The God of the Witches

Margaret Murray presents witchcraft as the surviving trace of an organised pre-Christian religion in Western Europe. Her argument centres on the Horned God, whom she identifies behind figures and traditions recorded across European history, and examines the supposed cult’s worshippers, priesthood, rites and religious ceremonies.

Drawing on witch-trial records, folklore and comparative religious material, Murray discusses charms, ritual gatherings, festivals and the social position attributed to witches. A final section considers the idea of the divine victim through accounts involving William Rufus, Thomas à Becket, Joan of Arc and Gilles de Rais. The book is an influential statement of Murray’s witch-cult theory, presented as historical and anthropological interpretation rather than modern fictional invention.