2018 First Troy Edition
ARADIA OR THE GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES
By Charles Leland
KEY DETAILS
Condition: Fine
Format: Hardcover, 8Vo; approx. 234 x 156 mm
Published By: Troy Books, 2018
Language: English
Collation: pp. 148
SKU: BTETM0001172
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
DESCRIPTION
Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches
First hardback printing of the Troy Books edition of Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, Charles Godfrey Leland's influential study of Italian witchcraft, originally published in Florence in 1899. Issued in September 2018, this attractive edition is bound in the publisher's original burgundy leatherette boards, decorated and lettered in gilt, and includes a foreword by contemporary British witchcraft author Gemma Gary.
Drawing upon material reportedly communicated to Leland by an Italian woman known as Maddalena, Aradia presents a collection of legends, ritual texts, invocations and magical practices attributed to an Italian witchcraft tradition. At its centre is Aradia, daughter of the goddess Diana, who is sent to earth to instruct the oppressed in the magical arts.
Although the historical authenticity and origins of Leland's material remain subjects of scholarly debate, the book occupies an important position in the development of modern witchcraft and pagan religious thought, particularly through its influence upon twentieth-century Wicca and subsequent interpretations of traditional witchcraft.
This September 2018 first hardback printing, in its original gilt-decorated burgundy binding, is distinct from the later standard hardback editions and numerous inexpensive reproductions of Leland's original text.
CONDITION, COLLATION & COPY NOTES
COLLATION
pp. 148
An exceptionally well-preserved, unread copy in the publisher's original burgundy gilt-decorated leatherette binding, black endpapers and burgundy-and-gold headbands. Boards firmly attached, internal hinges tight and sound. Gilt decoration and lettering well preserved. Clean internally in the photographed areas, with no evident annotations or markings.
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
REFERENCES
Leland, Charles Godfrey. Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches. Florence: David Nutt, 1899 (original edition).
Troy Books. Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, September 2018 first hardback printing.
Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford University Press, 1999.
SYNOPSIS
First published in 1899, Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches is among the foundational literary sources of modern witchcraft. Charles Godfrey Leland believed that the legends and magical texts he had collected preserved elements of an ancient Italian witch religion centred upon the goddess Diana and her daughter Aradia.
The book describes Aradia's descent into the world to teach magic to those oppressed by poverty and injustice. Its fifteen chapters explore the divine figures of Diana, Aradia and Lucifer, together with spells, incantations, ritual observances, folklore and magical traditions.
The work's unusual fusion of folk belief, mythology and ritual instruction has ensured its enduring influence upon occult literature, modern paganism and contemporary witchcraft. Whether understood as an authentic record of oral tradition, a composite folkloric text or a product of nineteenth-century romantic scholarship, Aradia remains a significant document in the intellectual history of Western esotericism.
AUTHOR BIO
Charles Godfrey Leland (1824–1903) was an American journalist, folklorist and author whose studies of popular traditions, Roma folklore, vernacular magic and European witchcraft contributed to the nineteenth-century revival of interest in esoteric belief systems.
Born in Philadelphia, Leland studied in Europe and developed an enduring fascination with folklore and traditional magical practices. His publications include Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition (1892), Legends of Florence Collected from the People (1895–1896), and Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches (1899).
Although some of his interpretations have been challenged by subsequent scholarship, his writing profoundly influenced the later study and revival of folk magic, paganism and witchcraft.
2018 First Troy Edition
ARADIA OR THE GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES
By Charles Leland
KEY DETAILS
Condition: Fine
Format: Hardcover, 8Vo; approx. 234 x 156 mm
Published By: Troy Books, 2018
Language: English
Collation: pp. 148
SKU: BTETM0001172
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
DESCRIPTION
Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches
First hardback printing of the Troy Books edition of Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, Charles Godfrey Leland's influential study of Italian witchcraft, originally published in Florence in 1899. Issued in September 2018, this attractive edition is bound in the publisher's original burgundy leatherette boards, decorated and lettered in gilt, and includes a foreword by contemporary British witchcraft author Gemma Gary.
Drawing upon material reportedly communicated to Leland by an Italian woman known as Maddalena, Aradia presents a collection of legends, ritual texts, invocations and magical practices attributed to an Italian witchcraft tradition. At its centre is Aradia, daughter of the goddess Diana, who is sent to earth to instruct the oppressed in the magical arts.
Although the historical authenticity and origins of Leland's material remain subjects of scholarly debate, the book occupies an important position in the development of modern witchcraft and pagan religious thought, particularly through its influence upon twentieth-century Wicca and subsequent interpretations of traditional witchcraft.
This September 2018 first hardback printing, in its original gilt-decorated burgundy binding, is distinct from the later standard hardback editions and numerous inexpensive reproductions of Leland's original text.
CONDITION, COLLATION & COPY NOTES
COLLATION
pp. 148
An exceptionally well-preserved, unread copy in the publisher's original burgundy gilt-decorated leatherette binding, black endpapers and burgundy-and-gold headbands. Boards firmly attached, internal hinges tight and sound. Gilt decoration and lettering well preserved. Clean internally in the photographed areas, with no evident annotations or markings.
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
REFERENCES
Leland, Charles Godfrey. Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches. Florence: David Nutt, 1899 (original edition).
Troy Books. Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, September 2018 first hardback printing.
Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford University Press, 1999.
SYNOPSIS
First published in 1899, Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches is among the foundational literary sources of modern witchcraft. Charles Godfrey Leland believed that the legends and magical texts he had collected preserved elements of an ancient Italian witch religion centred upon the goddess Diana and her daughter Aradia.
The book describes Aradia's descent into the world to teach magic to those oppressed by poverty and injustice. Its fifteen chapters explore the divine figures of Diana, Aradia and Lucifer, together with spells, incantations, ritual observances, folklore and magical traditions.
The work's unusual fusion of folk belief, mythology and ritual instruction has ensured its enduring influence upon occult literature, modern paganism and contemporary witchcraft. Whether understood as an authentic record of oral tradition, a composite folkloric text or a product of nineteenth-century romantic scholarship, Aradia remains a significant document in the intellectual history of Western esotericism.
AUTHOR BIO
Charles Godfrey Leland (1824–1903) was an American journalist, folklorist and author whose studies of popular traditions, Roma folklore, vernacular magic and European witchcraft contributed to the nineteenth-century revival of interest in esoteric belief systems.
Born in Philadelphia, Leland studied in Europe and developed an enduring fascination with folklore and traditional magical practices. His publications include Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition (1892), Legends of Florence Collected from the People (1895–1896), and Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches (1899).
Although some of his interpretations have been challenged by subsequent scholarship, his writing profoundly influenced the later study and revival of folk magic, paganism and witchcraft.
Image 1 of 14
Image 2 of 14
Image 3 of 14
Image 4 of 14
Image 5 of 14
Image 6 of 14
Image 7 of 14
Image 8 of 14
Image 9 of 14
Image 10 of 14
Image 11 of 14
Image 12 of 14
Image 13 of 14
Image 14 of 14
