The popularity of the HBO series A Game of Thrones and the rush to find a sequel that will have s... more The popularity of the HBO series A Game of Thrones and the rush to find a sequel that will have similar audience appeal and generate similar profits has been a boon to studies of medievalism. Criti...
... A series called "Victorian fantasies" shows an elaborately ... more ... A series called "Victorian fantasies" shows an elaborately dressed Victorian child, a descendent of US emigrants holding a picture of her grandparents ... A commemorative plate in the shape of an angel musician with "calming gaze" playing "Serenity's song," will give the owner ...
Palgrave Advances in Witchcraft Historiography, 2007
In the first half of the twentieth century, two writers challenged the view that witchcraft had n... more In the first half of the twentieth century, two writers challenged the view that witchcraft had never been a ‘real’ cult. Margaret Murray (1863–1963), an Egyptologist and member of the Folklore Society, applied James Frazer’s ideas on the universality of fertility cults at the primitive stage of cultural development to re-create an ancient religion. She put forward the idea that what Christianity demonised as witchcraft was a medieval survival of an ancient Palaeolithic/Neolithic religion based on the agricultural cycle. In contrast, Montague Summers (1880–1948), a convert to Catholicism, claimed that genuine satanic cults had existed in previous centuries, and that witches did indeed practise satanic rites. At the time there was widespread interest in occultism, and the modern disciplines of anthropology and psychology were emerging. The very different conclusions reached by Murray and Summers shared the assumption that the language of accusation could be matched to a real phenomenon, rooted in the past, but still affecting the present. Researchers have again become interested in witches’ assemblies, although there are still widely expressed reservations about the way Murray and Summers fused popular motifs and historical material to produce their respective benign or satanic cults. Despite this, both writers have been influential in the development of modern popular religion and lifestyle movements.
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content")... more Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
... Despite the lack of winged characters, Internet comments from admirers frequently include the... more ... Despite the lack of winged characters, Internet comments from admirers frequently include these films as part of the world of faery. This archaic-seeming ... eat the cute denizens of the forest and drain the life force from the elfin-like creatures, reducing them to a zombie-like state. ...
The popularity of the HBO series A Game of Thrones and the rush to find a sequel that will have s... more The popularity of the HBO series A Game of Thrones and the rush to find a sequel that will have similar audience appeal and generate similar profits has been a boon to studies of medievalism. Criti...
... A series called "Victorian fantasies" shows an elaborately ... more ... A series called "Victorian fantasies" shows an elaborately dressed Victorian child, a descendent of US emigrants holding a picture of her grandparents ... A commemorative plate in the shape of an angel musician with "calming gaze" playing "Serenity's song," will give the owner ...
Palgrave Advances in Witchcraft Historiography, 2007
In the first half of the twentieth century, two writers challenged the view that witchcraft had n... more In the first half of the twentieth century, two writers challenged the view that witchcraft had never been a ‘real’ cult. Margaret Murray (1863–1963), an Egyptologist and member of the Folklore Society, applied James Frazer’s ideas on the universality of fertility cults at the primitive stage of cultural development to re-create an ancient religion. She put forward the idea that what Christianity demonised as witchcraft was a medieval survival of an ancient Palaeolithic/Neolithic religion based on the agricultural cycle. In contrast, Montague Summers (1880–1948), a convert to Catholicism, claimed that genuine satanic cults had existed in previous centuries, and that witches did indeed practise satanic rites. At the time there was widespread interest in occultism, and the modern disciplines of anthropology and psychology were emerging. The very different conclusions reached by Murray and Summers shared the assumption that the language of accusation could be matched to a real phenomenon, rooted in the past, but still affecting the present. Researchers have again become interested in witches’ assemblies, although there are still widely expressed reservations about the way Murray and Summers fused popular motifs and historical material to produce their respective benign or satanic cults. Despite this, both writers have been influential in the development of modern popular religion and lifestyle movements.
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content")... more Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
... Despite the lack of winged characters, Internet comments from admirers frequently include the... more ... Despite the lack of winged characters, Internet comments from admirers frequently include these films as part of the world of faery. This archaic-seeming ... eat the cute denizens of the forest and drain the life force from the elfin-like creatures, reducing them to a zombie-like state. ...
Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre contains what is undoubtedly the most famous, mention of a ni... more Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre contains what is undoubtedly the most famous, mention of a night-walking creature called a Gytrash. Jane is walking alone one evening when she hears mysterious sounds. "A rude noise broke on these fine ripplings and whisperings, at once so far away and so clear: a positive tramp, tramp, a metallic clatter, …a horse was coming; the windings of the lane yet hid it, but it approached. I was just leaving the stile; yet, as the path was narrow, I sat still to let it go by. In those days I was young, and all sorts of fancies bright and dark tenanted my mind: the memories of nursery stories were there amongst other rubbish; and when they recurred, maturing youth added to them a vigour and vividness beyond what childhood could give. As this horse approached, and as I watched for it to appear through the dusk, I remembered certain of Bessie's tales, wherein figured a North-of-England spirit called a "Gytrash," which, in the form of horse, mule, or large dog, haunted solitary ways, and sometimes came upon belated travellers, as this horse was now coming upon me. It was very near, but not yet in sight; when, in addition to the tramp, tramp, I heard a rush under the hedge, and close down by the hazel stems glided a great dog, whose black and white colour made him a distinct object against the trees. It was exactly one form of Bessie's Gytrash-a lion-like creature with long hair and a huge head: it passed me, however, quietly enough; not staying to look up, with strange pretercanine eyes, in my face, as I half expected it would. The horse followed,-a tall steed, and on its back a rider. The man, the human being, broke the spell at once. Nothing ever rode the Gytrash: it was always alone; and goblins, to my notions, though they might tenant the dumb carcasses of beasts, could scarce covet shelter in the commonplace human form. No Gytrash was this,-only a traveller taking the short cut to Millcote. He passed, and I went on; a few steps, and I turned: a sliding sound and an exclamation of "What the deuce is to do now?" and a clattering tumble, arrested my attention. Man and horse were down; they had slipped on the sheet of ice which glazed the causeway." (Jane Eyre 1847, Ch.12).
The exact origins of the Sandman are somewhat murky. Considering how eerie and evocative he is, t... more The exact origins of the Sandman are somewhat murky. Considering how eerie and evocative he is, this is not surprising. On the one hand, this imaginary character sprinkles magic sand into the eyes of good children in order to induce sound sleep or happy dreams. However, the sandman can also be a threatening bogey figure used to frighten disobedient children, and even cause them harm. His first fully developed literary appearance is in E.T.A. Hoffmann's Der Sandmann (1814, translated into English in 1816). He is an important character in Hans Christian Andersen's literary fairy-tale (1841) about the dream-elf, Ole Lukoje which was translated into English as 'The Sandman' (1861), but his best-known contemporary iteration is a series of graphic novels by Neil Gaiman that revolve around a figure called Sandman (DC Comics, Vertigo 1989-1996).
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