Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe
| Module title | Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe |
|---|---|
| Module code | HIH1542 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Tom Blaen (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Between 1450 and 1650 around 100,000 people were put on trial for witchcraft across Europe, a figure far higher than in earlier or later centuries. These witch trials are challenging for historians to interpret and prompt us to address questions such as: Why was witchcraft such a concern at this time? What led people to accuse neighbours who they had known for years? What fears did stereotypes of witches reflect, and how widely accepted were they? This module will examine these questions by using a range of primary sources including trial records, treatises written by intellectuals, art, literature, plays and letters.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of the module is to introduce you to the broad range of sources available to the early modern historian.
This module explores sources relating to early modern European witchcraft and magic in order to illuminate the complexities of early modern belief and practice in a context in which thousands of men, women and children were accused of and executed for the crime of conspiring with Satan and harming their neighbours. It examines the different types of sources historians use to reconstruct such beliefs and the differing approaches that have been adopted to reading these problematic texts. This module will help you develop skills in source analysis and research to provide a foundation for future historical work.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Assess and understand the complexity of belief in witchcraft and magic in early modern Europe
- 2. Work critically with a range of cultural sources for the history of early modern Europe, with particular reference to magic and witchcraft
- 3. Critique early modern European historical texts and assess the sources in relation to the historical debates, and analyse and evaluate their reliability and usefulness for historians
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Identify the problems of using historical sources, e.g. utility, limitations, etc., and compare the validity of different types of sources
- 5. Present work orally, respond to questions orally, and think quickly of questions to ask other students
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Conduct independent study and group work, including the presentation of material for group discussion, developed through the mode of learning
- 7. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment
- 8. Work with others in a team and to interact effectively with the tutor and the wider group
- 9. Write to a very tight word-length
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that this module will examine fifteenth-, sixteenth- and seventeenth-century belief in and attitudes towards witchcraft and magic. The texts to be discussed include the writings of Renaissance 'magicians', demonologists, inquisitors and sceptics, alongside contemporary plays, trial records and popular witchcraft pamphlets.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 2 | 2 hour lecture: Introduction to the module |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 20 | 10 x 2 seminars. At a meeting of the whole class generally a different group of 3-4 students will give a presentation to the whole class, followed by class discussion and working through the sources for that week carefully. Additional sources may be issued in the class and the lecturer will also use the time to set up issues for the following week. |
| Guided independent study | 128 | Students prepare for the session through reading and research; writing a weekly source essay and preparing one group presentation in the course of the term. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation (3-4 students) | 10-15 minutes | 1-6,8 | Oral |
| Lowest mark from portfolio of 4 source commentaries | 750 words | 1-4,6-7,9 | Mark and written comments |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 highest marks from portfolio of 4 source commentaries | 100 | 2250 words (750 per commentary) (15% per commentary) | 1-4,6-7,9 | Mark and written comments |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 highest marks of portfolio of 4 source commentaries | 3 highest marks of portfolio of 4 source commentaries | 1-74,6-7,9 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Ronald Hutton, The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present (Yale, 2017)
- Malcolm Gaskill, Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2010)
- Stuart Clark, 'Witchcraft and Magic in Early Modern Culture', in B. Ankarloo & S. Clark (eds), The Athlone History of Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: Vol. 4 (Atholone Press, 2002)
- Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic (Penguin, 2nd edn 1973)
- Jonathan Barry et al. (eds), Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe (Cambridge University Press, 1996)
- Stuart Clark (ed), Languages of Witchcraft, (Macmillan, 2002)
- Marion Gibson, Reading Witchcraft (Routledge, 1999)
- Robin Briggs, Witches and Neighbours (Blackwell, 2nd edn 2002)
- Malcolm Gaskill, Witchfinders (John Murray, 2005)
- D. P. Walker, Spiritual and Demonic Magic (Pennsylvania University Press, repr. 2000)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 2008 |
| Last revision date | 09/07/2019 |
