The concept of and belief in witchcraft has existed since humans first gathered together in groups. It grew out of mythologies and folklore of ancient peoples. In many places around the world, witchcraft beliefs and practices have existed for centuries with little or no change. Witchcraft can be defined differently, depending on historical or cultural context. Witchcraft is commonly defined as the use of supposed magical powers to influence people and events. Historically, people have associated witchcraft with evil and generally have regarded a witch as an individual who uses magic to harm others. For Christians, witches and witchcraft were primarily associated with the devil and heresy. Witches are often believed to be masters of the supernatural world.
Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft focuses on witchcraft as it pertains to Europe during the medieval and early modern period. This was the era of the great witch‐hunts. It is estimated that 50,000 people were executed as witches during this time. As such, the relevant definition in this context is characterized by malevolent forces and harmful sorcery, and the perceived threat to Christianity. Michael D. Bailey, while primarily concerned with witchcraft in the Western world, addresses the earlier Christian era and select non‐Western concepts to a lesser extent. Bailey is an assistant professor of history at Iowa State University and a Mellon Fellow in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania. His background is in medieval European history. His research interests are in the areas of the history of magic, witchcraft and superstition in Europe. Bailey has used his knowledge to assemble a succinct and well‐written reference tool on witchcraft.
The dictionary begins with a lengthy introduction by the author and a chronology of witchcraft starting at 1750 BCE. The body of the work contains 149 pages of entries. Individual entries are concise and informative, examining topics as related to folklore and mythology, key concepts and prominent figures, from the well known to the obscure. For the most part, Bailey eschews modern witchcraft and popular culture references. As a result the work has a scholarly tone. Entries vary in length, ranging from five lines for Imp to over two pages for Inquisition. In addition, Bailey provides handy cross‐references. Completing the dictionary is an extensive bibliography that covers magic and witchcraft for, in effect, all of Western history. The bibliography also includes a sizeable section on non‐European witchcraft. Bailey has compiled an impressive array of resources. While the emphasis of the bibliography is on books, there are a large number of scholarly articles as well.
Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft is not a comprehensive dictionary of the history of witchcraft in the Western world. Nor does it make such a claim. However, this slim volume is concise and economical. It should be considered for academic libraries and larger public libraries.
