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Neopaganism
Wicca & modern earth religion
25 entries · 6 sections
Twentieth Century
The Books of Gerald GardnerThe Gardnerian Book of ShadowsGerald Gardner — The Book of Shadows is a Wiccan text which is maintained by the initiated in manuscript form.The White GoddessRobert Graves' primary contribution to modern NeopaganismThe works of Margaret MurrayAn essay by J.B. Hare.The Witch-Cult in Western EuropeMargaret Murray, 1921 — Were there ever REAL witches?The Golden BoughSir James Frazer, 1922 — A massive study of the mythological cycle of the Godesses' lover, the solar God who dies and is reborn
Victorian
Aradia, Gospel of the WitchesCharles G. Leland, 1899 — Evidence of a surviving underground Italian pagan religion?Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular TraditionCharles G. Leland, 1893 — Stregheria is Italian traditional witchcraft.Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune TellingCharles G. Leland, 1891 — Leland investigates another traditional system of magic, that of the Rom, or Gypsies.Letters on Demonology and WitchcraftSir Walter Scott, 1885 — Scott covers much of the same evidence for the Witch cult as MurryThe SorceressJules Michelet, 1939 — The story of witchcraft from the medieval to the 17th century
The Burning Times
From the 14th to the 17th Century a hysteria spread across Europe which involved torturing and executing people based on accusations that they were witches. Whether any actual practicioners of a pre-Christian pagan tradition were persecuted as the result of a witch trial is up for debate. These books and texts are period documents which illustrate the methods, rationale (such as it was) and history of this persecution. They shouldn't be taken as illustrative of Neopaganism, but as a warning about religious tolerance and the fragile nature of justice.
The Malleus MaleficarumMontague Summers, 1486 — The best known witch-hunt manual, a primary source of information on this chilling subject.DæmonologyKing James the First, 1597 — Two texts, one an essay on demons and other denizens of the nightThe Witch-PersecutionsGeorge L. Burr, 1896 — A short collection of translations of historical documents of the witch craze.
Druids
Although little is actually known about the Druids, that didn't stop 18th and 19th century intellectuals from building a romantic mythology around them. This was closely associated with the rebirth of Celtic nationalism, as well as the Romantic and Gothic movements. This body of fact and speculation later became a central source of modern Wicca and Neo-Pagan belief and practice.
Irish Druids and Old Irish ReligionsJames Bonwick, 1894 — A scholarly perspective on the Druids in Ireland, weaving together strands of mythology and anthropology to build a picture of ancient Irish paganism.The Veil of Isis or Mysteries of the DruidsW. Winwood Reade, 1861 — A typical example of the romantic and misconcieved mid-19th Century literature about Druidry.The Religion of the Ancient CeltsJ. A. MacCulloch, 1911 — An authoritative and factual study of ancient Celtic religionThe Barddas of Iolo Morganwg, Vol. I1862The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg, Vol. II1874 — Iolo Morganwg was one of the first to revive Druidry in the 18th century
Antiquity
Miscellaneous
The Book of Hallowe'enRuth Edna Kelley, 1919 — Learn about Halloween and its pagan roots.Irish Witchcraft and DemonologySt. John D. Seymour, 1913 — This is a fascinating study of the witch-persecutions in Ireland, along with accounts of paranormal activity.Pagan PrayersMarah Ellis Ryan, 1913 — Traditional spirituality from around the world.Site copyrightsTerms of Service