Description
The discursive, conversational writing style Scott uses makes the book easy to read. With many examples of specific cases, he provides a thorough overview of beliefs in demonology and witchcraft from the time of the Old Testament up until the 19th century. He also takes into account the myths of the quite a lot of Germanic peoples, in addition to occult subjects, including brownies, elves, ghosts, fairies, and second sight.
Scott observes that the belief in supernatural phenomena is the results of ignorance and prejudice, which used to be in the end overcome by the development of rationalist philosophy in the 18th century. He notes that heretics and other political outcasts were often the targets of witchcraft prosecutions.
Although some pockets of superstition still exist, scientific advancements and the development of rational thinking right through the eighteenth century eventually undermined the belief in supernatural phenomena. Scott’s account is replete with interesting anecdotes and folktales, yet he tackles his subjects in an analytical, rationalist manner as expected of a kid of the Enlightenment.
