Historical Paganism

Medieval Witchcraft

ANCHORESS, 1993, Natalie Morse & Christopher Eccleston. A Pagan lens on the 14th century, seen through the eyes of the 14-yr-old daughter of the village Wise Woman. (DVD)

ARADIA, OR THE GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES, 1889, Charles G. Leland. Essential scriptural material of 19th century Tuscany Witches, or Strega.

THE BURNING TIMES, 1990, dir. by DonnaRead. Outstanding documentary on European Witch-hunts from feminist, Goddess-centered point of view, with commentary by Margot Adler, Starhawk, Matthew Fox. This film is part two of the Women and Spirituality trilogy which also includes Goddess Remembered and Full Circle. (VHS)

COWS, PIGS, WARS & WITCHES: THE RIDDLE OF CULTURE, 1989, Anthony Harris. A brilliant and insightful analysis of Medieval history and what shaped it.

SATANISM & WITCHCRAFT: A STUDY IN MEDIEVAL SUPERSTITION, 1992, Jules Michelet.

WITCHES, 1981, Erica Jong. Coffee-table book, very good overall presentation, beautifully illustrated.

WITCHES: INVESTIGATING AN ANCIENT RELIGION, 1962, T.C. Lethbridge. Classic study of Etruscan Pagan survivals.

WITCHCRAFT IN THE MIDDLE AGES, 1972, Jeffrey Burton Russell. Comprehensive history of European Witchcraft from the 5th to 15th century, and its social and religious implications.

WITCHCRAFT & THE GAY COUNTERCULTURE, 1978, Arthur Evans. A radical view of Western Civilization and some of the people if has tried to destroy.

WITCHCULT IN WESTERN EUROPE: A Study in Anthropology, 1921, Margaret Murray. The book that inspired Gerald Gardner.

DRAGONSLAYER, 1981, Peter MacNichol, Ralph Richardson. Wonderful story of a young magicians apprentice (a very young MacNichols) who uses magic to kill a dragon, and falls in love in the process. Set in medieval Ireland. (fantasy) (DVD)

THE HEART OF THE FIRE, 1990, Cerridwen Fallingstar. Powerful story of a coven during the Burning Times, told by a practiced, skilled Witch, with lots of examples of how it's done. (fiction)

MAZE OF MOONLIGHT, 1993, Gael Baudino. 2nd of a beautiful series of novels dealing with Witchcraft, Elves and the Inquisition, and linking the Middle Ages to our own times. (fantasy)

SHROUD OF SHADOW, 1993, Gael Baudino. 3rd of a beautiful series of novels dealing with Witchcraft, Elves and the Inquisition, and linking the Middle Ages to our own times. (fantasy)

SORCERESS (Le Moine et la Sorciere), 1987, Suzanne Schiffman. Beautiful French film of an historical encounter between a village Witch and an Inquisitor. (VHS)

STRANDS OF STARLIGHT,1989,Gael Baudino. 1st of a beautiful series of novels dealing with Witchcraft, Elves and the Inquisition, and linking the Middle Ages to our own times. (fantasy)

STRANDS OF SUNLIGHT,1994, Gael Baudino. Last of a beautiful series of novels dealing with Witchcraft, Elves and the Inquisition, and linking the Middle Ages to our own times. (fantasy)

WILLOW, 1988, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whaley. This epic Lucasfilm fantasy serves up enough magical adventure to satisfy fans of the genre, though it treads familiar territory. With abundant parallels to Star Wars, the story (by George Lucas) follows the exploits of the little farmer Willow (Warwick Davis), an aspiring sorcerer appointed to deliver an infant princess from the evil queen (Jean Marsh) to whom the child is a crucial threat. Val Kilmer plays the warrior who joins Willow's campaign with the evil queen's daughter (Joanne Whalley, who later married Kilmer) (fantasy) (DVD)

General Mythology