Land of the Goat
Witchcraft in the Pyrenees
The Pyrenees Mountains of Spain, France, and Andorra are the birthplace of the primordial witch known as the bruxa. This unique supernatural figure could communicate with spirits, cast spells, control weather, and serve as the Devil's consort. It was here, in the dark, rugged alpine landscapes of the Pyrenees, that the first secular laws against witchcraft were passed in 1424. Drawing on legal records, local history, and folklore, the Land of the Goat explores the Pyrenean witch, its magic, and evolution over time.
In the first major publication in English on occult aspects of the Pyrenean bruxa, researcher Júlia Carreras Tort examines its defining aspects, such as the Spirit-Double, veneficium (the use of poisons), the diabolical orgy, and the witches' nocturnal flight to the phantasmagoric Lande de Boc or 'Land of the Goat.' Also investigated is the bruxa's relationship to the ancient goddesses of the night realm such as the Basque Mari who, like Diana, was associated with the sky-flying Nocturnal Host. The unique forms of the Pyrenean Devil, pre-dating the Christian Satan, are also examined; chief among these was Akerbeltz, the Black He-Goat, closely associated with Pyrenean shepherds and bearing the powers of death and fertility. Land of the Goat is 160 pages and illustrated with original images by Marianna Atłas. Extensively footnoted, it contains many sources appearing in English for the first time.
Weight 16 oz
Dimensions 9 x 6 x 1 in
Publication Date October 21, 2024
Page Count 160
Hardcover Edition
Limited to 1,000 copies in black cloth and color dust wraps.
Deluxe Edition
Hand-numbered in black goatskin with marbled endpapers and slipcase, limited to 29 copies.
Special Edition
13 copies in full red goatskin with marbled endpapers and slipcase.
