You will choose one of four primary sources from Week 2 to analyze. Your primary source

analysis paper will focus on explaining and analyzing an early text relating to witchcraft by

building an argument about the position the document takes on the beliefs it des it describes.

Papers must be typed, double-spaced, with in-text citations and Works Cited page in MLA style. Though there is no need to consult any outside sources, you still need to include a Works Cited page to cite your primary source. Rubrics for evaluation can be found on Brightspase.

Historical analysis is based on the close reading and interpretation of historical documents, known as primary sources. These documents were written by people in the historical period which we are studying and contain historical attitudes and concerns about magic and witchcraft. The purpose of this assignment is to practice and strengthen your ability to analyze these complex insights into historical thought. 

In analyzing a primary source document, your goals are to figure out a) what the text is saying (both explicitly and implicitly), and b) whose point of view it represents (and what that point of view is).

Your primary source analysis paper will focus on explaining and analyzing a text relating to early ideas about magic that we will be discussing in Week 2. These sources do not discuss the idea of witchcraft or witches directly, but are important to how ideas about magic would later develop into ideas and beliefs about witchcraft. You can find these sources in European Magic and Witchcraft: A Reader (edited by Martha Rampton) and on Brightspace/Perusall:

• (R) Augustine, On Christian Doctrine (c. 397), p. 67-72
• (R) Regino of Prüm, On Synodal Cases and Church Discipline (The Canon Episcopi) (c. 906), p. 153-155
• (R) John of Salisbury, The Policraticus (c. 1159), p. 181-187
• (B) Aquinas, Summa contra gentiles (c. 1259-1265)

Answer one of the following questions to develop an argument about your chosen primary source:

• According to Augustine in On Christian Doctrine, why should we reject the “art of magic”? How is this important for the development of witchcraft beliefs?

• The Canon Episcopi addresses the belief, held by some “wicked women,” that they engage in “night flights.” What does Regino of Prüm think about this belief? Why is his argument significant for the development of ideas about witches?
• What role do demons play in John of Salisbury’s critique of magic in The Policraticus? How is this significant for the development of ideas about witchcraft?

• What is “natural magic”? Why does Aquinas object to the practice of this art in the Summa contra gentiles? What is the significance of his argument for the development of witchcraft beliefs?

Read your chosen excerpt carefully several times and build an argument about the position this document takes on the beliefs it describes. What does the author believe about magic and what does he reject about the popular beliefs held by ordinary people of the time?

Your paper should have a clear and unambiguous thesis statement that answers your chosen question succinctly and presents an argument about your primary source. When considering the importance or significance of these ideas on the development of beliefs about witchcraft, you should look forward to what you are learning beyond Week 2. The most insightful essays will incorporate a consideration of this significance into the thesis statement. You are encouraged to meet with your tutorial leader to discuss your thesis statement.

Papers must be typed, double-spaced, with in-text citations and Work Cited page in MLA style (a handout on proper formatting is located on Brightspace in the “Writing Toolkit”). There is no need to consult any outside sources, but you still need to include to cite your primary source. Please review the University’s policy on plagiarism and act accordingly. As the syllabus states, ignorance will not be considered an excuse for violations.