Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder

The Venomous Maiden and Other Stories of the Supernatural

By: Claude Lecouteux, Corinne Lecouteux

Narrated by: Micah Hanks

• Offers commentary for each story, revealing its historical context, cultural and esoteric associations, and hidden pagan beliefs

• Explores how the tales transformed over the ages and their origins in Classical Antiquity, the Middle East, and India

• Includes stories never-before-translated from their original Latin and many purposely left in obscurity due to scandalous depictions of popes and other notables

The Middle Ages witnessed the blossoming of oral traditions whose echoes can still be found in many legends, fables, and tales today.

In this collection of medieval tales of witchcraft, wonder, and the supernatural, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explain how many of these stories arose in Classical Antiquity while some made their way into Dark Ages Europe from the Middle East and India. Offering commentary for each tale, the authors place them in historical context and analyze their cultural and esoteric associations. They include stories never- before-translated from their original Latin or demotic versions and show how, unlike the well-known fairy tales made popular by the Brothers Grimm, many stories were purposely left in obscurity because they presented scandalous depictions of popes and other notables. Additionally, for many of the tales, the authors scrupulously peel back the Christian veneer to show how the stories were instrumental in assuring the survival of age-old pagan beliefs across the centuries.

These beliefs are explored through tales of animals with magical powers and the ability to converse with humans, including the tale of the Grateful Lion made famous through Aesop’s fables; stories of individuals with supernatural or otherworldly powers, like the Venomous Maiden who poisons all men who have relations with her; legends of miracles and wondrous things that violate the laws of nature, such as people returning from the dead to help a descendant; and stories of witchcraft, magic, and demonic apparitions, including the pope who was a disguised demon. The authors also explore tales of supernatural spouses and illicit love affairs, wisdom teachings and parables of fools, and heroic legends.

Critic reviews

“Claude and Corinne Lecouteux’s Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder is a scholarly but accessible study of the tales, stories, and fables that circulated and were popular in the European Middle Ages. What links them is a magical worldview that connects humans directly with elemental forces and the worlds of eldritch spirits and intelligent animals. Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder also contains many lesser-known but compelling tales that re-create the spirit of uncanny human experience in former times.”

Euro Wichcraft Tales

This work by scholar Claude Lecouteux examines old fairy tales and myths. First the author tells the tale to the reader and the gives over an analysis of its content and origins. Many of these tales started off as Ancient Greek or Roman myths. Others started out in Norse mythology bu were morphed over time and different elements were added or removed . Character names changed as did events.

The fist section deals with people being turned Into animals as a curse from an evil witch. The second part deal with humans in animal form who are wronged and then seek redress. The dolphin nights captures this well. A sailor hurts a dolphins then is ferried na way to help the dolphins heal.The third section deals with devil stuff and dark spells. The Love Spell deals with Charlemaign and his dead wife. Due to magic he cannot part from her. He embalms her and sleeps with her. It takes a bishop to break spell. The tales fall under different heading and it is worth a look if you are studying European literature.

I am not sure if the audible render a full version of the book . Parts of it seems short along with some of the explanations. But Claude Lecouteux is a scholar worth reading.