The Book of Witches

The Book of Witches is a book by Oliver Madox Hueffer, first published in 1909. It offers an engaging exploration of witchcraft, tracing its roots from antiquity through paganism, the rise of Christianity, and into the superstitions, persecutions and folklore of England, Scotland, and beyond. Hueffer examines witches not merely as subjects of fear and trial, but as symbols woven into human culture — through charms, potions, myths and literature — and asks what the persistence of belief in witchcraft tells us about society, gender, imagination, and the uncanny. Hueffer’s treatment is neither purely academic history nor sensationalist fantasy; instead he walks a line between historical account, cultural commentary, and folklore narrative. He delves into chapters on witch attributes, the “half-way worlds,” popular belief, and the evolution of persecution, and also reflects on the place of witches in fiction and in his own time. While some readers might expect a comprehensive scientific treatise, Hueffer makes clear from the start that what he offers is a rich, selective portrait drawing from many sources to evoke the enduring power and mystery of witchcraft rather than to catalogue every event.