Witchcraft has been a topic of fascination and fear throughout the ages. From ancient times to the present day, individuals have sought to harness supernatural powers or beliefs for their own benefit or to harm others. While the practice of witchcraft has evolved over time, its core elements of magic, rituals, and the invocation of spirits have remained consistent. In ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia and Egypt, witchcraft was deeply intertwined with religion. Spells and incantations were employed to communicate with the divine, request protection or guidance, or to influence the natural world. These early forms of witchcraft were often practiced by priestesses or individuals with specialized knowledge and training.
He returned to Denmark in 1935 and made four talkies for Nordisk. The first three were well-received, addressing themes such as divorce and abortion. He then spent a year working on his pet project, a new espionage thriller. However, the 1942 film Damen med de lyse Handsker (The Lady with the Light Gloves) was out of touch with the sentiment in Nazi-occupied Denmark. According to film scholar Arne Lunde, the Copenhagen premiere was “met with disbelief and derisive laughter.” Two years later, Christensen tried to find financing for a new film, with no success. The government offered him a pension running a small cinema in the suburbs of Copenhagen, which he did for 15 years until his death in 1959.
Looking back at his early career, Christensen said, While the sound film has freed us from the silent film s often irritating approximation in expression, it has at the same time slain something in the dream, the lyricism that, in the more fortunate moments, radiate from the silent film. After turning down a contract with the American company Vitagraph, Christensen directed and starred in another successful film, Hævens nat Increasing Night , 1916 , about the vengeance sought by a wrongfully convicted man.
These early forms of witchcraft were often practiced by priestesses or individuals with specialized knowledge and training. During the Middle Ages, witchcraft took on a more sinister connotation. The Christian Church, seeking to expand its influence and eradicate alternative spiritual practices, propagated the notion of witches as malevolent beings in league with the devil.
Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages
Stephen A. Mitchell here offers the fullest examination available of witchcraft in late medieval Scandinavia. He focuses on those people believed to be able—and who in some instances thought themselves able—to manipulate the world around them through magical practices, and on the responses to these beliefs in the legal, literary, and popular cultures of the Nordic Middle Ages. His sources range from the Icelandic sagas to cultural monuments much less familiar to the nonspecialist, including legal cases, church art, law codes, ecclesiastical records, and runic spells.
Mitchell's starting point is the year 1100, by which time Christianity was well established in elite circles throughout Scandinavia, even as some pre-Christian practices and beliefs persisted in various forms. The book's endpoint coincides with the coming of the Reformation and the onset of the early modern Scandinavian witch hunts. The terrain covered is complex, home to the Germanic Scandinavians as well as their non-Indo-European neighbors, the Sámi and Finns, and it encompasses such diverse areas as the important trade cities of Copenhagen, Bergen, and Stockholm, with their large foreign populations; the rural hinterlands; and the insular outposts of Iceland and Greenland.
By examining witches, wizards, and seeresses in literature, lore, and law, as well as surviving charm magic directed toward love, prophecy, health, and weather, Mitchell provides a portrait of both the practitioners of medieval Nordic magic and its performance. With an understanding of mythology as a living system of cultural signs (not just ancient sacred narratives), this study also focuses on such powerful evolving myths as those of "the milk-stealing witch," the diabolical pact, and the witches' journey to Blåkulla. Court cases involving witchcraft, charm magic, and apostasy demonstrate that witchcraft ideologies played a key role in conceptualizing gender and were themselves an important means of exercising social control.
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. Witchcraft and the Past
Chapter 2. Magic and Witchcraft in Daily Life
Chapter 3. Narrating Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft
Chapter 4. Medieval Mythologies
Chapter 5. Witchcraft, Magic, and the Law
Chapter 6. Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Gender
Epilogue: The Medieval Legacy
Stephen A. Mitchell is Professor of Scandinavian and Folklore at Harvard University and author of Heroic Sagas and Ballads.
"Mitchell's book is fascinating and valuable . . . not only because it fills a gap and gives us a rich store of material previously too little known but also because it raises questions about the distinctive resonance magic and witchcraft could have even in a time of deep and widespread integration into European culture."" —Catholic Historical Review
"Witchcraft and magic involve issues that cut across disciplines, and Mitchell has produced a solid, impressively interdisciplinary contribution to our understanding of them. . . . A significant regional study of a neglected era, [this] book also makes important contributions to our larger understanding of European witchcraft and magic and makes exemplary use of interdisciplinary approaches." —Journal of Interdisciplinary History
"This important book accomplishes several major goals. It illuminates a previously little-examined aspect of Scandinavian history, namely magic in the post-Viking but pre-Reformation centuries. It advances some valuable and broadly applicable methodologies for studying conversion and Christianization. And it successfully integrates Nordic developments into the overall history of magic and witchcraft in medieval Europe even as it highlights uniquely Scandinavian components of that history." —American Historical Review
"This well-written book will be of great interest to specialists (and students) of Old Norse culture and history as well as to historians of European magic. Finally, this is a text that ought to interest students of religion, who have here an excellent study of 'religious' change." —Journal of Religion
"Mitchell provides a comprehensive and enlightening survey of beliefs and narratives concerning supernatural aggression in medieval Scandinavia . . . [creating] an effective and evocative bridge through the long and richly storied era that begins in the pre-Christian Viking Age and ends in the Reformation." —Journal of English and Germanic Philology
"Thorough and subtle. . . . The material assembled here is rich, varied, and often unfamiliar. The sociohistorical picture Professor Mitchell draws from it will be of great value not only to scholars of Scandinavia but to anyone interested in the complex history of European witch-beliefs." —Folklore
"This excellent book aims to rectify a lacuna in the study of Nordic witchcraft beliefs. . . . To do the subject matter justice requires both a deep understanding of the history and social structures of the region and period, and an ability to work with a huge and varied corpus of source materials. Mitchell is exceptionally well suited to the task." —Scandinavian Studies
"A clearly written, sophisticated consideration of the dynamics of popular and elite cultures of religion, witchcraft, shamanism, and magic during the medieval period in the Nordic region." —The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture
"Mitchell's book provides an excellent overview of research and at the same time shows in a convincing manner how popular conceptions of witches and sorcerers changed in the North during the Middle Ages." —Svenska Dagbladet
The 1910s were Danish cinema’s Golden Age. In this decade Denmark produced an explosion of erotic melodramas for international export, the first films written by Carl Theodor Dreyer, and movies featuring cinema’s first superstar, Asta Nielsen. The first Danish film to make an international splash was 1910’s Den hvide Slavenhandel (The White Slave Traffic), a sensational thriller in which a young woman is kidnapped and forced into prostitution. As film historian Marguerite Engberg reports, the film was so popular in Denmark that police had to be called to control theater crowds.
Accusations of witchcraft became widespread, especially during times of societal unrest or religious fervor, leading to the infamous witch trials and burnings. The persecution of alleged witches continued into the early modern period. In Europe and North America, the witch hunts became widespread, fueled by superstition, fear, and religious intolerance. Thousands of individuals, mostly women, were accused, tortured, and executed on charges of witchcraft. The hysteria surrounding witches led to the widespread belief in demonic possession and the practice of exorcisms. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the perception of witchcraft began to change. With the rise of the Enlightenment and the decline of religious authority, witchcraft became associated with folklore, superstition, and romanticism. Individuals interested in occult practices began to explore witchcraft as an avenue for personal empowerment, self-discovery, and spiritual growth. In the 20th century, witchcraft experienced a revival, largely driven by the feminist movement and the exploration of alternative spiritual practices. Wicca, a modern religion based on nature worship and magic, gained popularity and acceptance. The practice of witchcraft was no longer seen as inherently evil but rather as a means of connecting with nature and personal spirituality. Today, witchcraft encompasses a wide range of beliefs and practices. From traditional witchcraft passed down through generations to eclectic or solitary practitioners, individuals continue to explore and engage with the supernatural. In popular culture, witchcraft has become both a source of fascination and inspiration, appearing in books, movies, and television shows. While the perception of witchcraft has evolved over time, its existence and relevance persist. Whether as a historical curiosity, a spiritual pursuit, or a form of self-expression, witchcraft remains intriguing and enduring, reminding us of our eternal fascination with the unknown and the possibility of tapping into forces beyond our understanding..
Reviews for "Witchcraft and Politics: From Accusations to Power Struggles"
1. John - 2/5 stars - I was really looking forward to watching "Witchcraft through the Ages" as I am a fan of documentaries and witchcraft. However, I was sorely disappointed with what I saw. The film felt dull and poorly paced, with a lack of engaging content. The narration was monotonous and failed to captivate my attention. Overall, I felt like the documentary lacked substance and failed to provide any real insight into the topic. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an informative and entertaining documentary on witchcraft.
2. Emily - 1/5 stars - "Witchcraft through the Ages" was a complete waste of time. The film was outdated and lacked any kind of visual appeal. The black and white footage became tiresome to watch after a while and failed to hold my interest. The documentary seemed to jump from one topic to another without providing any coherent structure. The lack of depth and exploration into the subject matter made it feel shallow and uninformative. I regret watching it and would advise others to avoid it altogether.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I found "Witchcraft through the Ages" to be disjointed and confusing. The documentary attempted to cover various aspects of witchcraft, but the transitions between topics were abrupt and didn't make much sense. Additionally, the narration was hard to follow at times, making it difficult to understand the intended message. While I appreciate the historical context, I was hoping for a more engaging and educational viewing experience. Unfortunately, this film fell short of my expectations.