The Decline of Magic

In religion and the decline of magic Keith Thomas acknowledged that many of these apparent familiars were probably companion animals perhaps even the only friends these only old women possessed later. He wanted to suggest that the identification of unconventional pets as witches was an example of the early modern propensity to regard pet keeping itself as morally suspect. The more transgression so the more heinous and dark you are, they believe that it's okay because you're going to achieve some sort of level of divinity by doing it.

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