Of Ghostes and Spirites Walking by Nyght and of Strange Noyse... by Lewes Lavater

Divided into three sections - ’Magic at Court’, ’Performance, Text and Language’ and ’Witchcraft, the Devil and the Body’ - the volume offers a broad cultural approach to the subject that reflects current research by a range of early modern scholars from the disciplines of history and literature. Drawing upon a range of historical, literary and dramatic texts the collection reveals intersecting early modern anxieties in relation to the supernatural, issues of control and the exercise of power at different levels of society, from the upper echelons of power at court to local and domestic spaces, and in a range of publication contexts - manuscript sources, printed prose texts and the early modern stage.

In order to better understand these issues, this volume addresses a range of questions regarding the ways in which ideas, beliefs and constructions of the supernatural threatened and conflicted with authority, as well as how the power of the supernatural could be used by authorities (monarchical, religious, legal or familial) to reinforce established social norms. Without a precise separation between ’science’ and ’magic’ the realm of the supernatural was a contested one, that could be used both to bolster and challenge various forms of authority and the exercise of power in early modern England. This book traces Blue Bell Hill's ghost from its roots in folklore to compelling fact, with nearly 50 witness accounts attesting to it as an important modern example of haunting on record, and arguably the foremost case of its kind in the world today.ĭownload Supernatural and Secular Power in Early Modern England Book in PDF, Epub and Kindleįor the people of early modern England, the dividing line between the natural and supernatural worlds was both negotiable and porous - particularly when it came to issues of authority. These events show an affinity with the legendary Phantom Hitch-Hiker, suggesting that far from being mere vestiges of a superstitious folk tradition, they may reflect a genuine but complex phenomenon that continues to manifest in modern times and settings, and challenges our very notions of reality. Here, and in numerous other modern cases, witnesses report vivid and terrifying encounters with solid-looking figures that step into the paths of their vehicles. But is there anything more to them than the staple of contemporary folklore they appear to be? Cases like Blue Bell Hill suggest there is. Tales of Phantom Hitch-Hikers are found the world over. Download The Ghosts of Blue Bell Hill other Road Ghosts Book in PDF, Epub and KindleĪ case-centred study of Phantom Hitch-Hikers & Phantom Jaywalkers in Folklore and Fact.

Of Ghostes and Spirites Walking by Nyght and of Strange Noyse... by Lewes Lavater