This book examines the worldview and perceptions of reality that formed the setting for the witch trials held in the Swedish province of Bohuslän in 1669-1672. The first part of the book explores the conduct of the trials and provides, among other things, an analysis of the defendants and of the various accusations from neighbours and the court. The following parts analyse the perceptions of reality found in the statements made in court by witnesses and the accused. The topics addressed include the relationship between dreams and reality, belief in shape-shifting, the power of words, emotions, and magically charged matters, as well as perceptions of God and the Devil. The beliefs that surfaced during the trials were part of a general mentality that characterised people's perception of the world, both before and after the trials. As the records from the prolonged cross-examinations of the accused are unusually detailed, the defendant's statements, together with accusations, testimonies, and the courts' questions, provides a unique insight into premodern worldviews.

This book examines the worldview and perceptions of reality that formed the setting for the witch trials held in the Swedish province of Bohuslän in 1669-1672. The first part of the book explores the conduct of the trials and provides, among other things, an analysis of the defendants and of the various accusations from neighbours and the court. The following parts analyse the perceptions of reality found in the statements made in court by witnesses and the accused. The topics addressed include the relationship between dreams and reality, belief in shape-shifting, the power of words, emotions, and magically charged matters, as well as perceptions of God and the Devil. The beliefs that surfaced during the trials were part of a general mentality that characterised people’s perception of the world, both before and after the trials. As the records from the prolonged cross-examinations of the accused are unusually detailed, the defendant’s statements, together with accusations, testimonies, and the courts’ questions, provides a unique insight into premodern worldviews.

Comparative essays by an international panel of historians offer fresh insights into the unfolding of the Reformation across Europe. From Saxony to the Baltic to Transylvania, each chapter draws out the variables that shaped the spread of the Reformation across comparable geographic spaces, offering new perspectives on this epochal subject.

This book examines the worldview and perceptions of reality that formed the setting for the witch trials held in the Swedish province of Bohuslän in 1669-1672. The first part of the book explores the conduct of the trials and provides, among other things, an analysis of the defendants and of the various accusations from neighbours and the court. The following parts analyse the perceptions of reality found in the statements made in court by witnesses and the accused. The topics addressed include the relationship between dreams and reality, belief in shape-shifting, the power of words, emotions, and magically charged matters, as well as perceptions of God and the Devil. The beliefs that surfaced during the trials were part of a general mentality that characterised people’s perception of the world, both before and after the trials. As the records from the prolonged cross-examinations of the accused are unusually detailed, the defendant’s statements, together with accusations, testimonies, and the courts’ questions, provides a unique insight into premodern worldviews.

Against the backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of health care, 'The Cambridge History of Medicine' surveys the rise of medicine in the West from classical times to the present. Covering both the social and scientific history of medicine, this volume traces the chronology of key developments and events.

This book explores the judicial treatment of suicides in early modern Sweden, with a focus on the criminal investigation and selective treatment of suicides in the lower courts in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Riikka Miettinen shows that reactions and attitudes towards suicides varied considerably despite harsh condemnation by officials. The indictment, investigation, and classification of suspected suicides and the mental state of a person already deceased were challenging, and depended on local co-operation and lay testimonies. Not all suicides were considered alike; a widespread view on the heinousness of suicide was not the same as agreement about specific cases, and did not result in uniform handling of them. The social status and local ties of the deceased influenced the interpretations and responses at the local lower courts and communities. Esteemed local community members had a better defence and greater chance to escape the shameful penalties.

The Arab spring, protest movements in the EU, Russia, Turkey or elsewhere, are often labeled as twitter-revolutions. A crucial role is attributed to the new media, coverage of events abroad and ensuing mutual reactions. With the dissemination of print, revolts in early-modern times faced the challenge of a similar media-revolution. This influenced the very face of the events that could become full-fledged propaganda wars once the insurgents had won access to the printing press. But it also had an impact on revolt-narratives. Governments severely persecuted dissident views in such delicate issues as revolts. Observers abroad had no such divided loyalties and were freer to reflect upon the events. Therefore, the book focuses mainly on representations of revolts across borders.

Book Review

Using the ecosystem concept as his starting point, the author examines the complex relationship between premodern armed forces and their environment at three levels: landscapes, living beings, and diseases. The study focuses on Europe's Meuse Region, well-known among historians of war as a battleground between France and Germany. By analyzing soldiers' long-term interactions with nature, this book engages with current debates about the ecological impact of the military, and provides new impetus for contemporary armed forces to make greater effort to reduce their environmental footprint.

This book is a volume in the Penn Press Anniversary Collection. To mark its 125th anniversary in 2015, the University of Pennsylvania Press rereleased more than 1,100 titles from Penn Press's distinguished backlist from 1899-1999 that had fallen out of print. Spanning an entire century, the Anniversary Collection offers peer-reviewed scholarship in a wide range of subject areas.