Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft

Written in 1830. A popular history of belief in witches and spirits accessible to human control, especially in England and Scotland. Not written to argue a point; Scott considered witchcraft and demonology to be ridiculous superstitions and takes it for granted that readers will agree. The basic nar......more

Well this brought me right back to why these classics can be frustrating. This specific one being written in the 1700’s basically highlighted “Demonology and Witchcraft”. Let me break this one down quickly for everyone so they don’t have to waste time reading. Any type of ailment like concussion, pi......more

Sir Walter Scott is famous for his novels. This nonfiction has a colorful, engaging style. It's a skeptical take on the witch trials in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries along with legends and anecdotes of paranormal apparitions. Scott sympathizes with the victims burned as witches and he explai......more

Interesting and informative Walter Scott wrote a series of letters in the later years of his life on the possibility of ghosts, demons, fairies and witches. He did some thorough research and cited his sources. This was written in the early 1800s which makes it a valuable contemporary account. Some hig......more

Fairly early on in this book, Scott talks about a lunatic who constantly complains how everything he eats tastes and smells of oatmeal. Because, in fact, it was oatmeal. It describes how reading this book is: oatmeal all the way through. Even the author is bored with his own book: "I am tempted to t......more