Medieval Folklore: Demons and Genies of the Land

Description

By CLAUDE LECOUTEUX. Imago, 1995, octavo, 218 pp., preface by Régis Boyer, 9 in-text illustrations, bibliography, index, paperback, illustrated cover. In a wild, untamed nature, humans, exposed to invisible dangers, long felt like intruders, usurpers. Any settlement or colonization was first a conquest over a primitive and supernatural presence—often threatening—namely the demons and genies of the land. Scrutinizing popular traditions, sagas, and tales, medieval specialist Claude Lecouteux traces the remnants of archaic fear toward countless unnamed creatures haunting untouched spaces. At the origin of many rituals, he identifies the desire to ward off dangers and terrors, to appease the genius loci, and to organize coexistence with humans in specific locations. This remarkable work sheds light on the primordial role of places in shaping numerous beliefs and reveals the roots of an ancient reverence for nature, aligning with today’s ecological concerns.