Buy The Visions of Isobel Gowdie by Emma Wilby at Bookstore UAE
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland

The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland


     0     
5
4
3
2
1



Out of Stock


Notify me when this book is in stock
X
About the Book

The confessions of Isobel Gowdie are widely recognised as the most extraordinary on record in Britain. Their descriptive power and vivid imagery have attracted considerable interest on both academic and popular levels. Among historians, the confessions are celebrated for providing a unique insight into the way fairy beliefs and witch beliefs interacted in the early modern mind; more controversially, they are also cited as evidence for the existence of Shamanistic visionary traditions, of pre-Christian origin, in Scotland in this period. On a popular level the confessions of Isobel Gowdie have, above any other British witch-trial records, influenced the formation of the ritual traditions of Wicca. The author's discovery of the original trial records (currently being authenticated by the National Archives of Scotland), deemed lost for nearly 200 years, provides a starting point for an interdisciplinary look at the confessions and the woman behind them. Using historical, psychological, comparative religious and anthropological perspectives this book sets out to separate the voice of Isobel Gowdie from that of her interrogators, and to determine the experiences and beliefs which may have generated her confessions. The book explores: How far did those accused of witchcraft self-consciously practice harmful magic? Did they really believe themselves to have made a Pact with an envisioned Devil? Did they ever participate in ecstatic cult rituals? The author argues that close analysis of Isobel's testimony supports the view that in seventeenth-century Britain popular spirituality was shaped by a deep interaction between Christian teachings and shamanistic visionary traditions, of pre-Christian origin. These findings confirm the value of witchcraft confessions as unique windows into the complexities of the early modern religious imagination.

Table of Contents:
The Cottar's Wife; The Confessions; The Shadow of the Interrogator; Interweaving Worlds; Curious Minds; 'Q[uhe]n I wes in the elfes houssis'; The Men of Constant Sorrows ; The Ethics of Malevolence; Wonderful Lies; An Old Way of Seeing; Isobel Follows the Goddess; 'His hour was pursuing him'; The Choosers of the Slain; Lady Isobel & the Elf Knight; The Devil & the Covenant of Grace; Crafting the Bridegroom; 'The De'il's aye gude to his ain'; Witches Covens & Dark Dream Cults; Index.

About the Author :
Emma Wilby is an Honorary Fellow in History at the University of Exeter. Her Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic, and The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland, were extensively reviewed and are excerpted on the press website.

Review :
"Wilby says everything there is to say about Gowdie, and then some." - Fortean Times January 2011 "This is in my opinion the finest reconstruction of the thought-world of somebody accused in an early modern witch trial yet made, making sense of elements that most people would find wholly fantastic." (Ronald Hutton, Pomegranate) "Wilby's book is immensely engaging and rich with the promise of allowing us a better understanding of witches and their craft, particularly in the north of Scotland ... this book makes an invaluable contribution to its field of study, and everyone involved in writing about witches and witchcraft should be sure to read it." (Peter Maxwell-Stuart, Journal of British Studies) "Wilby's study constitutes a major contribution and advance in witchcraft studies in general she has resurrected one form of witchcraft, and by implication witchcraft in general, from being an invention of maniacal Christian inquisitors into a credible form of spirituality which must be considered by any researcher in the field of comparative religion." (Clive Tolley, Shaman: Journal of the International Society for Shamanistic Research) "Wilby restores agency and vitality to those individuals who are so often portrayed as the passive victims of a state or patriarchy-driven witch hunt, and offers a significant contribution to the field of witchcraft studies." (Sierra Dye, International Review of Scottish Studies) "In the end, this book does what good research should: provide us with provocative, original interpretations and raise questions for further exploration." (Sabina Magliocco, Journal of Folklore Research) "This is in my opinion the finest reconstruction of the thought-world of somebody accused in an early modern witch trial yet made, making sense of elements that most people would find wholly fantastic." (Ronald Hutton, Pomegranate) "Wilby's book is immensely engaging and rich with the promise of allowing us a better understanding of witches and their craft, particularly in the north of Scotland ... this book makes an invaluable contribution to its field of study, and everyone involved in writing about witches and witchcraft should be sure to read it." (Peter Maxwell-Stuart, Journal of British Studies) "Wilby's study constitutes a major contribution and advance in witchcraft studies in general she has resurrected one form of witchcraft, and by implication witchcraft in general, from being an invention of maniacal Christian inquisitors into a credible form of spirituality which must be considered by any researcher in the field of comparative religion." (Clive Tolley, Shaman: Journal of the International Society for Shamanistic Research) "Wilby restores agency and vitality to those individuals who are so often portrayed as the passive victims of a state or patriarchy-driven witch hunt, and offers a significant contribution to the field of witchcraft studies." (Sierra Dye, International Review of Scottish Studies) "In the end, this book does what good research should: provide us with provocative, original interpretations and raise questions for further exploration." (Sabina Magliocco, Journal of Folklore Research)


Best Sellers


Product Details
  • ISBN-13: 9781845191795
  • Publisher: Liverpool University Press
  • Publisher Imprint: Liverpool University Press
  • Height: 172 mm
  • No of Pages: 604
  • Sub Title: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland
  • Width: 246 mm
  • ISBN-10: 184519179X
  • Publisher Date: 04 Jun 2010
  • Binding: Hardback
  • Language: English
  • No of Pages: 604
  • Weight: 1200 gr


Similar Products

Add Photo
Add Photo

Customer Reviews

REVIEWS      0     
Click Here To Be The First to Review this Product
The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland
Liverpool University Press -
The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland
Writing guidlines
We want to publish your review, so please:
  • keep your review on the product. Review's that defame author's character will be rejected.
  • Keep your review focused on the product.
  • Avoid writing about customer service. contact us instead if you have issue requiring immediate attention.
  • Refrain from mentioning competitors or the specific price you paid for the product.
  • Do not include any personally identifiable information, such as full names.

The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland

Required fields are marked with *

Review Title*
Review
    Add Photo Add up to 6 photos
    Would you recommend this product to a friend?
    Tag this Book Read more
    Does your review contain spoilers?
    What type of reader best describes you?
    I agree to the terms & conditions
    You may receive emails regarding this submission. Any emails will include the ability to opt-out of future communications.

    CUSTOMER RATINGS AND REVIEWS AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TERMS OF USE

    These Terms of Use govern your conduct associated with the Customer Ratings and Reviews and/or Questions and Answers service offered by Bookswagon (the "CRR Service").


    By submitting any content to Bookswagon, you guarantee that:
    • You are the sole author and owner of the intellectual property rights in the content;
    • All "moral rights" that you may have in such content have been voluntarily waived by you;
    • All content that you post is accurate;
    • You are at least 13 years old;
    • Use of the content you supply does not violate these Terms of Use and will not cause injury to any person or entity.
    You further agree that you may not submit any content:
    • That is known by you to be false, inaccurate or misleading;
    • That infringes any third party's copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary rights or rights of publicity or privacy;
    • That violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination or false advertising);
    • That is, or may reasonably be considered to be, defamatory, libelous, hateful, racially or religiously biased or offensive, unlawfully threatening or unlawfully harassing to any individual, partnership or corporation;
    • For which you were compensated or granted any consideration by any unapproved third party;
    • That includes any information that references other websites, addresses, email addresses, contact information or phone numbers;
    • That contains any computer viruses, worms or other potentially damaging computer programs or files.
    You agree to indemnify and hold Bookswagon (and its officers, directors, agents, subsidiaries, joint ventures, employees and third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.), harmless from all claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of a breach of your representations and warranties set forth above, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.


    For any content that you submit, you grant Bookswagon a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, transferable right and license to use, copy, modify, delete in its entirety, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from and/or sell, transfer, and/or distribute such content and/or incorporate such content into any form, medium or technology throughout the world without compensation to you. Additionally,  Bookswagon may transfer or share any personal information that you submit with its third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc. in accordance with  Privacy Policy


    All content that you submit may be used at Bookswagon's sole discretion. Bookswagon reserves the right to change, condense, withhold publication, remove or delete any content on Bookswagon's website that Bookswagon deems, in its sole discretion, to violate the content guidelines or any other provision of these Terms of Use.  Bookswagon does not guarantee that you will have any recourse through Bookswagon to edit or delete any content you have submitted. Ratings and written comments are generally posted within two to four business days. However, Bookswagon reserves the right to remove or to refuse to post any submission to the extent authorized by law. You acknowledge that you, not Bookswagon, are responsible for the contents of your submission. None of the content that you submit shall be subject to any obligation of confidence on the part of Bookswagon, its agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners or third party service providers (including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.)and their respective directors, officers and employees.

    Accept

    Fresh on the Shelf


    Inspired by your browsing history


    Your review has been submitted!

    You've already reviewed this product!