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First published in 1937, this volume offers an overview of witchcraft and its practices and history, written by Montague Summers. Augustus Montague Summers (1880 – 1948) was an English clergyman and author most famous for his studies on vampires, witches and werewolves—all of which he believed to be very much real. He also wrote the first English translation of the infamous 15th-century witch hunter's manual, the “Malleus Maleficarum”, in 1928. Contents include: “Of the Practice and Profession of Witchcraft; of the Contact; and the Familiar”, “Of the Practice of Witchcraft; of the Malice and Mischief of Witches; of the Devi's Mark; and of the Grimore”, “Of the Witch Covens and their Grand Masters; of their Journey to the Sabbat; and of the Sabbat Orgy”, etc. Other notable works by this author include: “Witchcraft and Black Magic” (1946) and “The Physical Phenomena of Mysticism” (1947). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

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"Throughout the whole vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure so terrible, no figure so dreaded and abhorred, yet [looked upon] with such fearful fascination, as the vampire, who is himself neither ghost nor demon, but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both."So begins this riveting study by one of the foremost authorities on witchcraft and occult phenomena. An indefatigable researcher, Summers explores the presence of vampires in Greek and Roman lore, in England and Ireland during Anglo-Saxon times, in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Romania, and Bulgaria, even in modern Greece. More than just a collection of library lore, however, this detailed examination of the history of vampirism in Europe also includes anecdotes and firsthand accounts gathered by the author from peasants in places where belief in vampires was still common.A fascinating, sometimes terrifying book, The Vampire in Lore and Legend is a «mine of out-of-the-way information full of unspeakable tales,» writes The New York Times; and according to Outlook, «a fascinating inquiry into the vampire legend . . . a storehouse of curious and interesting lore.» Of great interest to any enthusiast of the supernatural and the occult, this book will appeal as well to the legions of general readers captivated by this ancient myth.

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Any investigation into vampire legends leads inevitably to the works of Montague Summers (1880–1948), whose research and writings in the 1920s established him as the subject’s preeminent authority. This study examines vampire lore in fantastic detail, constituting a record of folk beliefs unequaled in its sheer scope and depth. It features all the apparatus of an academic work, including footnotes and references to rare source documents, and it addresses such issues as how vampires came into existence, vampirish behavior, vampire-like ancient myths, and vampires in modern literature.

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Written by a venerable author of occult studies, The Werewolf in Lore and Legend is the first definitive book on werewolfery and the remarkable successor to Montague Summers's popular work, The Vampire. Unsurpassed in its sheer scope and depth, it employs an extensive range of historical documentation and folklore from throughout Europe to powerfully portray the horror associated with belief in werewolves.Summers adopts a comprehensive theological and philosophical approach, cataloging a series of literary connections between witch and wolf. Drawing upon the work of anthropologists, totemists, and rationalists, he examines the supernatural practice of shapeshifting, notes the finer distinctions between werewolfery and lycanthropy, and explores the differences of opinion on exactly how ordinary humans are transformed into creatures of «unbridled cruelty, bestial ferocity, and ravening hunger.» The author's Gothic style, rich in fascinating examples and anecdotes, offers compelling fare for lovers of esoteric lore. Even the most skeptical of readers can appreciate the evocative ways in which The Werewolf in Lore and Legend conveys the dread of those for whom these monsters were not mere superstition but terrifying reality.

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Vividly detailed and highly readable, this classic history of witchcraft and demonology provides a thorough exploration of sorcery, Satanism, and every variety of the black arts. Reflecting popular folklore and theological opinions of the late medieval and early Renaissance periods, this survey of necromancy traces witchcraft from ancient times to the twentieth century, describing the link between heresy and the occult. Threaded with dramatic accounts of witch trials and devil's pacts, this time-tested reference offers a compelling look at The Worship of the Witch, Demons and Familiars, the Sabbat, and Diabolic Possession and Modern Spiritism. It also offers fascinating insight into the role of the Witch in Dramatic Literature.A prolific occult historian, Montague Summers wrote numerous books, and he edited and translated such important early demonology and witchcraft texts as the Malleus Maleficarum. An intriguing perspective on the development of the black arts and their heretical interpretations by society, church, and state, The History of Witchcraft and Demonology will capture the attention of the general reader as well as the occult enthusiast. Eight meticulously reproduced illustrations from the original publication are included in this unabridged edition.

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