The Triumph of the Moon
A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft
Published on 4. November 1999
Book
Hardback
502 pages
978-0-19-820744-3 (ISBN)
Description
Ronald Hutton is known for his colourful, provocative, and always exhaustively researched, studies on original subjects. This work is no exception: the first full-scale scholarly study of the only religion England has ever given the world, that of modern pagan witchcraft, which has now spread from English shores across four continents. Hutton examines the nature of that religion and its development, and offers a microhistory of attitudes to paganism, witchcraft, and magic in British society since 1800. Village cunning folk and Victorian ritual magicians, classicists and archaeologists, leaders of woodcraft and scouting movements, Freemasons and members of rural secret societies, all appear in the pages of this book. Also included are some of the leading figures of English literature, from the Romantic poets to W B Yeats, D H Lawrence, and Robert Graves, as well as the main personalities who have represented pagan witchcraft to the world since 1950.
Reviews / Votes
Hutton's book is a must-read not only for anyone interested in modern Paganism, or the occult, but it also embodies a deep insight into the development of British society and culture. * Pavel Horak, Czech Academy of Sciences * A remarkable book ... passionate yet written with calm and clarity ... a passionate, important and consistently fascinating book. * Journal of Ecclesiastical History * Important insights. * Journal of Contemporary History * The Triumph of the Moon, which is densely argued and heavily annotated, leaves little doubt that the history which modern occultism has constructed for itself is bunk ... It all makes for riveting reading and, despite Hutton's demolition of the supposed lineage of witchcraft, I am tempted after reading his book to become a witch myself. * Robert Irwin, The Independent * Hutton's book is excellent ... Hutton uses his historical skills to tease apart some of the themes in this popular rural romanticism, and to locate their purely modern origin. * T. M. Luhrmann, Times Literary Supplement * An excellent study of the only religion England gave the world: pagan witchcraft. Scholarly and incisive, writing with verve and passion, Hutton exposes the Victorian fascination with the pagan ... Hutton writes a brilliant history of a faith that draws on ancient texts yet speaks to present concerns. * Kevin Sharpe, The Sunday Times *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
Weight
916 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-820744-3 (9780198207443)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
02/2001
Oxford University Press
€21.03
Shipment within 15-20 days
E-Book
11/1999
1st Edition
Oxford University Press
€248.69
Available for download
Person
Ronald Hutton is Professor of History at the University of Bristol. He is the author of seven other books, including The Stations of the Sun, which The Times Literary Supplement called "a tour de force from one of the liveliest and most wide-ranging English historians." He lives in the United Kingdom.
Content
MACROCOSM ; 1. Finding a Language ; 2. Finding a Goddess ; 3. Finding a God ; 4. Finding a Structure ; 5. Finding a High Magic ; 6. Finding a Low Magic ; 7. Finding a Folklore ; 8. Finding a Witchcraft ; 9. Matrix ; 10. God (and Goddess) Parents ; MICROCOSM ; 11. Gerald Gardner ; 12. Gerald's People ; 13. The Wider Context: Hostility ; 14. The Wider Context: Reinforcement ; 15. Old Craft, New Craft ; 16. The Man in Black ; 17. Royalty from the North ; 18. Uncle Sam and the Goddess ; 19. Coming of Age ; 20. Grandchildren of the Shadows ; Notes ; Index