Since its publication in 1862, the reception of The Sorceress has been marked by a bewilderment prompted by the way Jules Michelet employs the myth as a form of historical narrative. In fact, his procedure has inspired readings that consider the book a work of literature, rather than a History book. This is very misleading, for it distorts Michelet's own goals and methods. This paper presents an interpretation of Michelet's heterodox narratives as a historiographical work. I argue that, in order to understand the central role of mythological structures in the "historical method" developed in The Sorceress, one needs to pay attention to the fact that it is grounded on the work of Neapolitan philosopher Giambattista Vico, especially in Michelet's own translation of Scienza nuova.
Jules Michelet; A Feiticeira; Giambattista Vico; Ciência nova; mito.
Jules Michelet; The Sorceress; Giambattista Vico; Scienza nuova; myth.