A Supernatural War: Magic, Divination, And Faith During The First World War

Description

It was a commonly expressed view during the First World War that the conflict had seen a major revival of 'superstitious' beliefs and practices. Churches expressed concerns about the wearing of talismans and amulets, the international press paid considerable interest to the pronouncements of astrologers and prophets, and the authorities in several countries periodically clamped down on fortune tellers and mediums due to concerns over their effect on public morale. Out on the battlefields, soldiers of all nations sought to protect themselves through magical and religious rituals, and, on the home front, people sought out psychics and occult practitioners for news of the fate of their distant loved ones or communication with their spirits. Even away from concerns about the war, suspected witches continued to be abused and people continued to resort to magic and magical practitioners for personal protection, love, and success. Uncovering and examining beliefs, practices, and contemporary opinions regarding the role of the supernatural in the war years, Owen Davies explores the broader issues regarding early twentieth-century society in the West, the psychology of the supernatural during wartime, and the extent to which the war cast a spotlight on the widespread continuation of popular belief in magic. A Supernatural War reveals the surprising stories of extraordinary people in a world caught up with the promise of occult powers. Cover......Page 1 A Supernatural War: Magic, Divination, and Faith during the First World War......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 PREFACE......Page 6 CONTENTS......Page 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS......Page 10 1: A WAR FULL OF WONDER......Page 12 2: PROPHETIC TIMES......Page 27 Prophecies Old and New......Page 28 A Profusion of Modern Prophets......Page 37 Looking to the Stars......Page 44 Armageddon and the New World Order......Page 51 666: The Sign of the Kaiser......Page 59 3: VISIONS, SPIRITS, AND PSYCHICS......Page 65 Heavenly Signs and Visitations......Page 66 Visions of Mary......Page 74 The White Comrade......Page 78 Haunted Landscapes, Haunted People......Page 81 Spiritualism and the War......Page 86 Spirits on the Battlefield......Page 93 Psychical Warfare......Page 99 Premonitions......Page 104 4: TELLING FORTUNES, TELLING TALES......Page 110 The Business of Fortune Telling......Page 111 Magical Services......Page 116 The Campaign against Fortune Tellers......Page 118 A Women’s Problem......Page 125 Who Do You Think You Are?......Page 129 The Witchcraft Act......Page 136 War Stories......Page 140 5: BATTLEFIELD LUCK......Page 146 Averting Bad Luck......Page 147 Fashioning Protection......Page 150 The Trade in Cauls......Page 158 Clover Wars......Page 160 Swastikas Everywhere......Page 163 Animal Magic......Page 165 Manufacturing Little Gods......Page 171 6: TRENCH FAITH ANDPROTECTION......Page 188 Bible Protection......Page 190 Letters from Heaven......Page 194 The Catholic Armoury......Page 203 Saints and Cults......Page 211 New Thought and Bullet-Proof Thinking......Page 215 Global Faiths......Page 225 7: AFTERMATH......Page 229 Chapter 1......Page 244 Chapter 2......Page 247 Chapter 3......Page 253 Chapter 4......Page 260 Chapter 5......Page 264 Chapter 6......Page 270 Chapter 7......Page 277 PICTURE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 282 INDEX......Page 284