Past Imperfect. Demons in the Middle Ages / / Juanita Feros Ruys.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Amsterdam University Press Complete eBook-Package 2017
• VerfasserIn: Ruys, Juanita Feros,
• Place / Publishing House: Leeds : : ARC Humanities Press, , [2017]; ©2017
• Year of Publication: 2017
• Language: English
• Series: Past Imperfect
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (131 p.)
• Other title: Frontmatter --; Contents --; List of Illustrations --; Acknowledgements --; Introduction --; Chapter 1. Demons in the Desert --; Chapter 2. Demons in the Cloisters --; Chapter 3. Demons in the Schoolroom --; Chapter 4. Demons in the World --; Further Reading
• Format: Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
• ISBN: 9781942401278; 9783110662849
• DOI: 10.1515/9781942401278?locatt=mode:legacy
• Access: restricted access
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: Juanita Feros Ruys.

Demons—evil angels or fallen angels—form an inescapable part of the religious and cultural landscape of the European Middle Ages. This book explores their significance across fifteen hundred years of European history, from the North African desert homes of the eremites in the Late Antique period, to the miracle tales of the medieval monasteries of Western Europe, the academic disputes of the Scholastics, and conjuring of necromancers in the later Middle Ages. It argues that for all these groups, demons constituted a necessary part of the cosmic structure, whether by defining a monastic calling, fulfilling a role in God's properly ordered universe, or holding out the promise of untold wealth and knowledge. By the end of the Middle Ages, however, concern about the impact of demons and their connection with heresy would lead to the witch hunts that would sweep Europe and the New World in the early modern era. The medieval world was full of malicious demons: fallen angels commissioned to tempt humans away from God. From demons disguised as beautiful women to demons that took frightening animal-like forms, this book explores the history of thought about demons: what they were, what they could and could not do, and how they affected human lives. It considers the debates, stories, and writing that eventually gave shape to the witchcraze of the early modern period.