch	p. 170
Selected Bibliography	p. 176
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.