Mythologis
Witches: The Complete Guide to Witchcraft, Folklore and the History of the Witch

Mythical Creatures Mythology

Witches: The Complete Guide to Witchcraft, Folklore and the History of the Witch

Witchcraft, the Witch Trials and the Folklore of the Craft

The complete guide to the witch: the sorceresses of myth and folklore, the reality behind the European witch trials, the figure of the witch across cultures, and the long history of magic, fear and the craft.

190 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Folklore and the real trials kept distinct
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01Two Kinds of Witch
  2. 02Sorceresses of the Ancient World: Circe and Medea
  3. 03The Witch in Folklore: Hag, Healer and Night-Flyer
  4. 04The Familiar, the Flight and the Sabbath
  5. 05The Making of the Witch Hunt
  6. 06The Malleus Maleficarum and the Machinery of Fear
  7. 07Who Was Accused, and Why
  8. 08Famous Trials: From Salem to the Continent
  9. 09The Cunning Folk: Magic That Was Not Hunted
  10. 10The Witch Beyond Europe
  11. 11From Victim to Icon: The Witch Reclaimed

About this book

About this Mythical Creatures mythology guide

The witch is two things at once: the night-flying hag of folklore and the real people killed in the trials. This is the complete guide to the witch, in myth and in history.

The witch is two things at once, and they are easy to confuse. There is the witch of folklore and myth, as old as civilization: the night-flying hag, the herb-wise woman, the sorceress of the fairy tale. And there is the witch of history, the tens of thousands of real people, mostly women, who were accused, tried and killed across early modern Europe for a crime that did not exist. To understand the witch you have to hold both at once.

This is the complete guide to the witch. The sorceresses of the ancient world, Circe and Medea and the striga; the folklore of the witch across Europe, the familiar, the sabbath, the night flight and the pact; the witch trials themselves, what really caused them, who was accused and why, and what the Malleus Maleficarum had to do with it; and the figure of the witch beyond Europe, from Africa to the Americas.

The book separates the folklore from the history without flattening either, drawing on the trial records, the demonologies and the myths, with every chapter citing its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Circe, Medea and the sorceresses who set the template for the witch
  • The folklore of the witch: the familiar, the sabbath and the night flight
  • What really caused the European witch hunts, and what did not
  • The Malleus Maleficarum and how a manual turned fear into method
  • Who was actually accused of witchcraft, and why it was mostly women
  • How the hunted witch became a modern symbol of power and independence

Mythical Creatures mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythical Creatures mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length190 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythical Creatures mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Does it cover the real witch trials as well as the folklore?

Yes, and it keeps them clearly distinct. The book gives the folklore of the witch its due and then turns to the documented history of the trials, what caused them, how they worked and how many died, without confusing the two.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the classical sources on Circe and Medea, the Malleus Maleficarum and the demonological literature, surviving trial records including Salem, and the standard scholarship on the witch hunts, with references to the editions used.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 190 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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