The Penguin Book of Witches

The Penguin Book of Witches
Edited, Introduced & Annotated by Katherine Howe

Behind the familiar stories of witch trials and accusations are the words of the people who actually lived through them. The Penguin Book of Witches gathers historical documents spanning centuries of witchcraft accusations, persecution, trials, and beliefs in Europe and colonial America.

Edited by historian and bestselling author Katherine Howe, the collection draws from original sources rather than modern retellings. Readers encounter King James I's 1597 writings on witch hunting, records from the Salem witch trials, newspaper accounts, court documents, religious writings, and other firsthand material that reveals how witchcraft was understood—and feared—during different periods of history.

The collection introduces figures such as Eunice Cole, who endured repeated accusations of witchcraft in colonial New England; Jane Jacobs, who fought back against her accusers through the courts; and Increase Mather, the influential Puritan minister whose writings helped shape contemporary beliefs about witchcraft and the supernatural.

Howe provides introductions and notes that place these documents within their historical context, helping readers understand the social, religious, and legal forces surrounding the accusations.

Rather than teaching witchcraft as a practice, The Penguin Book of Witches examines its history through the surviving voices and records of the people involved. It's a fascinating primary-source collection for readers interested in witch trials, occult history, early American history, folklore, and the complicated history behind the figure of the witch.