The Significance Of The Devil And Related Beliefs in Early Modern Welsh Popular Culture

Abstract

Wales is a country with a rich folklore tradition concerning the Devil and witchcraft, yet as Clark notes, 'Wales is a region that scarcely registers in the historiography of the so-called witch-craze.' This dissertation examines perceptions of the Devil in early modern Wales, and in the process tries to reintegrate the Welsh experience into the history of witchcraft and the supernatural. Part of the explanation for Wales's absence in debates about the witch-craze lies in the European witchcraft debate, and it is important to address this as the significance of the Devil develops within this context.

Date of Award	Sept 2003
Original language	English