They Believed That?

This encyclopedia is the perfect guide to the weird magical superstitious and supernatural beliefs of people from all over the world.This book is devoted to those human beliefs that fall in the gray zone between science religion and everyday life call them superstitious supernatural magical or just wrong. In an often incomprehensible world where lightning or plague could end life quickly or drought could condemn a poor family to agonizing death superstitious beliefs gave people a feeling of understanding or even control. They have continued to shape societies and cultures ever since.This book covers a range of superstitious supernatural and otherwise unusual beliefs from the ancient world to the early 19th century. More than 100 entries explain beliefs discuss historical evidence and explain how each belief differs across cultures. This book is a perfect gateway for anyone curious about superstitious and magical beliefs with topics ranging from the everyday such as dogs and iron to legendary figures such as Hermes Trismegistus and the Yellow Emperor.