This celebrated study of witchcraft in Europe traces
the worship of the pre-Christian and prehistoric Horned
God from paleolithic times to the medieval period.
Murray, the first to turn a scholarly eye on the mysteries
of witchcraft, enables us to see its existence in
the Middle Ages not as an isolated and terrifying
phenomenon, but 1 as the survival of a religion nearly
as old as humankind itself, whose devotees held passionately
to a view of life threatened by an alien creed. The
findings she sets forth, once thought of as provocative
and implausible, are now regarded as irrefutable by
folklorists and scholars in related fields. Exploring
the rites and ceremonies associated with witchcraft,
Murray establishes the concept of the "dying
god" -the priest-king who was ritually killed
to ensure the country and its people a continuity
of fertility and strength. In this light, she considers
such figures as Thomas A Becket, Joan of Arc, and
Gilles de Rais as spiritual leaders whose deaths were
ritually imposed.
Truly a classic work
of anthropology, and written in a clear, accessible
style that anyone can enjoy, The God of the Witches
forces us to reevaluate our thoughts about an ancient
and vital religion.
"An important
and fascinating book." New Statesman and
Nation
"A book of absorbing
interest." Psychic News
The late Margaret
Murray is the author of The Witch Cult in Western
Europe, also available from Oxford.
'The Witch-Cult in Western Europe deserves
to be reprinted, not only because of its importance in showing
that the subject needed a scientific approach-which, since
the appearance of this book, it has generally been given-but
also because it is one of those rare books which combine scholarly
methods and valuable findings with a quality of fascination
which makes it a delight to read. It teaches us that witchcraft
did in fact exist and it indicates to us the origins and the
true nature of the cult; and we can learn the lesson with
enjoyment.' 
