The Superstitious Mind: French Peasants and the Supernatural in the Nineteenth CenturyThis intriguing book examines popular religion, traditional medicine, witchcraft, apparitions, demonology, and magic in nineteenth-century rural France. Devlin demonstrates that many of the impulses and mental processes now considered superstitious constituted a wholly reasonable response to the pressures of a harsh and impoverished life. Far from the product of a primitive mentality, many of these beliefs have survived in modern culture and can even illuminate the nature of modern mass politics. |
Other editions - View all
The Superstitious Mind: French Peasants and the Supernatural in the ... Judith Devlin Limited preview - 1987 |
Common terms and phrases
Abbé affirmed Allier Almanach appear Béarn behaviour beliefs Bordeaux Bourbonnais Bouteiller Breton Brittany cast a spell child Christ church contemporary Contes Croyances culture cure Département devil divine doctors Dragon Rouge Etudes Evans-Wentz exploited expressed fairies fairy-stories fantasy fear Finistère Folie Folklore France France Paris Gagnon Gazette des Tribunaux Gennep girl Haute-Loire Hautes-Alpes healer Histoire Historique hysteria illness imagination L'Imagerie Languedoc legends Leproux les Guérisseurs letter London Lourdes Madame magical Marie medical thesis Médicales mental miracles modern Montbéliard Moulins nature neighbours night nineteenth century old woman Paris University peasants Périgord pilgrimages political poor Populaires Paris popular practices prayer Prières priest prions punishment recited Religieuse religion religious Résie Revue rites rural Saint Peter sceptical Sébillot seems seen social Société society sometimes Sorcellerie sorcerer story suffering suggests Superstitions supposed thought tion told Traditions Populaires Vendée victim village visions witch witchcraft XIXe Siècle young