Witchcraft in Russia and Ukraine, 1000–1900: A Sourcebook (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies) *Kindle
This sourcebook provides the first systematic overview of witchcraft laws and trials in Russia and Ukraine from medieval times to the late nineteenth century. Witchcraft in Russia and Ukraine, 1000–1900 weaves scholarly commentary with never-before-published primary source materials translated from Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian. These sources include the earliest references to witchcraft and sorcery, secular and religious laws regarding witchcraft and possession, full trial transcripts, and a wealth of magical spells. The documents present a rich panorama of daily life and reveal the extraordinary power of magical words. Editors Valerie A. Kivelson and Christine D. Worobec present new analyses of the workings and evolution of legal systems, the interplay and tensions between church and state, and the prosaic concerns of the women and men involved in witchcraft proceedings. The extended documentary commentaries also explore the shifting boundaries and fraught political relations between Russia and Ukraine. Read more
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Why Must Read Witchcraft in Russia and Ukraine, 1000–1900: A Sourcebook (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies)?
This book is a very "heavy" read (intense history lessons in each chapter, but I mean this in a great way!). The book is very condensed with all around histor of witchcraft of Eastern Europe in the slavic region (so Russia and its satellite countries in modern day). It's well worth the read but do expect this to NOT be a fast read. A lot of the beginning chapters gets into how witchcraft intertwined with politics of the era (so there's not as much emphasis at least in the begining chapters of how witchcraft was used in everyday usage by commoners), but for those wanting an accurate scope of how witchcraft was viewed in this time period in history in the slavic region, this is a fantastic read and well recommended within the slavic witchcraft community!
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