About the book: 2024 / The reader is presented with a unique study of the phenomenon of witchcraft, its formation and development in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. The author scrupulously studies ancient and medieval sources, and also analyzes ideas about witches that changed throughout the 5th-15th centuries. What was the concept of witchcraft in the minds of medieval people? What influence did pagan beliefs have on the formation of the image of the witch? How did the Christian religion contribute to the demonization of folk witchcraft and at the same time contribute to its spread? What started the witch hunts and why were the trials of the accused women filled with such brutality? What social and religious changes in medieval society became the starting point for the development of the phenomenon of witchcraft? The reader will find answers to these and many other questions in this publication. The publishing layout of the book is saved in PDF A4 format.