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Thanks Sabina: I've been very impressed with the feedback you all have been giving. It pleases me, because I really don't want to change the topic just now... there's still so much to investigate. My advisor indicated that I might need to look elsewhere if I don't find more materials. I've got several books en route from Amazon, so I'm hoping either these texts (or their bibliographies) will give me enough to grab on to. Thank you for your suggestion too of the title by Mary Douglas. I'll go looking for it at the library. Thanks again for the push... I had begun to think I should just throw in the towel. It's funny that you should mention the comparison with the lack of "witch hunting" in Ireland, since there seems to be a marked relationship culturally between the Irish and the Gallegos. Some of the legends seem to only have correspondences with Irish legends. Fascinating stuff... Anyway, thanks again. John On Jan 21, 2008 1:57 PM, Sabina Magliocco <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi John, > > First, you're far from the first student to have taken on too large a > thesis topic -- I surmise that was written sardonically (sometimes it's hard > to tell on email). Secondly, it's a very good sign that you've found > something you're passionate about, and I agree with the research librarian > that it's wise to stick with that rather than take on something you don't > care for. You will need that charge to get into your research and carry you > through the process of writing and editing that a thesis involves. At > least, it works that way for me; perhaps other readers will differ. > > What is intriguing about your topic is exactly the lack of material from > Galicia. This could be the core question that drives your research: what > accounts for the lack of Inquisitorial reports? How was the region > different from neighboring ones with a richer corpus of trial records? Does > the lack reflect a different social structure, one in which beliefs were > perhaps more centered around luck or fate or the evil eye than around > witchcraft (cf., for example, the contrast between the wealth of witchcraft > accusations in Scotland, and the comparable dearth in Ireland from the 16th > and 17th centuries)? Was there some other feature that accounts for this > lack? > > For inspiration, I suggest you look at what the anthropologist Mary > Douglas has written on witchcraft, including her book _Natural Symbols_, in > which she discusses the kind of social structure characteristic of societies > in which witchcraft accusations flourish. Once you settle on a key research > question, it should help you narrow the focus of your inquiry. > > Best, > Sabina > > Sabina Magliocco > Professor > Department of Anthropology > California State University - Northridge > 18111 Nordhoff St. > Northridge, CA 91330-8244 > ________________________________________ > From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [ > [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Bishop [ > [log in to unmask]] > Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 4:26 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Suggestions for MA Research > > Hello All: > > Hope the new year finds you all well. I'm writing seeking a bit of > advice. I've done some preliminary research on witchcraft in Galicia in > Northern Spain for a proposed Masters in Religious Studies, and I've fallen > in love with the topic. I've submitted my first draft of a proposal for my > thesis, and am probably the first student to have undertaken WAY too much. > I need to narrow the topic considerably, but I'm having trouble finding > resources in one particular area of research. I could do a historical > study, but then I risk writing a history paper, rather than one in Religious > Studies. Am I better off leaving the topic for now, (and pursuing it out of > love later)... or trying to limit the research so greatly that it's no > longer particularly interesting? > > The problem I'm hitting is that there seems to be loads of materials out > there on witch hunts/Inquisition/trials, but the Inquisition was rather > quiet in Galicia. There is a wonderful thread about Pricillian and > Gnosticism... but I'm not finding enough written there either. I could > study current religious practices regarding witchcraft in the region, but > I'm not sure I can go there for the length of time needed to do the kind of > ethnographic study I would need to do (I'm in New Zealand). > > I'm most interested in the angle of comparative mythology... or the > dominance of a diabolical style of witchcraft that seems dominant. But the > lack of resources means that any research materials I can find will require > me to make huge rational leaps in comparing the traditions of places I've > not been. > > The librarian in me says that I should stick to my guns, and find the > information that will fascinate me... but the rest of me says; "Hell, you've > got to finish this in two years!" I mean, I would like to do a good job, > after all. > > Any sage wisdom would be appreciated. > > Cheers, > John >