Book Outline for


© 2004 by Max Dashu


I ... ORIGINS
Elder Kindreds: Saami. Iberians and Euskadi. Indo-European Conquests. The Tribe of Danu. Gaels and Gauls. Pythias. Melissae. The Moirae. Greek Priestesses and Witches. Sibyls. Etruscans. Patria Potestas. Women's Mysteries in Rome. The First Great Hunt. Slaves and Witches. Priestesses Under the Empire. Matronae. The Great Goddess in the empire.

II ... A NEW RELIGION
The Jewish Sage Yeshua. Judaic Wisdom Traditions. The Roman Occupation. Paulianity. Women's Leadership -- or Not. Pagan Infusions. Gnostics. Sophia, Barbelo, and the Fallen Sophia. Maryam of Magdala. The Imperial Church. Attacks on Women. Attacks on Heretics. Attacks on Jews. Attacks on Pagans. Temple Destructions. Hypatia of Alexandria.

III ... OVERLORDS
Overlords. Brigid and Padraic. Spear Side Against Spindle Side. Women in Convents. Conversion by Decree. Enslaving Pagans. Culture Wars. Kings Against Witches. Herbs, Knots, and Contraception. Indexing Paganism. Foundations of the First Reich.

III ... WITCHES
Webs of Wyrd. The Cræft of Wycces. Names of the Witch: Prophecy, Healing, Shapeshifting, and Flight. Runes and Crones. The Witch Holda and her Retinue. Witch Burnings. Völuspá: the “Vala’s Prophecy.”

IV ... PRIESTCRAFT
Sword-Age, Wind-Age, Wolf-Age. Serfdom. Resistance. Pagans: Stones, Waters, Labyrinths. Theocrats. Devil-Mongering. The Nuns’ Portion. The Crusades. Volurfall. Staraya Vyera: the Old Faith of Russia.

V ... UNDER SEIGE
Witch Burnings. Accusing the Jews. Rebellions. Communes. Cathars. Stedingers and their Sibyls. Female Livelihoods and Liabilities. Theologiandom. Demonizing Gays. The Papal Inquisition. Judicial Torture. Crusades Against the Pagans in Eastern Europe. The “Double Faith” of Russia. The Matter of Britain: Seeking the Chalice.

VI ... THE WITCHES’ GODDESS

The Old Goddess. Spinners. Holle. Laima. Andra Mari. Fatas and Faeries. The Moundfolk. “Good Women Who Go By Night.” Tregenda of the Witches. Serpent in the Mound. Sanctuaries. Faery Lovers. Baba Yaga, and Allwise Elyena.

VII ... THE SORCERY CHARGE
Witch Persecutions: Lords, Bishops, Magistrates. The Inquisitor of Toulouse. Scourges: War. Famine. Plague. Pogroms. Peasant Revolts. The Heathen North: Lithuania, Finland, Saamiland.

VIII ... FEMALE SPHERES OF POWER
Rites of Hearth and Field. Sweathouses. Charmers. Healers and Medical Women. Beguines the Free Sisterhoods. Dancers: Festivals, Trance and “Madness.” Women, Power and Danger: the Sexual Politics of Witchcraft. La Sorcière.

IX ... WITCH HUNTS
Conflagration. Jeanne d’Arc. Diabolism. Sexual Torture. Nations of Witches. The Romany. Hunting the Jews. Spanish Witches. Witch-Lynchings. The Malleus Maleficarum. Inquisitorial Witch Hunts. Peasant Revolts. Protestants. The Mass Hunts.

X ... THE TERROR
Patterns of Persecution. Women. Elders. The Poor. Gays. Wisewomen: Healers, Diviners, Weather-Witches. Reign of the Demonologists. Witch-marks. The Exorcists. The Spanish Inquisition. Colonial Inquisitions. Italy. Savoy. Switzerland. Germany. Britain. Scandanavia. Hungary. Midwives. Witch-Finders. Silencing Women: Witch-Bridles. Hag Hunt.

XI ... EUROPE’S MADNESS
The Crucible of Western Civilization. Suppressing Women. Demoning Darkness. The Class Factor. Male Victims. Doctors' Role in the Hunts. Women Possessed. Convent Outbreaks. Euskalerri. France. Germany. Scotland. England. Italy. Iberia. Colonial Hunts: South America. Mexico. North America. Northeastern Europe. Witch trials against the Saami.

XII ... LEGACIES

Survival of Folk Witchcraft. Legacies of the Hunts. The Goddess Demonized. Tales of Pagan Redemption. The Late Witch Hunts. From Bluebeard to Blackstone. Interpreting Witchcraft and the Hunts. Numbers. The New Inquisitors: Psychiatry and Modern Controls. Poisoned Wells: Modern Racism and Anti-Semitism. The Witch in Popular Culture. The Witch as Shaman. Resurgence.

Bibliography. Notes. Index.

©2004 Max Dashu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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