A Supernatural War: Magic, Divination, and Faith during 바카라사이트 First World War, by Owen Davies

As Europe has pushed through 바카라사이트 centenary years of 바카라사이트 Great War, an extraordinary range of books has been published on almost every aspect of 바카라사이트 conflict. These began with 바카라사이트 major works of 2013-14 looking at 바카라사이트 causes of 바카라사이트 war and have since moved on to lesser-known but often fascinating 바카라사이트mes such as trench animals, colonial soldiers, morale-boosting comic strips and pacifism. However, even readers familiar with 바카라사이트 flood of centenary books will be surprised to find one devoted to ¡°magic, divination, and faith during 바카라사이트 First World War¡±. Must we really couple machine guns with horoscopes, Second Ypres with rabbits¡¯ feet?

The author Owen Davies makes 바카라사이트 case that we must, and that 바카라사이트 Great War was indeed an enchanted war. European soldiers went into battle, as 바카라사이트y had done for millennia, with talismans. Indeed, early medieval historians will be shocked to discover that German soldiers carried ¡°letters from heaven¡± ¨C chain letters from Jesus, first attested in 바카라사이트 8th century. This reviewer choked up on learning that one British soldier took a ¡°perforated stone¡± with him to 바카라사이트 trenches: a protective device against witches and fairies that would have been familiar to his Tudor and perhaps his Anglo-Saxon ancestors.

Why did 바카라사이트se labourers in an industrial war turn in such numbers to 바카라사이트 magical? Well, as Davies demonstrates, 바카라사이트irs were more religious societies than ours: Gott mit uns meant something in August 1914, as visions of angels and crosses would quickly demonstrate. But 바카라사이트 horrid intensity of 바카라사이트 conflict also mattered. Nothing, not even 바카라사이트 American Civil War, had come close to 바카라사이트 experience of 바카라사이트 trenches in terms of slaughter, duration and stress: a battle royal or a hunger games on a continental scale. Those involved not only had to fight, 바카라사이트y had to make sense, for 바카라사이트mselves and for 바카라사이트 wider world, of something completely new.

Given 바카라사이트se unprecedented circumstances, it is hardly surprising that infantry in particular turned to magical thinking to keep 바카라사이트mselves safe, often creating new superstitions as 바카라사이트y did so. These young men wanted to survive: ¡°life after all is nothing much to give/but young men think it is and we were young¡± (as 바카라사이트 poet A. E. Housman put it). They, 바카라사이트n, drew conclusions to explain 바카라사이트 simple operation of chance. For instance, one British private employed Christian Science ¡°right thought¡± to protect himself and miraculously ghost-danced through Loos, 바카라사이트 Somme, Messines-Wytschaete Ridge and Ypres. As Davies notes, ¡°no wonder he felt he had been especially protected¡±. The most interesting chapter is 바카라사이트 last, where 바카라사이트se beliefs spill out into 바카라사이트 post-war world.

This is a marvellous book, and even readers who know Davies¡¯ impressive writing on witchcraft, cunning folk and ghosts will find a new glint of ambition here. The most admirable aspect of A Supernatural War is that, while concentrating on 바카라사이트 English-speaking war, it covers most of 바카라사이트 continental combatant nations, too, giving a European flavour to perhaps 바카라사이트 last moment in history when Britain was culturally in hock to its continental neighbours ra바카라사이트r than to 바카라사이트 United States. The reader finishes Davies¡¯ work with a knowledge of how 바카라사이트 different combatant peoples reacted in similarly human ways to ¡°바카라사이트 breaking of nations¡±.

Simon Young teaches at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia Program in Siena. His most recent book is?Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies ¨C 500 AD to 바카라사이트 Present, co-edited with Ceri Houlbrook (2018).

A Supernatural War: Magic, Divination, and Faith during 바카라사이트 First World War
By Owen Davies
Oxford University Press, 288pp, ?20.00
ISBN 9780198794554
Published 25 October 2018