The Origins of Wizards, Witches and Fairies

This book explores the origins of our ideas about wizards, witches, and fairies, revealing how they evolved over centuries through folklore, archaeological evidence, and genetics. It presents a lost world as the archetype for fantasy adventures and documents the real nature of wizards and their connection with the earliest European cultures. Our perception of these characters will be altered forever.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 14 January 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

This captivating book delves into the intriguing origins of our conceptions about wizards, witches, and fairies. We all possess a vivid mental image of the pointed hats associated with these mythical figures, which are inspired by actual headgear dating back 3,000 years to the Bronze Age. Through meticulous research, including sifting through ancient legends, archaeological evidence, and modern genetic studies, Simon Webb unveils the evolution of our beliefs about fairies, elves, and human practitioners of magic over centuries. This exploration of folklore, supported by the latest scientific findings, presents readers with an enchanting portrayal of a bygone world—the archetype for fantasy adventures ranging from J.R.R. Tolkien's _The Lord of the Rings_ to George R.R. Martin's _Game of Thrones_. In the process, Webb sheds light on the true nature of wizards and documents their profound connection with the earliest European cultures. After delving into this book, readers will never view Gandalf, the wizard, in the same light again, and even old fairy tales like _Beauty and the Beast_ will acquire a richer and deeper significance. In essence, our perception of wizards, witches, and fairies will undergo a permanent transformation.

Weight: 492g
Dimension: 164 x 240 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399000079