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The Triumph of the Moon

A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft

Author: Ronald Hutton  

A spellbinding chronicle of the development of modern pagan witchcraft

The first scholarly study of the only religion which England has ever given the world; modern pagan witchcraft. It tells the story of its development and nature, and uses that story as a microhistory for a general consideration of attitudes to paganism, witchcraft, and magic in British society since 1800.

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Summary

A spellbinding chronicle of the development of modern pagan witchcraft

The first scholarly study of the only religion which England has ever given the world; modern pagan witchcraft. It tells the story of its development and nature, and uses that story as a microhistory for a general consideration of attitudes to paganism, witchcraft, and magic in British society since 1800.

Read more

Description

Ronald Hutton is known for his colourful, provocative, and always exhaustively researched, studies on original subjects. This work is no exception: the first full-scale scholarly study of the only religion England has ever given the world, that of modern pagan witchcraft, which has now spread from English shores across four continents. Hutton examines the nature of that religion and its development, and offers a microhistory of attitudes to paganism, witchcraft,and magic in British society since 1800. Village cunning folk and Victorian ritual magicians, classicists and archaeologists, leaders of woodcraft and scouting movements, Freemasons and members of ruralsecret societies, all appear in the pages of this book. Also included are some of the leading figures of English literature, from the Romantic poets to W B Yeats, D H Lawrence, and Robert Graves, as well as the main personalities who have represented pagan witchcraft to the world since 1950.

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Critic Reviews

“'This work ... makes for excellent reading. Hutton's extensive scholarship allows him to make and clarify connections between people and movements in recent centuries.' Northern Earth, No.83.”

This work ... makes for excellent reading. Hutton's extensive scholarship allows him to make and clarify connections between people and movements in recent centuries.'Northern Earth, No.83.Hutton uses his historical skills to tease apart some of the themes in this popular rural romanticism, and to locate their purely modern origin.'T. M. Luhrmann, TLSFascinating'The TimesHutton's book is excellent ...'T. M. Luhrmann, TLSThe Triumph of the Moon, which is densely argued and heavily annotated, leaves little doubt that the history which modern occultism has constructed for itself is bunk ... It all makes for riveting reading and, despite Hutton's demolition of the supposed lineage of witchcraft, I am tempted after reading his book to become a witch myself.'Robert Irwin, The Independent 11/12/99Hutton has synthesised a huge body of sources, and woven together a fascinating narrative with supreme skill. The reader is sure to be gripped by the wonderful cast of characters that he assembles... Hutton shows us that paganism is a matter of interest not only for the classicist and archaeologist, but for the modern historian as well. in doing so his Triumph of the Moon proves to be a triumph of cultural history.'Owen Davies, History Today Vol.50 No.3he shows a bracing and candid scepticism about the architects of pagan witchcraft belief in the past ... he shows energetic rigour when exposing the fallacies and fantasies suffusing paganism's canonical texts ... has a very interesting story to tell.'Marina Warner The TimesA brilliant insight into the history of modern witchcraft by the author of the classic study of Paganism. Very readable and well researched.'Kindred Spirit, Issue 50, Spring 2000

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About the Author

Ronald Hutton is Professor of History at the University of Bristol. He is the author of seven other books, including The Stations of the Sun, which The Times Literary Supplement called "a tour de force from one of the liveliest and most wide-ranging English historians." He lives in the United Kingdom.

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More on this Book

Ronald Hutton is known for his colourful, provocative, and always exhaustively researched, studies on original subjects. This work is no exception: the first full-scale scholarly study of the only religion England has ever given the world, that of modern pagan witchcraft, which has now spread from English shores across four continents. Hutton examines the nature of that religion and its development, and offers a microhistory of attitudes to paganism, witchcraft, and magic in British society since 1800. Village cunning folk and Victorian ritual magicians, classicists and archaeologists, leaders of woodcraft and scouting movements, Freemasons and members of rural secret societies, all appear in the pages of this book. Also included are some of the leading figures of English literature, from the Romantic poets to W B Yeats, D H Lawrence, and Robert Graves, as well as the main personalities who have represented pagan witchcraft to the world since 1950.

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Product Details

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Published
4th November 1999
Pages
502
ISBN
9780198207443

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