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The Origins of Wizards, Witches and Fairies Kindle Edition

by Simon Webb (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
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“Webb takes what we know about these magical beings via pop culture and explores their origins and how their respective images have changed over time.” —The Portalist
 
This book tells the fascinating story of the origin of our ideas about wizards, witches, and fairies. We all have a clear mental image of the pointed hats worn by such individuals, which are based upon actual headgear dating back 3,000 years to the Bronze Age. Carefully sifting through old legends, archaeological evidence, and modern research in genetics, Simon Webb shows us how our notions about fairies and elves, together with human workers of magic, have evolved over the centuries.
 
This exploration of folklore, backed by the latest scientific findings, will present readers with the image of a lost world; the one used as the archetype for fantasy adventures from The Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones. In the process, the real nature of wizards will be revealed, and their connection with the earliest European cultures thoroughly documented.
 
After reading this book, nobody will ever be able to view Gandalf the wizard in the same light and even old fairy tales such as “Beauty and the Beast” will take on a richer and deeper meaning. In short, our perception of wizards, witches and fairies will be altered forever.
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  1. Print length
    200 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Pen & Sword History
  5. Publication date
    February 3, 2022
  6. File size
    4062 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Origins of Wizards, Witches and Fairies is an impressive compendium of information that is as informative as it is 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation.”
Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Simon Webb is the author of a number of non-fiction books, ranging from academic works on education to popular history. He works as a consultant on the subject of capital punishment to television companies and filmmakers and also writes for various magazines and newspapers; including the Times Educational Supplement, Daily Telegraph and the Guardian.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09MMJKSN7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword History (February 3, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 3, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4062 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

About the author

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Simon Webb

Simon Webb

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
32 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Millicent K Chaplinski
5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic view
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
Truly enjoyed this book. Insight to when the stories began & when. Recommend.
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HeatherP
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating historical look
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2022
I would have it a weak 4, closer to a 3.75. As someone who has not delved too deeply into the sociological or historical origins of Witches, Wizards and Fairies this book was a delight. I loved who it was structured and lead me through the different paths that we could have come to our current mythological ideals of the three. There are numerous reference points, both historical and modern and across media forms. It’s not going to be a heavy research topic, but for anyone who is interested in it, it is a quick engaging read I would recommend to anyone who likes to think about myths, storytelling history, and cultural impact. Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for the copy of this book.
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BucolicBook
5.0 out of 5 stars amazing resource
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2022
An utterly intriguing and painstakingly well researched book. Mr. Webb has compiled all of his research into this book and gifted readers with a fantastic resource that dives deep into history and folklore.

Thanks to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience.
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Suzie Gallo
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2022
It was so fascinating to read some of the origins of very famous stories having their roots some 11,000 years ago. I never would have thought this. Or that of the sound of music dating back to the bronze age. Not only was the book informative it was told in a way that was interesting, if you find yourself a curious person. This book dares to answer all the questions you never had but want answered once you start thinking about the subject matter. It's also a bit philosophical too which works nicely with fairy tales. I just wish I could have seen the illustrations.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

JH
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
Reviewed in Germany on April 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
As some of the ideas are cleary supported its not too clear to me how much of this is speculative. Many many super interesting ideas that all make perfect sense. I guess like much of history we will never really know for sure but to me this answers many questions.
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Mustafa Kulle
5.0 out of 5 stars Dark and Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
I always enjoyed the fantasy genre ever since I was a kid. From reading the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, I watched the Disney movies as well as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and of course I always found the mythology of King Arthur and the wizard Merlin fascinating. Mythology is one of my favourite subjects. I always thought wizards and witches were fictional characters or perhaps just exaggerated tales of people that were passed down from generation to generation. However, there is a darker truth to the latter that you would never suspect. I am also a history enthusiast. This book separates the facts from the fiction and shines light on the recent evidence surrounding them.

I won't spoil it for you but this book explains not only the origins but how the images of the wizards and witches we are familiar with were formed in our minds.

Everything we've been reading in magical fantasy lands is based on real life that goes as far back as the Bronze age, thousands of years ago! Every chapter will give you a "Wow" and an "A-ha!" moment as soon as you discover how everything falls into place and why we do the things we do.

From why we throw coins into fountains to the process of how we kill vampires. It's all there.

Although this is mostly Eurocentric, it is well researched, and an enjoyable read. If you like fantasy and history, you will love this book. I highly recommend.

Overall: This book is dark and brilliant.
3 people found this helpful
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Jalce
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting thesis
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
The book can serve as a light introduction to Indo-European studies. One issue with the Kindle edition is that the illustrations are at the back of the book and not easily accessed while reading through the text.
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