Is-seħer u s-saħħar
Author: Tony C. Cutajar
Publisher: Horizons Publications / 2017
Pages: 135
I had not been at Karen Grech Hospital long that a nurse, who knew I am a journalist, came up to me one day to tell me that I was not the only one in that ward who loved writing.
A new patient had been brought in and he told the staff he had written more than 400 books.
Intrigued, I went to visit this author who, till then was unknown to me.
We then were among the first in the mass move to the Home I am now in, and in fact he is in the room next to mine.
This rather slim book deals with witches and with witchcraft.
The first section tries to define witchcraft through the reports of the Inquisition in Malta in the 17th or 18th centuries with some details thrown in.
Many of the protagonists of these stories were women mainly from the areas surrounding the Grand Harbour. Many were reported to the Inquisitor by other women; it's clear jealousy played a major role.
Another section provides a background of Biblical teachings from both the Old Testament and the New while the third section includes stories by famous authors on the same subject, such as Anton Chekhov, Isaac Bashevias Singer and Harris Tobias.