13 h 14 minAudiobook3 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What turns a shadow into a spirit, or a strange dream into a warning?
In Demonologia, J. S. Forsyth explores beliefs in spirits, omens, witchcraft and haunting. Sickness, storms and sudden death become reasons to fear unseen powers. Behind these beliefs lies a human need to explain what feels mysterious, threatening or beyond control.
Strange tales meet plain explanations as Forsyth considers fear, fever, poor light, memory and imagination. The book traces ancient ideas into later folk custom and asks why they endure. What makes a vision feel real, and why does an omen keep its hold even when reason offers another answer?
What you’ll discover
- The roots of fear Explore how sickness, storms and bad luck become signs of unseen beings at work.
- Ancient beliefs that linger Trace spirits of the dead, guardian powers and unlucky days into later folk custom.
- Mysteries in ordinary light Consider how poor light, fever and memory can turn ordinary experiences into apparent visions.
- The force of imagination Look at the habits of mind that make strange sights feel convincing and immediate.
- Wonder meets reason Explore why omens and hauntings retain their hold even when natural explanations are available.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who enjoy folklore, the history of superstition, and the long argument between wonder and reason.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Old fears gave birth to spirits
- Ancient beliefs shaped later ones
- Natural causes explain many mysteries
- Why the old beliefs last
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 13 h 14 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 3 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Demonologia in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
- English
- Español
- Português
- Français
- Deutsch
- Italiano
- Nederlands
- Polski
- Русский
- 日本語
- 한국어
- Dansk
- Svenska
- Norsk
- Suomi
- Čeština
- Türkçe
- Română
- Magyar
- Hrvatski
- العربية
- 简体中文
- हिन्दी
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Català
Demonologia
by J. S. Forsyth· 1827
What turns a shadow into a spirit, or a strange dream into a warning?
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 4
Old fears gave birth to spirits
Books on demonology start from a simple observation. In many ages and places, people explained sickness, storms, bad luck and sudden death by pointing to unseen beings. A world without medicine or weather forecasts left large gaps, and spirits filled them.
The author's subject is therefore as much human thought as the supernatural. Belief in demons, witches and omens grew from real worries about harvests, children, health and safety. Such beliefs gave a name to what could not be controlled.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Demonologia
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is Demonologia about?
It deals with old beliefs in demons, spirits, omens and witchcraft, and with the natural explanations later offered for them. It treats superstition as part of human history and thought.
Who wrote Demonologia?
The book is credited to J. S. Forsyth. It belongs to a type of writing that collected folk beliefs and examined them with reason.
Is Demonologia a true story?
It is not a novel. It is a non-fiction study of beliefs, reporting what people have claimed to see and trying to explain it.
The author
J. S. Forsyth
Writer
J. S. Forsyth is the name given as author of Demonologia, a work in the tradition of early writing on superstition, witchcraft and apparitions. Little is widely recorded about the writer, and readers know the name chiefly through this book.
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Free
FreeOur mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in philosophy & ideas
See all
Free
Free
Free
