Dictionary of Witchcraft Author:Collin de Plancy Collin de Plancy's predilection for the irrational, the harrowing and the pathetic gives him a singular place in the genesis of one element of Romanticism. Published in the 19th century, this dictionary became somewhat of a standard reference book for countless Romantic writers (notably, Victor Hugo) who dwelt in their work on the darker sides o... more »f human nature. It is a compendium of fact and fancy, with the emphasis on legend. Much of the material contained in the dictionary was the source of the peculiar literary genre known as the "Gothic tale," a style of narrative that is by no means lacking in popularity today.
For anyone interested in the type of Romantic literature immortalized by Hugo, Geothe and others, and in the more extreme forms of "Gothica" exemplified by the work of such writers as Monk Lewis, this dictionary will be an instructive and entertaining find.
This book has been translated, with an introduction, by Wade Baskin.« less