First published 2016
Scott G. Bruce examines how the dead have terrorized the living across fifteen centuries of recorded history. He traces supernatural encounters from Hebrew scriptures through the Roman Empire, from Scandinavian sagas to medieval Europe, and from the Protestant Reformation to the Renaissance. The collection reveals armies of deceased warriors wandering the earth, corpses followed by howling dog packs, and evil spirits taking the form of crows as they rise from burning bodies. Bruce shows how these accounts appeared in historical chronicles, theological writings, and private correspondence long before ghost stories became a recognized literary form in the late 1800s. The anthology demonstrates how human understanding of the afterlife evolved through documented encounters with spirits, apparitions, wraiths, and demons. These stories reveal changing beliefs about whether dead souls can return to communicate with the living and deliver warnings about what awaits beyond death.
Genres: history, supernatural, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction
Period: 15th Century, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, Roman Empire, Scandinavia, Medieval Europe, Protestant Reformation, Renaissance
320 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics