IMC 2009: Sessions

Magic and witchcraft in history are very dark chapters in most cases. Although they seem to be very inspiring for fine art and literature, less for music, over the centuries: From the illustrations of medieval manuscripts and early prints to modern pop art, from magic men and women in medieval literature to modern novels, that present 'new witches' on the one hand and that tell stories of the dangerous lives of healing women in the late Middle Ages on the other hand.
The papers of this session want to elaborate from different points of views, different parts of culture and different nationalities, which concepts of witchcraft and magic are creatively produced and discussed in these cultural works. Moreover it will be pointed out which actual cultural, social, and human aspects or problems could be focused by a historical (late medieval) topic.
The speakers will present their papers on the theoretical and methodical background of the history of motifs, of gender studies and historical-critical reading. The examples will show and prove that these approaches work and that they can be connected to a complex frame for the phenomenon 'witchcraft'.