The Witch-cult in Western Europe: A Study in Anthropology
"The Witch-Cult in Western Europe: A Study in Anthropology" by Margaret Alice Murray is an anthropological study published in 1921. Murray presents a controversial theory: that European witch trials targeted practitioners of an ancient, secret pagan religion worshiping a horned god, not deluded or innocent victims. She argues this pre-Christian fertility cult survived underground for centuries, organized into disciplined covens, until Christianity launched its persecution during the Reformation. Drawing on witch trial records and James Frazer's work, Murray reinterprets confessions as evidence of genuine religious practices rather than fantasy or heresy.
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