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If the Viking Wars had not taken place, would there have been a united England in the tenth century? Martyn Whittock believes not, arguing that without them there would have been no rise of the Godwin family and their conflict with Edward the Confessor, no Norman connection, no Norman Conquest and no Domesday Book. All of these features of English history were the products, or by-products, of these conflicts and the threat of Scandinavian attack. The wars and responses to them accelerated economic growth; stimulated state formation and an assertive sense of an English national identity; created a hybrid Anglo-Scandinavian culture that spread beyond the so-called Danelaw; and caused an upheaval in the ruling elite. By looking at the entire period of the wars and by taking a holistic view of their political, economic, social and cultural effects, their many-layered impact can at last be properly assessed.
The ancient forest of Selwood straddles the borders of Somerset and Wiltshire and terminates in the south where these counties meet Dorset. Until now, a comprehensive study of its exceptionally rich history of demonological beliefs and witchcraft persecution in the early modern period has not been attempted. This book explores the connections between important theological texts written in the region, notably Richard Bernard’s Guide to the Grand-Jury Men (1627) and Joseph Glanvill’s Saducismus Triumphatus (1681), influential local families such as the Hunts and the Hills, and the extraordinary witchcraft episodes associated with Shepton Mallet, Brewham, Stoke Trister, and elsewhere. In particular, it focuses on a little-known case in the village of Beckington in 1689, and shows how this was not a late, isolated episode, but an integral part of the wider Selwood Forest witchcraft story.
An indispensable guide to how the VCH was born and developed, with vital information on the counties it covers, editors, and contributors. This commemorative publication celebrates 75 years of the association between the Victoria County History and the Institute of Historical Research. Lavishly illustrated with images from VCH volumes, the book contains information on the counties covered by the project and a list of general editors, directors, deputy editors and architectural editors past and present. It includes a piece by the current director of the VCH, Professor John Beckett, looking back at the origins of the organisation, the events that led to it being taken on by the IHR, the developments that have taken it into the 21st century, and at what the future might hold. As a complement to the General Introduction to the VCH (1970) and its supplement (1990) the book provides an update on the contents of the volumes, as well as a list of those who contributed to them. It is rounded off with a light-hearted delve into the fascinating archivesof the VCH itself, making The Little Big Red Book a must-have for anyone interested in local history.