Course for international guest/part time students

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Organization

BTK Institute of Ethnography and Folklore

Code

BMA-NEPD17-509

Title

The folklore of Europe

Usual semester

Spring

ECTS

5

Language

hu

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide a historical overview of one subtopic of European folklore—witchcraft—using cooperative learning formats. The course is closely connected to the classes Ritual, Religion, Mentality 1–2 offered by the Department of Folklore. The topic is approached from multiple perspectives, extending as far as effective and successful forms of scholarly communication aimed at contemporary society, which students can experiment with based on their own individual ideas.

Course content

A historical overview of one subtopic of European folklore—witchcraft—drawing on scholarship informed by historical anthropology and folkloristics, as well as on primary textual and visual sources.

Assessment method

Active participation in class, and—where required by the syllabus—independent preparation at home (see the books marked as “common reading” or texts designated for “joint analysis”). Both components count toward the end-of-semester assessment, and students receive points for them. Joint in-class work often involves active movement and hands-on activities. Giving a presentation in pairs. The purpose of the presentations is to foster critical thinking, not merely to provide an unreflective summary of the readings. Presentations should be 25 minutes long, delivered in a lively and focused manner, and include illustrations. After the presentation, the student leads a short in-class discussion. The use of PowerPoint, handouts, and other creative presentation formats is strongly encouraged but must be agreed upon with the instructor in advance. The presentation must clearly present the main arguments of the assigned text(s), the student’s own position, a comparison of the text with other readings discussed in class, and an explanation of the extent to which the student agrees with the author’s claims and why. It should also address how the student would support their arguments and which scholarly results or debates they would connect them to. The presentation should be interactive—students are encouraged to involve the audience—while managing time effectively. Creative group work: producing reels, including scriptwriting, thorough preparation, and the use of relevant primary and secondary sources. Creating ten study cards on a designated topic, based on previously assigned readings. A maximum of three absences is permitted during the semester; attendance will be recorded at every class. All mandatory and voluntarily undertaken assignments must be uploaded in the designated format to the appropriate module of the Canvas course platform by the deadline agreed upon in class and indicated on the platform.

Bibliography

Course Outline, Readings Introduction, preparation of group dynamics for the course, clarification of requirements and working methods. FIRST BLOCK: The Formation and Visuality of the Witches’ Sabbath (5 classes) The topic is addressed through creative group work. The aim is to divide the theme of the witches’ sabbath into subtopics and, through cooperative group work, to plan, produce, and follow up on a Reels video. The work is supported by a workshop in which students receive assistance with preparing, creating, and editing short videos (Bobák Szilvia – Smid Bernadett). Students work on the topic in a cooperative format, the precise structure of which will be discussed in class. Readings for the first block: Common reading (everyone, for the 2nd class): Klaniczay, Gábor: The Witches’ Sabbath. Anthropological, Psychological, Linguistic, Visual, and Historical Explanations. In: idem, The History of the Witch-Hunts. Budapest, Balassi, pp. 50–83. Assignment: home preparation, creating a mind map. Further elements of the assignment will be specified in the next class (3rd class). The first workshop session will also take place then. Workshop (classes 3–6) Additional readings and images to support group preparation (expandable): Cohn, Norman: Europe’s Inner Demons (chapter: “The Formation of the Great Witch-Hunt”). Budapest, Corvina, pp. 250–282. Ginzburg, Carlo: Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches’ Sabbath. Európa Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2003. Henningsen, Gustav: The Witches’ Advocate: Basque Witchcraft and the Spanish Inquisition (1609–1611). Budapest, Kossuth Kiadó. Klaniczay, Gábor: The Demonic Vision of the Witches’ Sabbath in the Testimonies of Accusers. In: idem, The History of the Witch-Hunts. Budapest, Balassi, pp. 256–277. Blécourt, Willem de (2013): “Sabbath Stories: Towards a New History of Witches’ Assemblies.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America. Oxford University Press, pp. 84–100. Levack, Brian P. (ed.) (2007): “Johannes Nider: An Early Description of the Witches’ Sabbath, 1435.” In: The Witchcraft Sourcebook, pp. 52–55. Pierre de Lancre: “Dancing and Sex at the Sabbath, 1612.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.) (2007), The Witchcraft Sourcebook. Routledge, New York–London, pp. 104–109. Visuality: popular graphics, paintings, prints Zika, Charles (2013): “Images of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America. Oxford University Press, pp. 141–156. Jan Ziarnko: The Witches’ Sabbath. Paris, Nicolau Buon, printer, 1613. (Hans Baldung Grien, Albrecht Dürer, Ulrich Molitor, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes) SECOND BLOCK: Demonologists and Demonological Handbooks (7th class) Assignment: individual work – designing and developing 10 topic cards. The figure of the witch: breaking down the content of demonological treatises into motifs and translating them into topic cards, with precise source references (author, work, page number; description of the motif, main idea, hashtags; recommended: image—if from a real source, the source must be indicated; if AI-generated, this must also be noted). The completed cards must be uploaded to the Canvas platform, to the appropriate module, by the specified deadline. In-class assignment: group work with the cards, presentation of the cards, and joint reflection on possible uses. Nider, Johannes: The Illusions of the Witches (trans. by Magyar László András). Budapest, Gondolat. Especially recommended: pp. 7–147 and 181–201, but selections may be made from the entire volume. Klaniczay, Gábor: Trance and Skepticism in Johannes Nider’s Treatise Formicarius. In: idem, The History of the Witch-Hunts. Budapest, Balassi, pp. 104–166. Henricus Institor (2026): Malleus Maleficarum. Budapest, Empyreum Kiadó (trans. by Welczenbach Balázs). THIRD BLOCK: Overview of European Witchcraft (classes 8–10) Assignment: pair work – short presentations, PowerPoint and infographic creation (shared map). Robisheaux, Thomas (2013): “The German Witch Trials.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 179–198. “The Confessions of Johannes Junius at Bamberg, 1628.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Witchcraft Sourcebook, pp. 185–189. “The Confession of Nicolas Fiedler at Trier, 1591.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Witchcraft Sourcebook, pp. 175–178. Monter, William (2013): “Witchcraft Trials in France.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 218–231. “The Trial of Françatte Camont in Lorraine, 1598.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Witchcraft Sourcebook, pp. 175–178. Waardt, Hans de (2013): “Witchcraft and Wealth: The Case of the Netherlands.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 232–248. Herzig, Tamar (2013): “Witchcraft Persecution in Italy.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 249–267. Monter, William (2013): “Witchcraft in Iberia.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 268–282. Gaskill, Malcolm (2013): “Witchcraft Trials in England.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 283–299. Macfarlane, Alan D. J. (1970): Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England: A Regional and Comparative Study. London. Goodare, Julian (2013): “Witchcraft in Scotland.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 300–317. “The Trial of Janet Barker and Margaret Lauder at Edinburgh, 1643.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Witchcraft Sourcebook, pp. 210–213. Ostling, Michael (2013): “Witchcraft in Poland: Milk and Malefice.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 318–333. Sz. Kristóf, Ildikó (2013): “Witch-Hunting in Early Modern Hungary.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 334–354. Kivelson, Valerie (2013): “Witchcraft Trials in Russia: History and Historiography.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 355–374. “A Russian Witch Trial at Lukh, 1657.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Witchcraft Sourcebook, pp. 214–219. Blix Hagen, Rune (2013): “Criminality and Witchcraft Research in the Nordic Countries.” In: Levack, Brian P. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, pp. 375–392. FOURTH BLOCK: Joint Analysis of a Hungarian Witch Trial (11th class) The morphology of the accusation, the actors of the trial, their motivations, and the context of the case. The link to the trial, precise data, and the related questions can be found on the Canvas platform. Preliminary home assignments: careful reading of the trial records, familiarization with the historical context, note-taking on the actors, consideration of the morphology of the accusations, and defense strategies. In class, the trial is processed through creative group work and creative writing exercises; this requires thorough prior preparation. FIFTH BLOCK: Contemporary Reception History, Feminism, and Critiques of Feminism. From Margaret Murray to Silvia Federici (12th class) Pair work: two students give short presentations on Federici’s book using PowerPoint, summarizing the book’s theses (main claims), research methodology, the scope of validity of its conclusions, and its ideological background (its basic premises). A critical perspective is expected. Federici, Silvia (2024): From Witch-Hunts to Femicide. Budapest, Théâtre le Levain and Mérce. Common reading for this class (requires home preparation, note-taking, and close reading): Voltmer, Rita (2025): “Federici’s Witches: Old Male Myths in New Feminist Garb?” Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft 20(2), Fall 2025, pp. 156–171. Contemporary witchcraft, revival and survival phenomena: action. Concluding class, course wrap-up (classes 13–14).

Recommended bibliography

Cohn, Norman: Európa démonai. (A nagy boszorkányüldözés kialakulása című fejezet). Budapest, Corvina, 250–282. Ginzburg, Carlo: Éjszakai történet. A boszorkányszombat megfejtése. Európa Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2003. Henningsen, Gustav: A boszorkányok ügyvédje. A baszk boszorkányság és a spanyol inkvizíció (1609–1611). Budapest, Kossuth Kiadó Klaniczay Gábor: A boszorkányszombat ördögi látomása a vádaskodók vallomásaiban. In Uő: A boszorkányüldözés története. Budapest, Balassi: 256–277. Blécourt, Willem de (2013): Sabbath Stories: Towards a New History of Witches’ Assemblies. In Levack, Brian P. (ed.): The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America. Oxford University Press. 84–100. Levack, Brian P. (ed.) (2007): Johannes Nider: an early description of the witches’ sabbath, 1435. In The Witchcraft Sourcebook. 52–55. Pierre de Lancre: dancing and sex at the sabbath, 1612, In In Levack, Brian P. (ed.) (2007): The Witchcraft Sourcebook. Routledge, New York – London, 104–109.

Programmes of the course