Devils crawled up from hell. Angels descended from the heavens. Sorcerers, fairies and witches moved amongst the audience. At the cusp of the Enlightenment, Tudor and Jacobean theaters were certainly places of enchantment.
But for the citizens watching the play, how much did the supernatural mean to them? Historian Jon Kaneko-James explores the supernatural world that formed the everyday life of the 16th and 17th century audience member: from the sorcerers who walked London's streets, to demonic possession, the portrayal of witches, and the surprisingly widespread English belief in fairies.
"This nice little book stresses that believers were a product of their time (which it analysises in an accessible way) not less intelligent than us post-Enlightenment types. And the tales of witches and the con artists who profited from them are terrific" 4/5 stars The Fortean Times
