The Black Toad

This book explores the magical arts of southwestern England and its significance concerning witchcraft. This pertains to Devon and Cornwall, which, before the arrival of the railway in the 1830s, were quite remote areas, cut off from the rest of the country. In such conditions, superstition and popular belief in charms, curses, and the power of witches persisted and were suppressed by the forces of rationalism much later than in other places. In the distant past, the belief in witchcraft, sorcery, and the power of ancient pagan gods survived in the western part of the country (referring to England) for several hundred years after other parts of Britain had converted to the new religion. Christianity was introduced to the region during the 4th and 5th centuries AD, initially in its Roman and Celtic forms. However, some parts of Cornwall remained pagan, at least until the end of the 5th century, and possibly even later. Translation - Vasily Bocharov