Reference books for ancient witchcraft?

Question

Anyone have suggestions for learning more about witchcraft practices in the Greek and Roman cultures? What about the Druidic period in Brittain?

Answer 1

There are crafts.....Witch is a tacked on invention of the Christians and did not even exist until English began to become assembled.
Druids are still active and practicing. The crafts have histories going back as far a humankind via writings, and before writing, oral traditions.

As an example, Herbalists have passed down information long before writing, and, the same information is still valid in books you would buy off the shelf today.

Oracles may be found in every ancient culture. Rome and Grecian writings are rich in them. An excellent example is Cassandra in the Iliad.

Answer 2

There are not really any books on "ancient" Witchcraft as these beliefs were handed down from generation to generation often in oral language or written in code.

Most of modern Paganism is reconstructed from historical information and other pracitces still followed today.

The term witchcraft in some societies is another term for sorcerer and has negative connatations - however in modern times Witchcraft has been associated with Wicca, a neopagan religion with roots in Medieval Europe and reconstructed through the preactices of metapysical organisations such as the Golden Dawn.

The Religious founders of Modern Witchcraft are Gerald Gardner and Alexander Crowley (amongst others).

For more information about "Ancient Witchcraft" I suggest looking into historical accounts of Herbalists and other Healers as much of the beliefs went underground during the rise of Christianity and the persectutions of the "Burning Times".

You can also look into the practices of any tribal peoples as almost every society at some stage believed in the magick of the Earth and the ability to control these forces throught magick.

Or you can look into neopagan beliefs from any of the cultures around the world and look into the "Mythology" associated with these.

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

The Druids passed all their learning orally. Anything like witchcraft in Greek and Roman cultures probably isn't accessible to those not knowing the languages. Most witchcraft is folk magic, which doesn't mean it's not valid.

Answer 4

For historic Pagan religions you're greater powerful off going to sturdy historic previous or sociology books. For historic Witchcraft-- this is form of a trick question because of the fact there truly became by no ability prepared Witchcraft interior the sense that maximum individuals think of approximately it right this moment. historic Witchcraft became the malevolent magic that individuals accused different individuals of; it became superstition. in reality until very at present "Witch" could have been an insult. human beings could have practiced relatively some styles of human beings magic or herbalism and such in spite of the undeniable fact that they does not have been considered Witches or reading Witchcraft. there have been no underground Witch cults worshipping Goddesses and casting spells-- that became all debunked thoroughly by ability of the Nineteen Sixties. same to the "Witch" that delivered concerning the "Witchcraft revival" became truly a fictional photograph that have been given popularized by ability of human beings like Gardner yet had no historic foundation; it became no longer a reconstruction-- it became an extremely new invention, putting an outstanding spin on what have been damaging after it have been romanticized.

Answer 5

There's a whole bunch of stuff for the Celtic pre-Christian era, you can find a good reading list at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Reconstructionism

The only one that I've read that might have some of that information is Evans-Wentz's 'Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries', most of the rest isn't about folk practices that far back. (Though, some of the other stuff has more recent folk practices that likely have some roots in the pre-Christian era.)

Answer 6

Well, here you're hitting one of the problems with history, especially history for things that were considered secret to begin with.

A lot of things weren't kept as written records, and a lot of things that were have been lost over the millenia.

(Most of the what we know about druids, for example, comes from the records of the advancing Roman armies. And the classical forms of worship that we'd partly call witchcraft were enclosed within various "mystery cults" that kept their practices out of the knowledge of the general public.)

There are places to read eletronic versions of texts out of the past, though there are poor odds for find what you're specifically hunting for.

There are a number of places to look, though, so it might be possible to find something close to what you're after.

Good Luck & Good Hunting to you.

Answer 7

Read "Aureus Asinus" by Apuleius.

It was written around 175 A.D.

It is the story of a Priest of Isis who discovers a coven of witches in the Italian countryside.

It should give you a basic view of the difference between City Pagans and Provincial Witches of that era.

***

Nature witches didn't keep written records.

And unfortunately a lot of pagan written records were destroyed by Christians.

The only surviving Druid records I know of, are those carried on in the stories of the Bards.

Answer 8

I study witchcraft, too! I don't know of any books based specifically on Greek and Roman witchcraft, sorry. But try out Silver Ravenwolf. She's great! Also, try 'Teen book of Shadows' by Patricia Telesco