Witchcraft & Secret Societies of Rural England

Witchcraft & Secret Societies of Rural EnglandThe Magic of Toadmen, Plough Witches, Mummers and Bonesmenby Nigel PennickDestiny BooksA comprehensive account of the rich folk culture preserved in the rural secret societies of the Fens of the British Isles. Centuries ago the remote, marshy plains of eastern England - the Fens - were drained to create agricultural land. The Fens remained isolated up until the nineteenth century, and it was this very isolation that helped preserve the ancient traditions of this area, traditions ruthlessly eradicated elsewhere in the British Isles. These magical folk traditions also owe their survival to secret rural societies, from craft guilds and trade unions to Morris dancers and village bands.Exploring the folk customs and magical traditions of guilds and rural fraternities such as the Shoemakers and Horsemen and the secrets guarded by the Free Gardeners, Witches, Toadmen, and Bonesmen, Nigel Pennick shows how the common working people of the Fens