An exploration of the historical origins of the ';witches' ointment' and medieval hallucinogenic drug practices based on the earliest sources *; Details how early modern theologians demonized psychedelic folk magic into ';witches' ointments' *; Shares dozens of psychoactive formulas and recipes gleaned from rare manuscripts from university collections all over the world as well as the practices and magical incantations necessary for their preparation *; Examines the practices of medieval witches like Matteuccia di Francisco, who used hallucinogenic drugs in her love potions and herbal preparations In the medieval period preparations with hallucinogenic herbs were part of the practice of veneficium, or poison magic.
A comprehensive handbook of more than 1,000 magical words, phrases, symbols, and secret alphabets *; Explains the origins, derivatives, and practical usage of each word, phrase, and spell as well as how they can be combined for custom spells *; Based on the magical traditions of Europe, Greece, and Egypt and recently discovered one-of-a-kind grimoires from Scandinavia, France, and Germany *; Includes an in-depth exploration of secret magical alphabets, including those based on Hebrew letters, Kabbalistic symbols, astrological signs, and runes From Abracadabra to the now famous spells of the Harry Potter series, magic words are no longer confined to the practices of pagans, alchemists, witches, and occultists.
Rahn's personal diary from his travels as occult investigator for the Third Reich *; First English translation of the author's journeys in search of a Nordic equivalent to Mt.
The first English translation of the book that reveals the Cathar stronghold at Montsgur to be the repository of the Holy Grail *; Presents the history of the Papal persecution of the Cathars that lies hidden in the medieval epic Parzival and in the poetry of the troubadours *; Provides new insights into the life and death of this gifted and controversial author Crusade Against the Grail is the daring book that popularized the legend of the Cathars and the Holy Grail.
From classicist James Romm comes a ';strikingfascinating' (Booklist) deep dive into the last decades of ancient Greek freedom leading up to Alexander the Great's destruction of Thebesand the saga of the greatest military corps of the time, the Theban Sacred Band, a unit composed of 150 pairs of male lovers.
A New York Times columnist and one of America's leading conservative thinkers considers Pope Francis's efforts to change the church he governs in a book that is ';must reading for every Christian who cares about the fate of the West and the future of global Christianity' (Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option).
Beginning with the Norman Conquest of England, these tumultuous centuries and their invasions shaped the languages and political geography of present-day Britain and Ireland.
Escape into the evocative medieval world of Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and his friend Bailiff Simon Puttock, as you join them on the suspenseful trail of three murder mysteries.
A magisterial history of the origins, reality, and legend of the knightA carefully researched, concise, readable, and entertaining account of an institution that remains a part of the Western imagination.
Updated with the latest archaeological research new chapters on the most influential yet widely unrecognised people of the British isles, In Search of the Dark Ages illuminates the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066.
From acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies comes the reissue of their classic book on day-to-day life in medieval cities, which was a source for George R.
From bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies, authors of the classic Medieval Life series, comes this compelling, lucid, and highly readable account of the family unit as it evolved throughout the Medieval periodreissued for the first time in decades.
A radical rethinking of the Anglo-Saxon world that draws on the latest archaeological discoveriesThis beautifully illustrated book draws on the latest archaeological discoveries to present a radical reappraisal of the Anglo-Saxon built environment and its inhabitants.
A groundbreaking history that puts early and medieval West Africa in a global contextPick up almost any book on early and medieval world history and empire, and where do you find West Africa?
An ambitious history of how medieval writers came to terms with paganismFrom the turn of the fifth century to the beginning of the eighteenth, Christian writers were fascinated and troubled by the "e;Problem of Paganism,"e; which this book identifies and examines for the first time.
A bold new history of the rise of the medieval Italian communeAmid the disintegration of the Kingdom of Italy in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, a new form of collective government-the commune-arose in the cities of northern and central Italy.
A concise history of medieval ScandinaviaChristianity and European-style monarchy-the cross and the scepter-were introduced to Scandinavia in the tenth century, a development that was to have profound implications for all of Europe.
Why the marginalized story of Byzantium has much to teach us about Western historyFor many of us, Byzantium remains "e;byzantine"e;-obscure, marginal, difficult.
The life and times of the most important theological work of medieval ChristendomThis concise book tells the story of the most important theological work of the Middle Ages, the vast Summa theologiae of Thomas Aquinas, which holds a unique place in Western religion and philosophy.
Demonstrating that similarities between Jewish and Christian art in the Middle Ages were more than coincidental, Cultural Exchange meticulously combines a wide range of sources to show how Jews and Christians exchanged artistic and material culture.
This book presents a synthetic history of the family--the most basic building block of medieval Jewish communities--in Germany and northern France during the High Middle Ages.
This volume explores the political, cultural, and ecclesiastical forces that linked the metropolis of Byzantium to the margins of its far-flung empire.
How science in medieval Europe originated in Buddhist AsiaWarriors of the Cloisters tells how key cultural innovations from Central Asia revolutionized medieval Europe and gave rise to the culture of science in the West.
A King Travels examines the scripting and performance of festivals in Spain between 1327 and 1620, offering an unprecedented look at the different types of festivals that were held in Iberia during this crucial period of European history.
A sweeping history of Islam and the West from the seventh century to todayEurope and the Islamic World sheds much-needed light on the shared roots of Islamic and Western cultures and on the richness of their inextricably intertwined histories, refuting once and for all the misguided notion of a "e;clash of civilizations"e; between the Muslim world and Europe.
This book significantly revises the conventional view that the Jewish experience in medieval Spain--over the century before the expulsion of 1492--was one of despair, persecution, and decline.
Central to current understandings of medieval history is the concept of political ritual, encompassing events from coronations to funerals, entries into cities, civic games, banquets, hunting, acts of submission or commendation, and more.
