Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Days, observation of
(1,019 words)

1. Prophecies

The observation of days was a component of the magical concept of time in the early modern period. It was founded on the concept that particular periods of time, from years to hours, had an intrinsic magical character (Magic), which demanded the precise observation of such periods. This magical character took two forms. First, it was believed that the boundaries between particular periods of time and future periods were permeable. Events observed …

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Dillinger, Johannes, “Days, observation of”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_028630>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170626



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