Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder

Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder by Claude Lecouteux and Corinne Lecouteux is a captivating collection of stories from the Middle Ages, focusing on otherworldly powers, magical animals, miracles, demonic apparitions, and supernatural events.

The authors provide commentary for each story, revealing its historical context, cultural and esoteric associations, and hidden pagan beliefs. They explore how these tales transformed over the ages, tracing their origins to Classical Antiquity, the Middle East, and India. The collection includes stories never-before-translated from their original Latin, and many purposely left obscure due to scandalous depictions of popes and other notables.

The Middle Ages saw the flourishing of oral traditions, and echoes of these can still be found in many legends, fables, and tales today. In this collection of medieval tales of witchcraft, wonder, and the supernatural, the Lecouteuxs explain how many stories arose in Classical Antiquity and made their way into Dark Ages Europe. Unlike the fairy tales popularised by the Brothers Grimm, many of these stories were obscured because of their scandalous content.

Additionally, for many tales, the authors meticulously peel back the Christian veneer to reveal how the stories were essential in preserving age-old pagan beliefs. These beliefs are explored through tales of animals with magical powers, such as the Grateful Lion from Aesop’s fables, and stories of individuals with supernatural abilities, like the Venomous Maiden who poisons all men who have relations with her.

The collection also includes legends of miracles and wondrous events that defy the laws of nature, such as people returning from the dead to aid descendants, and tales of witchcraft, magic, and demonic apparitions, with stories of a demon-disguised pope. Furthermore, the authors delve into tales of supernatural spouses and forbidden love, wisdom teachings, parables of fools, and heroic legends.