Appearance of Witchcraft

Charles Zika is Professor of History at the University of Melbourne. He researches the cultural and religious history of late medieval and early modern Europe. Among his publications are Exorcising our Demons: magic, witchcraft and visual culture in early modern Europe (2003).

• Introduction Chapter 1. Fashioning a New Visual Language for Witchcraft Chapter 2. The Transformation of Sorcery and Magic in the Fifteenth Century Chapter 3. Witches’ Cauldrons and Women’s Bodies Chapter 4. Wild Riders, Popular Folklore and Moral Disorder Chapter 5. Transformation, Death and Sexuality in the Classical World Chapter 6. A Biblical Necromancer and Two Christian Saints Chapter 7. Reporting the News and Reading the Signs Chapter 8. On the Margins of Christian Europe

‘This fascinating study of the images of witchcraft produced during the period from about 1480 to 1590 shows how artists and printers gave a visual dimension tothe newly defined crime of witchcraft and how audiences may have viewed and understood them. Charles Zika’s extensive knowledge of the production of these images, his detailed analysis of more than 150 illustrations, his mastery of the vasts cholarship on early modern witchcraft and his demonstration of the way in which artists and printers drew upon different artistic and literary traditions to convey social and cultural meaning make this study one of the most valuable contributions to the history of European witchcraft in the past twenty years… sets the standard for future work on the subject.’ – Journal of Ecclesiastical History'This long awaited book is the definitive history of the image of the witch in fifteenth and sixteenth century Europe. Zika's scholarship is extraordinary – he takes us through popular perceptions, iconography and intellectual history as he unravels the meanings of these compelling images. A masterly study, it will interest all historians of sexuality, art, and culture.' – Lyndal Roper, The University of Oxford'This is a major reworking of the visual history of witchcraft and more comprehensive than anything that has gone before. The scholarship is exhaustive and impeccable throughout… It will be the standard work on the subject for many years.' – Stuart Clark, University of Swansea'beautifully illustrated... very readable narrative...' History Teaching Review