Black toad. Harry J.

The book of Gamma Gary “Black toad” explores the magical aspect of South-Western England and its reputation regarding witchcraft. This is especially true for Devon and Cornwall, who, before the arrival of the Great Western Railway in the 1830s, were rather remote areas cut off from the rest of the country. In such conditions, superstition and popular faith in the spell, curses and power of witches were preserved, and were expelled by the forces of rationalism much later than in other places. Even in the distant past, faith in witchcraft, sorcery and the strength of the old pagan gods were preserved in the western part of the country (hereinafter referred to as England) for several hundred years after other parts of Britain were turned into a new religion. Christianity was introduced into the region during the fourth and fifth centuries AD, initially in its Roman and Celtic form. However, some parts of Cornwall remained pagan, at least until the end of the fifth century and, possibly, even later.