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Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches' Sabbath.

1992; Oxford University Press; Volume: 97; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2164808

1937-5239

Richard Kieckhefer, Carlo Ginzburg, Raymond Rosenthal,

Biblical Studies and Interpretation

For centuries witches on trial admitted to taking part in gruesome sabbaths where they cast spells, worshipped a bestial devil, enacted obscenely blasphemous rites and even devoured corpses. Many scholars believe that such confessions, often enacted under torture were just a reflection of their persecutors' fantasies. Certainly as Carlo Ginzburg shows, witch hunters adapted the stereotypes earlier used to descredit and persecute lepers and Jews.