Demonology and Witchcraft (by Sir Walter Scott)
Demonology and Witchcraft (by Sir Walter Scott)
This work, first published in 1830 under the full title Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, occupies a curious place in Sir Walter Scott's vast literary output. Four years after his financial collapse in 1826, the author sustained a mild stroke; shortly after, John Murray, who was then issuing a series known as The Family Library, asked Scott to contribute a volume on demon-ology. He readily consented, but—as an entry in Scott's journal makes clear—he did not greatly care for the work and really engaged in it to help pay off his debts.
The book attempts to develop broad theories on such subjects as the prevalence of belief in witchcraft in the Middle Ages. Scott was far more accomplished in dealing with particular instances of occult history—such as his account of demonology in France and in Sweden and his assessment of Joan of Arc. Moreover, his intimate knowledge of early Scottish literature gives a singular importance to chapters concerned with his native land, and it is interesting to find that here and there he offers something of a sidelight on his own novels (e.g., when he discusses the specters he dealt with in Woodstock ).
Demonology and Witchcraft is written in the form of a series of letters to the author's son-in-law. Scott died two years after publication in 1832. The book has been reprinted frequently.
Sources:
Scott, Sir Walter. Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft. London: J. Murray, 1830.