In his 3^rd edition of Witchcraft: A Concise History, ADF founder and noted Neopagan Isaac Bonewits  explores the origins of and challenges many popular modern myths surrounding the history of witchcraft.

During this journey Bonewits addresses two key questions: What are witches? and, Where did they come from?  Astonishingly (to some perhaps), he professes that witches were not the priests of ancient cultures, as is the popular belief among many modern Wiccans.  In support of this claim, he uses archaeological, historical and etymological evidence, including challenging the popular myth that the word “witch” derived from Anglo-Saxon “wicce/wicca” held the meaning “wise one.” Instead, Bonewits points asserts the true translation is closer to someone who bends or twists things to his or her will through the use of spells or magic. According to Bonewits religious functions in ancient society were performed by a separate class of priests (i.e.-Druids).  

Bonewits continues his definition of “witch” by categorizing witchcraft as Classical, Shamanistic and Gothic.  He then and explores the origins and characteristics of each in turn.  Classic Witches  tended to the worldly needs of the tribe, being proficient in the arts of midwifery, healing, herb lore, potion making and spell casting.  The role of the shaman in ancient cultures, as distinct from that of classic witches, was to journey to the otherworld and represent his or her tribe to the deities, and to return sick or lost souls to the tribe.  Bonewits points out that this journey was often assisted by the use of narcotics or hallucinogens.  He includes an interesting discussion of the use of such drugs in ancient witchcraft.  Gothic witchcraft developed as a result of the Christian perception of an ongoing battle between Good and Evil, as manifested by their two primary deities, God and Satan.  The natural conclusion of this belief is that any magic not of God (the force for Good) is necessarily of Satan (the force for Evil).  The result of this doctrine of Good and Evil, combined with Chritianity’s need to focus its followers on a common enemy, was the birth of Satanism, which Isaac describes as Gothic Witchcraft.

After discussing the categories of witchcraft, Bonewits continues by evaluating the possibility of a secret underground sect of witches surviving from ancient times, through hundreds of years of persecution, to be brought back to the mainstream by modern pagan leaders such as Gerald Gardner.  Specifically, Bonewits challenges Gerald Gardner’s claim of his direct lineage through “apostolic succession” to an ancient pagan religion.  On studying the works of Gardner, specifically Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical which later developed into the famed Book of Shadows, Bonewits states he can find “absolutely nothing that can be demonstrated to be a remnant of a surviving underground British Paleopagan religion.”  (72)  Instead, Bonewits argues, it is evident from Gardner’s early liturgies that he borrowed heavily from Rennaisance Goetic grimoires, Masonic rites and Alister Crowley’s works.

Bonewits also challenges the popular feminist movement myth of an ancient matriarchal religion surviving to modern times.  Neither possibility is likely according to Bonewits, who notes both the lack of archaeological and historical evidence supporting such claims, and the probability that such a sect could have survived thousands of years of continuous persecution without a structured means of passing knowledge from generation to generation. 

Bonewits concedes that it is possible that individual families may have passed down certain practices and knowledge from generation to generation, but that even in these cases the knowledge would not have been spread universally, but kept within the family.  Furthermore, the knowledge would not have been “pure” in the sense that it would have evolved under the influence of religious, philosophical and even scientific developments. Thus it is highly unlikely that any modern coven or individual could justifiably claim to follow the traditions and ritual practices of ancient pagans.

So are we looking at a book that challenges many of the beliefs of modern pagans, Wiccan or otherwise?  Is this book an attempt to shatter the romantic concept that we are all part of an ancient nature based religion that can trace its origins thousands of years back in time?  Absolutely!  But does it really matter; does the dismissal of these myths de-legitimize our Neopagan movements?  Bonewits answers this final question clearly and succinctly.  No, it does not matter.  The founders and leaders of the Neopagan movements may not be able to claim legitimate “apostolic succession” from the witches, druids and shamans of ancient times, but they have nonetheless “created a beautiful synthesis of ancient and modern religious, artistic and magical archetypes, one that has grown and evolved into a huge family of emotionally satisfying and spiritually powerful belief system.” (54)  The legitimacy of our religions rests in the fact that our deities are ancient, even if our understandings of them, and our methods of worship, are not.  

While I do not necessarily agree with everything presented in this book, I believe it is valid and a worthwhile read.  I highly recommend it.