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The Witch's Trinity
Witch...
Some words can kill
Germany, 1507. In a time when famine is rife and panic spreading, people resort to desperate measures in order to survive.
When a visiting friar suggests that witchcraft is to blame for their failing crops, Irmeltrud sees it as an opportunity to get rid of her burdensome mother-in-law, Güde. Frustrated with having to feed the old woman who brings nothing to the table, she is quick to point the dreaded finger of suspicion.
Güde has three days to clear her name, or be led to the stake . . .
Some words can kill
Germany, 1507. In a time when famine is rife and panic spreading, people resort to desperate measures in order to survive.
When a visiting friar suggests that witchcraft is to blame for their failing crops, Irmeltrud sees it as an opportunity to get rid of her burdensome mother-in-law, Güde. Frustrated with having to feed the old woman who brings nothing to the table, she is quick to point the dreaded finger of suspicion.
Güde has three days to clear her name, or be led to the stake . . .
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2007
216 people are currently reading
5415 people want to read
About the author
Erika Mailman
10 books87 followersUpdate April 2018: The Murderer's Maid: A Lizzie Borden Novel just won a gold medal in Historical Fiction from the IPPY Awards, awarded to small press publications, university press publications and self-published books. I'm grateful to Bonhomie Press (an imprint of Yellow Pear Press) for entering the book into the awards!
Erika Mailman is the author of THE WITCH'S TRINITY(Random House, 2007), a novel about a medieval woman accused of witchcraft, WOMAN OF ILL FAME (Heyday Books, 2007), about a Gold Rush prostitute caught in a serial killer's web, HOUSE OF BELLAVER, a literary ghost story involving Shakespeare and suffrage, and THE MURDERER'S MAID: A LIZZIE BORDEN NOVEL, the famous true crime story told from the Irish maid Bridget Sullivan's point of view. Mailman has also published two nonfiction books about Oakland history. She is a graduate of the MFA program in poetry at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and a former Yaddo fellow. Her first novel took her eight years to write and is unpublishable. She figured out how to outline, and wrote the first draft of her second novel in one month, and it's now in print (Woman of Ill Fame).
Erika Mailman is the author of THE WITCH'S TRINITY(Random House, 2007), a novel about a medieval woman accused of witchcraft, WOMAN OF ILL FAME (Heyday Books, 2007), about a Gold Rush prostitute caught in a serial killer's web, HOUSE OF BELLAVER, a literary ghost story involving Shakespeare and suffrage, and THE MURDERER'S MAID: A LIZZIE BORDEN NOVEL, the famous true crime story told from the Irish maid Bridget Sullivan's point of view. Mailman has also published two nonfiction books about Oakland history. She is a graduate of the MFA program in poetry at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and a former Yaddo fellow. Her first novel took her eight years to write and is unpublishable. She figured out how to outline, and wrote the first draft of her second novel in one month, and it's now in print (Woman of Ill Fame).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
June 26, 2008
It's so rare to find a first-person book told from the perspective of an elder woman. Novels about the witch hunts of Europe are particularly compelling given the high percentage of women, especially older women, who were killed as witches. To read a novel where the action takes place through the eyes of such an elder was emotionally wrenching. The most effective part of the book was the depiction of how younger women were so quick to turn on the old, and how though the punishment was meted out by men, it was women who helped literally and figuratively fuel the fire of the hunts.
August 5, 2016
I bought this book at a consignment shop for a dollar because I thought both the cover and title were intriguing.
AND...it was okay.
The story takes place in sixteenth century rural Germany at a time when Christianity is slowly replacing, or rather merging with, pagan traditions.
The story is told by Gude, an aging widow, who is probably suffering from something like Alzheimers further complicated by inadequate nutrition. As such Gude's narrative is completely rational and lucid at one moment and downright ridiculous at the next. Okay, I get it...she's suffering from some age related disease. The problem is as the reader you must determine what is "really" happening and what is only happening in Gude's mind. It just didn't work for me as I felt it was distancing and a barrier to connecting with the main character.
The plot, which revolves around a "witch" hunt is solid, though I felt it moved a little too slowly in the beginning. This is partly because of the long passages describing Gude's hallucinations, which did little to move the story forward. To the contrary, they dragged it down.
I also felt the characters were stiff and somewhat contrived, rough sketches of characters with very little depth or substance rather than fully flushed out characters that come alive throughout the course of the story. As a reader who values strong, vivid characters this was a huge bummer for me.
However, Mailman does deliver on the ending, which invites the reader to reflect on the fine line between superstition and religion...if one even exists. It certainly plays out the witch hunt theme to its fullest potential, offering both a tragic injustice right alongside a warped sort of cosmic justice.
Oh, and I love the word "rutting," a term for sex. I thought the sexual practices of the village (like the entire town watching as a newly married couple consummated the marriage) were quite interesting and I am curious to know if Mailman based her descriptions of these socio-cultural tidbits on factual texts or simply made them up.
I'm not sure I would recommend this book unless, like me, you enjoy historical fiction and happen to come across it for a dollar.
However, if witch hunts are your thing and you don't mind the weaknesses I've mentioned, this might be a book for you.
AND...it was okay.
The story takes place in sixteenth century rural Germany at a time when Christianity is slowly replacing, or rather merging with, pagan traditions.
The story is told by Gude, an aging widow, who is probably suffering from something like Alzheimers further complicated by inadequate nutrition. As such Gude's narrative is completely rational and lucid at one moment and downright ridiculous at the next. Okay, I get it...she's suffering from some age related disease. The problem is as the reader you must determine what is "really" happening and what is only happening in Gude's mind. It just didn't work for me as I felt it was distancing and a barrier to connecting with the main character.
The plot, which revolves around a "witch" hunt is solid, though I felt it moved a little too slowly in the beginning. This is partly because of the long passages describing Gude's hallucinations, which did little to move the story forward. To the contrary, they dragged it down.
I also felt the characters were stiff and somewhat contrived, rough sketches of characters with very little depth or substance rather than fully flushed out characters that come alive throughout the course of the story. As a reader who values strong, vivid characters this was a huge bummer for me.
However, Mailman does deliver on the ending, which invites the reader to reflect on the fine line between superstition and religion...if one even exists. It certainly plays out the witch hunt theme to its fullest potential, offering both a tragic injustice right alongside a warped sort of cosmic justice.
Oh, and I love the word "rutting," a term for sex. I thought the sexual practices of the village (like the entire town watching as a newly married couple consummated the marriage) were quite interesting and I am curious to know if Mailman based her descriptions of these socio-cultural tidbits on factual texts or simply made them up.
I'm not sure I would recommend this book unless, like me, you enjoy historical fiction and happen to come across it for a dollar.
However, if witch hunts are your thing and you don't mind the weaknesses I've mentioned, this might be a book for you.
January 23, 2008
Erika Mailman's novel about witch burnings in 1507 Germany is so compelling you'll feel like you can smell the smoke from the pyre. It's also a vivid reminder of what happens when religious leaders twist the tenets of their faiths for their own evil agendas. This is historical fiction that turns out to be remarkably timely.
December 3, 2015
I have read a lot of novels within the horror genre, but Erika Mailman’s work of historical-fiction, The Witch’s Trinity, is one of the most horrific, terrifying, and powerful pieces I have ever read. Less than 300 pages, this book encapsulates the potential of evil within us as a species, and exemplifies the kinds of atrocities we – as human beings – are able and willing to commit against one another. It is in this point that the book and its story are relevant; though the novel is set during the first decade of the 16th century, the same kinds of atrocities have plagued the 20th and 21st.
I would eagerly recommend this book to anyone interested in the darker aspects of history, and especially to those interested in the notorious witch trials of 17th century Salem. I would suspect that most Americans view the Salem Witch Trials as an isolated instance of hysteria that still acts as a shameful blemish on the face of this country’s history, but the facts do not corroborate this mistaken belief. In reality, the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 mark the end of a 150-year period of intense frenzy and persecution throughout most of the Old World: what historians have come to affectionately refer to as the Witch Craze, or the Burning Times. The events of Salem must be viewed and understood within this larger persecutory context if our understanding of them is to be rich, meaningful, and complete.
There are two aspects that make this book, in my humble opinion, superb. Firstly, it serves as an excellent introduction to one of the most interesting, notorious, and horrendous books ever published, Malleus Maleficarum. Published 20 years (1487) before the events in The Witch’s Trinity take place (1507), the Malleus Maleficarum was the definitive work used by all witch hunters and magistrates of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. The novel uses quotes from the Malleus Maleficarum to introduce every chapter as a kind of preliminary theme, and Mailman begins her book by inserting the Papal Bull issued by Pope Innocent VIII inaugurating the creation of the Malleus Maleficarum. Hopefully, Mailman’s novel will encourage people to delve deeper into the history of the European Witch Craze by sparking their interest in reading one of history’s most infamous books.
Secondly, The Witch’s Trinity examines a unique process that we anthropologists have dubbed scapegoating. Most novels I have read concerning witch trials – especially the Salem Witch Trials – deal primarily with the details of the events themselves, and not the overall context that unifies them into a cohesive whole. Scapegoating is the process by which cohesive groups of individuals make sense of and cope with the “terror of history,” and in doing so, create a communal catharsis that allows for continued cohabitation. Believe it or not, Mailman conveys the essence of this process in less than 300 pages!!!
My advice to everyone out there:
Read this book
Feel ashamed of our collective past
DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN
I would eagerly recommend this book to anyone interested in the darker aspects of history, and especially to those interested in the notorious witch trials of 17th century Salem. I would suspect that most Americans view the Salem Witch Trials as an isolated instance of hysteria that still acts as a shameful blemish on the face of this country’s history, but the facts do not corroborate this mistaken belief. In reality, the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 mark the end of a 150-year period of intense frenzy and persecution throughout most of the Old World: what historians have come to affectionately refer to as the Witch Craze, or the Burning Times. The events of Salem must be viewed and understood within this larger persecutory context if our understanding of them is to be rich, meaningful, and complete.
There are two aspects that make this book, in my humble opinion, superb. Firstly, it serves as an excellent introduction to one of the most interesting, notorious, and horrendous books ever published, Malleus Maleficarum. Published 20 years (1487) before the events in The Witch’s Trinity take place (1507), the Malleus Maleficarum was the definitive work used by all witch hunters and magistrates of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. The novel uses quotes from the Malleus Maleficarum to introduce every chapter as a kind of preliminary theme, and Mailman begins her book by inserting the Papal Bull issued by Pope Innocent VIII inaugurating the creation of the Malleus Maleficarum. Hopefully, Mailman’s novel will encourage people to delve deeper into the history of the European Witch Craze by sparking their interest in reading one of history’s most infamous books.
Secondly, The Witch’s Trinity examines a unique process that we anthropologists have dubbed scapegoating. Most novels I have read concerning witch trials – especially the Salem Witch Trials – deal primarily with the details of the events themselves, and not the overall context that unifies them into a cohesive whole. Scapegoating is the process by which cohesive groups of individuals make sense of and cope with the “terror of history,” and in doing so, create a communal catharsis that allows for continued cohabitation. Believe it or not, Mailman conveys the essence of this process in less than 300 pages!!!
My advice to everyone out there:
Read this book
Feel ashamed of our collective past
DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN
March 30, 2011
Wonderful historical novel centred around a village in 16th century Germany. The 'church' rides in brandishing its crosses and hoping for the torture and murder of poor women accused of witchcraft. By preying on poor people's ignorance they soon have their victims in the elderly 'wise woman' and her friend. This novel highlights the misogynism and methods of fear the church have used throughout the centuries to control the masses. The story centres around Gude, an elderly woman whose daughter in law soon accuses her of witchcraft in the hope of there being one less mouth to feed. This is one of those books to make you think and to make you feel.
January 14, 2010
The Witch's Trinity seems to have been written in part as a reaction to the author's discovery that she had ancestress accused of witchcraft (she beat the charge, twice). In many ways, it is similar to that great novel written in response to the witchcraft trials, The Scarlet Letter.
In his book, Hawthorne mediates on sin and what constitutes the worst sin. He presents us with a trinity of sins (Hester's, Dimmesdale's, and Chillingworth's). He looks at how the society of the time, how the reader, and how the writer all view these sins.
Mailman is less concerned about sin, and more concerned about people. Yet, despite it's German setting, it bares a strong resemblance to Hawthorne's work.
The central character in Mailman's book is an older woman. The whole story is told from the perspective of Gude who at the start of the novel is only one of two people left from her generation. Gude's village is living though a multi year famine. There is little food. Gude's daughter-in-law, Irmeltrud, resents her because of Gude's inability to do heavy work as well as the presence of another mouth to feed.
Into this stressful situation comes a friar looking for a witch or witches to burn.
And it’s medieval Europe.
There are two things that prevent Mailman's work from simply being one of those poor innocent persecuted woman gets to nail it to the bastards story.
The first is the fact that the story is written in such away that we cannot be entirely sure of what we are being told. Gude freely admits her mind roams. Is she dreaming or experiencing witchcraft? Did some things really happen? While this does not alienate the reader from Gude, it does make her a somewhat less than 100% trustworthy reporter.
The other element is very similar to Hawthorne. Mailman puts the reader in the position of reluctant judge. While no woman would want Irmeltrud for a daughter-in-law, it is difficult to be too harsh on her. Is she likable? Not really. But can I say that I would act any different if I had to watch my two children starve to death? No, I can't (I'm not a mother, but could any mother?). Though her use of the historical famines, Mailman also subtlety refers to “Hansel and Gretel”. After all, children were abandoned in times of famine, that fairy tale has roots in truth (and in the original, it was mommy dearest, not evil stepmother). It is though the trials and accusations in the book that Mailman hearkens closest to Hawthorne.
The great thing about Letter is that Hawthorne didn't say anyone was innocent. While it is true that today, we wouldn't see Hester's sin as a sin, it is important to remember that the reader is suppose to Hester as a woman who has sinned. (This was the problem with that god awful movie version with Oldman. It totally chucked the sin part, and turned Hester into a feminist. Right, sure. Cause that's far more interesting). Mailman does the same thing. Gude is a good person, but she, like the rest of the village, gets caught up in the accusation hysteria (and it comes back to bite her). Like Hester, though, Gude is the first member of the village to realize the horror of what happened. Gude (like Hester) learns. (My one complaint is that the ending is a bit too PC, but not entirely unbelievably so).
Mailman offers in this book, a mediation on why people act the way they do, on how hysteria sets in and cannot be controlled. She keeps the story controlled. There is no one real total villain. The closest one gets is the friar, yet there is his performance in the end, and Frau Zweig, whose motivations have reason. It is a more studied fictional look at the witchcraft craze without the comfortably illusion of black and white.
In his book, Hawthorne mediates on sin and what constitutes the worst sin. He presents us with a trinity of sins (Hester's, Dimmesdale's, and Chillingworth's). He looks at how the society of the time, how the reader, and how the writer all view these sins.
Mailman is less concerned about sin, and more concerned about people. Yet, despite it's German setting, it bares a strong resemblance to Hawthorne's work.
The central character in Mailman's book is an older woman. The whole story is told from the perspective of Gude who at the start of the novel is only one of two people left from her generation. Gude's village is living though a multi year famine. There is little food. Gude's daughter-in-law, Irmeltrud, resents her because of Gude's inability to do heavy work as well as the presence of another mouth to feed.
Into this stressful situation comes a friar looking for a witch or witches to burn.
And it’s medieval Europe.
There are two things that prevent Mailman's work from simply being one of those poor innocent persecuted woman gets to nail it to the bastards story.
The first is the fact that the story is written in such away that we cannot be entirely sure of what we are being told. Gude freely admits her mind roams. Is she dreaming or experiencing witchcraft? Did some things really happen? While this does not alienate the reader from Gude, it does make her a somewhat less than 100% trustworthy reporter.
The other element is very similar to Hawthorne. Mailman puts the reader in the position of reluctant judge. While no woman would want Irmeltrud for a daughter-in-law, it is difficult to be too harsh on her. Is she likable? Not really. But can I say that I would act any different if I had to watch my two children starve to death? No, I can't (I'm not a mother, but could any mother?). Though her use of the historical famines, Mailman also subtlety refers to “Hansel and Gretel”. After all, children were abandoned in times of famine, that fairy tale has roots in truth (and in the original, it was mommy dearest, not evil stepmother). It is though the trials and accusations in the book that Mailman hearkens closest to Hawthorne.
The great thing about Letter is that Hawthorne didn't say anyone was innocent. While it is true that today, we wouldn't see Hester's sin as a sin, it is important to remember that the reader is suppose to Hester as a woman who has sinned. (This was the problem with that god awful movie version with Oldman. It totally chucked the sin part, and turned Hester into a feminist. Right, sure. Cause that's far more interesting). Mailman does the same thing. Gude is a good person, but she, like the rest of the village, gets caught up in the accusation hysteria (and it comes back to bite her). Like Hester, though, Gude is the first member of the village to realize the horror of what happened. Gude (like Hester) learns. (My one complaint is that the ending is a bit too PC, but not entirely unbelievably so).
Mailman offers in this book, a mediation on why people act the way they do, on how hysteria sets in and cannot be controlled. She keeps the story controlled. There is no one real total villain. The closest one gets is the friar, yet there is his performance in the end, and Frau Zweig, whose motivations have reason. It is a more studied fictional look at the witchcraft craze without the comfortably illusion of black and white.
January 20, 2016
What a strange book, that I thoroughly enjoyed. This book was a perfect fairy tale/historical fiction all rolled into one. I really loved it. I felt like I got a true sense of what life would be like in the early 1500's in Germany, and a really really good sense of what witch trials would have been like to witness and experience. I love that the book wraps up nicely without leaving any loose ends. Very exciting story, and a very believable ending. I hope to be able to read more by Mailmain in the future.
It blurred the line between reality and dream - and I'm still wondering where the line is, and if the main character's mind could be trusted. Could things be explained with hunger pangs/senility and dreams...
I like the language of this book. It's very well done and draws you right into 16th century Germanic people. I also love the interplay between Christianity and the older spirituality that pre-existed it. I love that they pray to the Christian God, but always do so facing the West as they did in ancient times. I love the sign the main character makes to be thankful for the rabbit her son hunts. I love the "witch's song" she hears in her mind..."By craft and false pretenses..." (page 93) I love how the author immerses us in the culture and traditions of the people she writes about.
Many of the scenes in the book are very graphic (especially the burning at the stake scene) so be aware.
Picked this one up randomly at my local library...wasn't sure what to expect. And so far, 1/2 way through, I really like it.
"I didn't know what I thought of heaven above us or hell deep below, the fires supposed to be constantly stoked and tended. I was afraid to tell her what I feared: that both places were kingdoms of air...And for all the praying I've done in my life, I fear that prayers are bits of grain the birds drop to the wind." (page 246)
It blurred the line between reality and dream - and I'm still wondering where the line is, and if the main character's mind could be trusted. Could things be explained with hunger pangs/senility and dreams...
I like the language of this book. It's very well done and draws you right into 16th century Germanic people. I also love the interplay between Christianity and the older spirituality that pre-existed it. I love that they pray to the Christian God, but always do so facing the West as they did in ancient times. I love the sign the main character makes to be thankful for the rabbit her son hunts. I love the "witch's song" she hears in her mind..."By craft and false pretenses..." (page 93) I love how the author immerses us in the culture and traditions of the people she writes about.
Many of the scenes in the book are very graphic (especially the burning at the stake scene) so be aware.
Picked this one up randomly at my local library...wasn't sure what to expect. And so far, 1/2 way through, I really like it.
"I didn't know what I thought of heaven above us or hell deep below, the fires supposed to be constantly stoked and tended. I was afraid to tell her what I feared: that both places were kingdoms of air...And for all the praying I've done in my life, I fear that prayers are bits of grain the birds drop to the wind." (page 246)
December 20, 2018
You can find my review here: http://embracingmybooks.blogspot.be/2...
November 5, 2019
Review in English | Reseña en Español
The Witch’s Trinity is a story with an interesting perspective on how public opinion can be easily manipulated and drive communities and societies to crazy frenzy of hatred and betrayal. Though the story is set in 16th century Germany, the actions depicted show that not many things have changed in our human nature.
Gude is a mature woman living with her son and his wife at the beginning of the 1500’s. The family is suffering: the fields no longer yield crops and the weather is hard on the entire town. Soon, the population thinks they are cursed and there should be some witchcraft involved as they seem to be forsaken by God. Besides hunger, Gude must also face the hatred of her daughter in law, who is always saying she is just another mouth to feed that takes the little they have away from their children.
In this context, a friar arrives ready to “find the truth” of all evil, which means, discovering the witches responsible for the town’s poverty and lack of food, and so the witch hunt begins. Soon the town is blaming their neighbour as responsible for this and that and all remember past grievances that make one another suspicious. Gude will then find herself accused by one of her relatives and face punishment…
As I mention, the story does a good job in describing the consequences of manipulation when done in a context of poverty and misery –it is terrible to see how human beings are capable of believing anything from their neighbour when conditions are difficult and how, when covered by masses, we are willing to behave like beasts.
Besides this scary scenario, the author also presents some creepy images of witchcraft . Was it real or just also part of the crazy ideas of the time and common beliefs?
That question is not answered and I understand this was intentionally done by the author –it is for the reader to decide what was real and what was not. However, personally this did not work for me. I would have like to know -and perhaps I do know the answer- but by not explicitly knowing, then why invest so much time on what was probably a hallucination? That was the impression I got.
The story was very interesting but I felt it did not click with me and I cannot really, objectively explain why. It was not a bad book by any means –the writing is ok and as I have mentioned, I think it addresses very interesting topics that are still relevant in our world –misogyny, discrimination, hatred. Though not my cup of tea, it is worth reading it if interested in this era.
____
Esta novela presenta una perspectiva interesante sobre cómo la opinión pública puede ser fácilmente manipulada y llevar a las sociedades y comunidades a actitudes frenéticas de odio y traición. A pesar que esta historia sucede en la Alemania del siglo XVI, las acciones retratadas muestran que no muchas cosas han cambiado en nuestra naturaleza.
La historia trata de Gude, una mujer ya algo mayor que vive con su hijo y su esposa, a inicios del 1500. La familia está sufriendo: el clima y malas cosechas han afectado al pueblo en donde viven, y están poco menos que muriendo de hambre. Muy pronto, todos los habitantes del pueblo comienzan a creer que hay una maldición y que debe haber algo de brujería ya que parecen haber sido abandonados por Dios. Además del hambre, Gude debe enfrentar el odio de su nuera, quien constantemente le echa en cara que es una carga para la familia y que le quita lo poco que tienen a sus dos hijos.
En este contexto, un religioso llega dispuesto a encontrar la verdad de tanto mal, lo cual significa desenmascarar a las brujas que son responsables de la pobreza y miseria en el pueblo. Es entonces cuando comienza la cacería de brujas y los habitantes empiezan a culpar a su vecino como responsable de la mala racha, recordando insultos pasados y sospechando de manera masiva. La propia Gude pronto se verá acusada por uno de sus familiares y comenzará una pesadilla…
Como mencioné en un principio, la historia es muy buena al presentar las consecuencias de la manipulación masiva cuando se da en un contexto de pobreza, depresión y falta de medios y resulta terrible observar cómo los seres humanos son capaces de creer cualquier cosa sobre el otro cuando las condiciones son difíciles. Cuando el comportamiento se esconde detrás de una opinión masiva, somos capaces de comportarnos como bestias. Además de este escenario bastante terrorífico, la autora también presenta algunas escenas relacionadas con la brujería. ¿Es esto real o es parte de la época y creencias populares? Esta pregunta no es respondida de manera deliberada por la autora –le corresponde al lector decidir qué es real y que no lo es. Sin embargo, personalmente esta parte fue la que no funcionó para mí. Yo hubiera querido saber (y bueno, quizá sé la respuesta en el fondo) pues me parece que, al no aclarar totalmente este punto, se invirtió demasiado tiempo en abordar cosas para que solo quedaran como una especie de alucinación.
A pesar que me pareció una buena historia, siento que no me convenció del todo, y no tengo una razón objetiva. Simplemente no conecté con la novela y en verdad no creo que sea una mala –la escritura me pareció bien lograda y los temas que aborda siguen siendo vigentes –misoginia, discriminación, odio a lo desconocido. Es de esos libros que quizá no era el momento, pero lo recomendaría para aquellos interesados en la época y en el tema.
The Witch’s Trinity is a story with an interesting perspective on how public opinion can be easily manipulated and drive communities and societies to crazy frenzy of hatred and betrayal. Though the story is set in 16th century Germany, the actions depicted show that not many things have changed in our human nature.
Gude is a mature woman living with her son and his wife at the beginning of the 1500’s. The family is suffering: the fields no longer yield crops and the weather is hard on the entire town. Soon, the population thinks they are cursed and there should be some witchcraft involved as they seem to be forsaken by God. Besides hunger, Gude must also face the hatred of her daughter in law, who is always saying she is just another mouth to feed that takes the little they have away from their children.
In this context, a friar arrives ready to “find the truth” of all evil, which means, discovering the witches responsible for the town’s poverty and lack of food, and so the witch hunt begins. Soon the town is blaming their neighbour as responsible for this and that and all remember past grievances that make one another suspicious. Gude will then find herself accused by one of her relatives and face punishment…
As I mention, the story does a good job in describing the consequences of manipulation when done in a context of poverty and misery –it is terrible to see how human beings are capable of believing anything from their neighbour when conditions are difficult and how, when covered by masses, we are willing to behave like beasts.
Besides this scary scenario, the author also presents some creepy images of witchcraft . Was it real or just also part of the crazy ideas of the time and common beliefs?
That question is not answered and I understand this was intentionally done by the author –it is for the reader to decide what was real and what was not. However, personally this did not work for me. I would have like to know -and perhaps I do know the answer- but by not explicitly knowing, then why invest so much time on what was probably a hallucination? That was the impression I got.
The story was very interesting but I felt it did not click with me and I cannot really, objectively explain why. It was not a bad book by any means –the writing is ok and as I have mentioned, I think it addresses very interesting topics that are still relevant in our world –misogyny, discrimination, hatred. Though not my cup of tea, it is worth reading it if interested in this era.
____
Esta novela presenta una perspectiva interesante sobre cómo la opinión pública puede ser fácilmente manipulada y llevar a las sociedades y comunidades a actitudes frenéticas de odio y traición. A pesar que esta historia sucede en la Alemania del siglo XVI, las acciones retratadas muestran que no muchas cosas han cambiado en nuestra naturaleza.
La historia trata de Gude, una mujer ya algo mayor que vive con su hijo y su esposa, a inicios del 1500. La familia está sufriendo: el clima y malas cosechas han afectado al pueblo en donde viven, y están poco menos que muriendo de hambre. Muy pronto, todos los habitantes del pueblo comienzan a creer que hay una maldición y que debe haber algo de brujería ya que parecen haber sido abandonados por Dios. Además del hambre, Gude debe enfrentar el odio de su nuera, quien constantemente le echa en cara que es una carga para la familia y que le quita lo poco que tienen a sus dos hijos.
En este contexto, un religioso llega dispuesto a encontrar la verdad de tanto mal, lo cual significa desenmascarar a las brujas que son responsables de la pobreza y miseria en el pueblo. Es entonces cuando comienza la cacería de brujas y los habitantes empiezan a culpar a su vecino como responsable de la mala racha, recordando insultos pasados y sospechando de manera masiva. La propia Gude pronto se verá acusada por uno de sus familiares y comenzará una pesadilla…
Como mencioné en un principio, la historia es muy buena al presentar las consecuencias de la manipulación masiva cuando se da en un contexto de pobreza, depresión y falta de medios y resulta terrible observar cómo los seres humanos son capaces de creer cualquier cosa sobre el otro cuando las condiciones son difíciles. Cuando el comportamiento se esconde detrás de una opinión masiva, somos capaces de comportarnos como bestias. Además de este escenario bastante terrorífico, la autora también presenta algunas escenas relacionadas con la brujería. ¿Es esto real o es parte de la época y creencias populares? Esta pregunta no es respondida de manera deliberada por la autora –le corresponde al lector decidir qué es real y que no lo es. Sin embargo, personalmente esta parte fue la que no funcionó para mí. Yo hubiera querido saber (y bueno, quizá sé la respuesta en el fondo) pues me parece que, al no aclarar totalmente este punto, se invirtió demasiado tiempo en abordar cosas para que solo quedaran como una especie de alucinación.
A pesar que me pareció una buena historia, siento que no me convenció del todo, y no tengo una razón objetiva. Simplemente no conecté con la novela y en verdad no creo que sea una mala –la escritura me pareció bien lograda y los temas que aborda siguen siendo vigentes –misoginia, discriminación, odio a lo desconocido. Es de esos libros que quizá no era el momento, pero lo recomendaría para aquellos interesados en la época y en el tema.
August 13, 2008
A haunting tale of paranoia and fanaticism.
Human nature can be strange. The mentality of a mob for example, shows how brutal people can become when surrounded by others who are filled with passionate anger.
Erika Mailman shows us through the eyes of an elderly woman what it would have been like to live in the Middle Ages when witchcraft was thought to be the cause of any misfortune.
The famine described in this small village of Tierkinddorf, Germany is haunting. It made me feel strange reading the novel while having my lunch. I began to feel guilty knowing that the characters were willing to accuse others of witchcraft just to get a bite to eat.
A scapegoat was needed to place all the blame of the village's misfortune. It was thought that then, all things would revert back to days of plenty. That the famine would end.
The paranoia, the suspicion, the opportunity to point the finger of blame at someone whom you bear a grudge.
An accusation of milk spoiling was enough to damn someone to being burned to death, and you didn't even have to bring forth the spoiled milk as evidence. Your word was enough, if coupled with other such scurrilous complaints, to condemn someone to death.
Given today's sensibilities the thought of public execution is abhorrent. However, it is a gruesome part of our history that drawing and quarterings, beheadings, hangings, and burning at the stake were all done in the village square to serve as a lesson to all.
Beware or it may happen to you.
The Witch's Trinity is a potent tale whose ending surprised me.
I highly recommend it.
Human nature can be strange. The mentality of a mob for example, shows how brutal people can become when surrounded by others who are filled with passionate anger.
Erika Mailman shows us through the eyes of an elderly woman what it would have been like to live in the Middle Ages when witchcraft was thought to be the cause of any misfortune.
The famine described in this small village of Tierkinddorf, Germany is haunting. It made me feel strange reading the novel while having my lunch. I began to feel guilty knowing that the characters were willing to accuse others of witchcraft just to get a bite to eat.
A scapegoat was needed to place all the blame of the village's misfortune. It was thought that then, all things would revert back to days of plenty. That the famine would end.
The paranoia, the suspicion, the opportunity to point the finger of blame at someone whom you bear a grudge.
An accusation of milk spoiling was enough to damn someone to being burned to death, and you didn't even have to bring forth the spoiled milk as evidence. Your word was enough, if coupled with other such scurrilous complaints, to condemn someone to death.
Given today's sensibilities the thought of public execution is abhorrent. However, it is a gruesome part of our history that drawing and quarterings, beheadings, hangings, and burning at the stake were all done in the village square to serve as a lesson to all.
Beware or it may happen to you.
The Witch's Trinity is a potent tale whose ending surprised me.
I highly recommend it.
May 4, 2018
Usually, authors are good at one or the other: rich, engaging characters or read-all-night plots.
But though Erica Mailman is a master of character-driven voice, her plot skills are sharp too.
I blazed through this book in a reading fever. Her 14th Century German witches are just as exciting as her Gold Rush hookers. Her old women are just as entertaining as her young ones. Her narrative maintains a deep intimacy with the main character, and no character is all good or all bad. Her descriptions reek of both the rankness and sensual pleasure of being human. And she manages to show us history’s relevance to the current world.
But though Erica Mailman is a master of character-driven voice, her plot skills are sharp too.
I blazed through this book in a reading fever. Her 14th Century German witches are just as exciting as her Gold Rush hookers. Her old women are just as entertaining as her young ones. Her narrative maintains a deep intimacy with the main character, and no character is all good or all bad. Her descriptions reek of both the rankness and sensual pleasure of being human. And she manages to show us history’s relevance to the current world.
November 9, 2008
Hysteria, paranoia, jealousy, and false accusations. You get all those emotions and actions in this book, with a few sprinklings of happy memories and hope in one bleak situation after another.
I do have to say, though - there was one scene that actually had me cringing and worried about losing my lunch. Erika Mailman described the scene - removal of bandages after the stone test - in such a way that I felt every tear of skin, heard every scream, and smelled each new smell.
I probably would have enjoyed the book a lot more if I could have found one character that I liked. I liked Gude in the beginning, but quickly grew tired of her "visions" and uncertainty. I definitely despised Irmeltrude, even as I tried to understand her conniving ways, and just couldn't bring myself to care for either child or Jost, the husband, until near the end.
I do have to say, though - there was one scene that actually had me cringing and worried about losing my lunch. Erika Mailman described the scene - removal of bandages after the stone test - in such a way that I felt every tear of skin, heard every scream, and smelled each new smell.
I probably would have enjoyed the book a lot more if I could have found one character that I liked. I liked Gude in the beginning, but quickly grew tired of her "visions" and uncertainty. I definitely despised Irmeltrude, even as I tried to understand her conniving ways, and just couldn't bring myself to care for either child or Jost, the husband, until near the end.
February 3, 2008
I was wandering the store looking for something to read, and I was considering An American Dream by Norman Mailer, but then this book caught my eye. It is told from the point of view of an old woman in a little German village in the late 1500's. She lives with her son, his wife, and their daughter and son. They are in their second year of no harvest and a friar comes from a bigger city to find the witch that has caused the blight. Fearing her daughter will accuse her to get rid of a mouth to feed, certain events cause Gude to wonder if she is guilty anyway...
July 10, 2015
A well written tale about how desperation leads people to desperate and cruel acts.
March 27, 2024
Is it wrong to say I enjoyed this book considering the subject matter and the atrocities held within? The author, so skilled with words did not hold back in describing the vindictiveness of people in the village, so willing to accuse a neighbor of witchcraft. Was it fear or true hatred? And the church, having such an influence at the time, became the true enemy.
July 4, 2024
~2.5⭐️🤷🏼♀️
June 6, 2009
This is a grim book, though its bleakness is mitigated somewhat by its short length. At under 300 pages, The Witch's Trinity offers a nightmarish parable rather than an epic, and in my opinion is just the right length, as any more story would likely be too depressing to take. As it is, the book is entertaining in its delivery and fascinating in its layered message.
The story takes place in 16th century Germany, in a small village wracked by famine. The narrator is an elderly woman named Gude who has lived beyond her working years and is dependent upon her desperate, hungry family. An itinerant friar arrives at the village, ostensibly to cure their spiritual ills and bring prosperity back to their fields. As proof, he offers the latest literature on the subject as his guide: the Malleus Maleficarum. What follows is Gude's increasingly frantic attempts to keep herself and her grandchildren safe as the villagers fall upon one another to root out the witch, spurred on by encouragements, threats, and bribes by the friar. As she attempts to separate disturbing visions in the forest from the tricks of her increasingly senile mind, she also fights (as far as she knows) for her own soul's salvation, as well.
On the surface, this is a powerful witch-hunt story, told with exquisite historical detail and imbued with the right amount of suspense and horror (both supernatural and all too familiar). However, just as with similar stories before it, The Witch's Trinity hints at deeper, more disturbing themes. Of particular note are the lengths one will go to in order to protect their family and themselves, the consequences of adhering blindly to doctrine, and how the evils humans will visit upon one another are the same regardless of what religion is used to justify them. The specter of starvation is a much more oppressive force than that of witchcraft in this book, and drives the story to terrifying effect.
I think there are messages in this book that are particularly timely and prescient. Even aside from that, however, this book grew on me, and I thought about it for days after I finished reading it. It is both a quick and engaging read, and I would recommend it to those with a taste for these kinds of stories.
The story takes place in 16th century Germany, in a small village wracked by famine. The narrator is an elderly woman named Gude who has lived beyond her working years and is dependent upon her desperate, hungry family. An itinerant friar arrives at the village, ostensibly to cure their spiritual ills and bring prosperity back to their fields. As proof, he offers the latest literature on the subject as his guide: the Malleus Maleficarum. What follows is Gude's increasingly frantic attempts to keep herself and her grandchildren safe as the villagers fall upon one another to root out the witch, spurred on by encouragements, threats, and bribes by the friar. As she attempts to separate disturbing visions in the forest from the tricks of her increasingly senile mind, she also fights (as far as she knows) for her own soul's salvation, as well.
On the surface, this is a powerful witch-hunt story, told with exquisite historical detail and imbued with the right amount of suspense and horror (both supernatural and all too familiar). However, just as with similar stories before it, The Witch's Trinity hints at deeper, more disturbing themes. Of particular note are the lengths one will go to in order to protect their family and themselves, the consequences of adhering blindly to doctrine, and how the evils humans will visit upon one another are the same regardless of what religion is used to justify them. The specter of starvation is a much more oppressive force than that of witchcraft in this book, and drives the story to terrifying effect.
I think there are messages in this book that are particularly timely and prescient. Even aside from that, however, this book grew on me, and I thought about it for days after I finished reading it. It is both a quick and engaging read, and I would recommend it to those with a taste for these kinds of stories.
November 7, 2009
I have always found the Salem Witch Trials very interesting. The fact that some things were blamed on witch craft is sad to me. To think of all of the people who were killed that had done no wrong. The fact that preachers and judges had the right to punish these people is even more disheartening. I had never heard of any witch trials other than Salem. This story is set in Germany. It follows a small town through its hardship and famine. People that were starving started to blame two older women of witchcraft, which led to everyone blaming everyone else. The story is told by one of those elderly ladies. It follows her mind through the process of the trials. A mind that is failing its own self. It was a very interesting read. At the end the writer tells of her ancestor, from 350 years ago, that was accused of witchcraft. I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know of witch trials, but it was still a decent read.
May 26, 2009
This was another quickish read, about a small German village in the 1500s where the crops have failed and everyone is starving. The problems are blamed on witchcraft and the culprit is sought.
False accusations start to fly and an innocent woman is tortured and burned because she is the village's eldest resident and also the healer so she must be a witch. When her death changes nothing, the villagers start whispering to the friar about who it may be and others are sentenced on the flimsiest of evidence.
I enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the hungry people are quite harrowing at times, with them eating snow because there is nothing else. The torture using boiling water you can almost feel and the despair of the accused is very well described. It is frightening to think that so many women were put to death in those days on the most tenuous of reasons.
False accusations start to fly and an innocent woman is tortured and burned because she is the village's eldest resident and also the healer so she must be a witch. When her death changes nothing, the villagers start whispering to the friar about who it may be and others are sentenced on the flimsiest of evidence.
I enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the hungry people are quite harrowing at times, with them eating snow because there is nothing else. The torture using boiling water you can almost feel and the despair of the accused is very well described. It is frightening to think that so many women were put to death in those days on the most tenuous of reasons.
May 11, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. Set in the early 1500's in a small village in Germany sticken with famine, a Friar arrives to this town to uncover the evil witches that are causing God to punish the village. He has a book called "Malleus Maleficarum" (this book really existed) aka "The Witch's Hammer" which is a guide to gain witches confessions. They author traced her roots to relatives that where actually accused of witchcraft during this disturbing period of our history. A good read.
October 25, 2007
Germany, 1507. A frail grandmother in a small village is accused of witch-craft. Some interesting perspectives...are there only starving desperate people who need explanations for their hard times or is there witchcraft in the village?
April 29, 2009
Favourite, favourite, favourite, oh-my-god-favourite! Fronika made me cry too.
December 30, 2010
Interesting and chilling tale about witchcraft in Germany. A powerful story with some twists and some wonderful come uppances
October 28, 2020
Not sure where to begin. Saddened that the story mimics what probably occurred in many cases in the 1600's. Women who were different and unusual, sometimes elderly and confused or those who understood the uses of natural herbs/plants for medicine were spoken again by overzealous, less than intelligent and less than capable, certainly less than humane women and men, as being witches and those who consorted with the devil and brought harm to others.
The storyline is somewhat fragmented - perhaps because it is from the perspective of a confused elderly woman - who is cast out and accused by her own daughter in law, of witchcraft. The daughter in law in turn is named as a witch by another woman in the community who covets her healthy children.
A travesty of a trial occurs and both women are sentenced to death by burning. Only the arrival and intervention of the elderly woman's son, a well respected man in the community saves them both from dying - while another woman (who had been captured by the son - because she was different - both in appearance and in behavior) is burned in the fire instead.
Either way it was disappointing. It highlights how cruel women can be towards other women, and how little the average man thought of women in the past.
The storyline is somewhat fragmented - perhaps because it is from the perspective of a confused elderly woman - who is cast out and accused by her own daughter in law, of witchcraft. The daughter in law in turn is named as a witch by another woman in the community who covets her healthy children.
A travesty of a trial occurs and both women are sentenced to death by burning. Only the arrival and intervention of the elderly woman's son, a well respected man in the community saves them both from dying - while another woman (who had been captured by the son - because she was different - both in appearance and in behavior) is burned in the fire instead.
Either way it was disappointing. It highlights how cruel women can be towards other women, and how little the average man thought of women in the past.
September 16, 2021
I would not sleep. No, never again.
This is a grim little book about witch burnings in a tiny German village in the 1500s. The story is told through Güde, a widow who lives with her son and his family and has a front-row seat to the carnage unfolding between her neighbors, the church, and a worsening famine.
Central to this book, like many of the witchy stories I’ve heard told, are themes of womanhood and truth. Again and again, as I read, I was reminded so much of Robert Egger’s 2015 film The Witch. The tone and underpinnings Witch’s Trinity were so familiar that I wonder if it served as a major inspiration for the film.
The book is cinematic, grim, and upsetting in some of its brutality. Thin, reedy character work kept me from getting too attached, though, and I wasn’t entirely fulfilled with the book’s outcome. This story, which relies so heavily on the frailty of reality and emotion in desperation and starvation, feels almost… too tightly plotted, if that makes sense.
Still, this was a decent read to kick off spooky season and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to a friend who is looking for suggestions. Or, for a history buff that wants to see Germania take on Rome once again.
This is a grim little book about witch burnings in a tiny German village in the 1500s. The story is told through Güde, a widow who lives with her son and his family and has a front-row seat to the carnage unfolding between her neighbors, the church, and a worsening famine.
Central to this book, like many of the witchy stories I’ve heard told, are themes of womanhood and truth. Again and again, as I read, I was reminded so much of Robert Egger’s 2015 film The Witch. The tone and underpinnings Witch’s Trinity were so familiar that I wonder if it served as a major inspiration for the film.
The book is cinematic, grim, and upsetting in some of its brutality. Thin, reedy character work kept me from getting too attached, though, and I wasn’t entirely fulfilled with the book’s outcome. This story, which relies so heavily on the frailty of reality and emotion in desperation and starvation, feels almost… too tightly plotted, if that makes sense.
Still, this was a decent read to kick off spooky season and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to a friend who is looking for suggestions. Or, for a history buff that wants to see Germania take on Rome once again.
March 15, 2018
This is a solid little piece of historical fiction about witchcraft in Germany in the early 1500s. The story follows Gude, an elderly woman who lives with her son and spiteful daughter-in-law and their two children. She's suffering from what's probably Alzheimers or Dementia (sorry, I don't know much about either) around the same time that a friar comes to their little town to sniff out witches. The town has been starving after several seasons of bad harvest and the people are looking for someone to blame.
While I didn't think this was spectacular and won't be keeping my copy, I did read it in two sittings. The chapters are short and the story was engaging and fairly fast-paced (at least, in terms of how the hunt escalates). I find the horrible, mob-mentality of witch hunts fascinating and this book really illustrated how quickly people are willing to turn on their neighbors, friends and even family, if it means putting food on the table and finding a scapegoat for their problems. I also learned about a torture device that I'd never heard of (the pear of anguish) which is horrible and made my ladybits hurt just reading about it!
So, yeah. If this time period and subject are your thing, this might be a good book to borrow or get your hands on for cheap.
While I didn't think this was spectacular and won't be keeping my copy, I did read it in two sittings. The chapters are short and the story was engaging and fairly fast-paced (at least, in terms of how the hunt escalates). I find the horrible, mob-mentality of witch hunts fascinating and this book really illustrated how quickly people are willing to turn on their neighbors, friends and even family, if it means putting food on the table and finding a scapegoat for their problems. I also learned about a torture device that I'd never heard of (the pear of anguish) which is horrible and made my ladybits hurt just reading about it!
So, yeah. If this time period and subject are your thing, this might be a good book to borrow or get your hands on for cheap.
February 25, 2021
Besides being awed by the story, it was refreshing to read a book with an old female protagonist.
This book left me with two major takeaways-
1. Many women before me - our ancestors, people who paved the way for the kind of lives we lead today - were not so lucky themselves. They went up in flames for absolutely no justifiable reason. It made my heart heavy to know that on some level, we do carry this generational trauma. Just hearing and reading such stories is enough for me to feel immensely sorry for those who couldn't escape the cultural paranoia of those times. Simultaneously, I am grateful for having the luxury of choice and living in a world of science and reason (for the most part).
2. The absence of basic human needs does not only have physical repercussions but can manifest in several psychological ways. Of course, I knew this. But I am lucky enough to have never experienced that sort of scarcity. It was difficult for me to relate to neighbours and family members selling others out for a few measly morsels, but I've never been in that position so what do I know? This book offered me insight into the desperation of hunger and honed my empathy. I hope to be more considerate and thoughtful towards those less privileged than me in my own life.
It's a good read! I'd rate it 3.5. I'm definitely intrigued to research more about this, thanks to the author's notes as well.
This book left me with two major takeaways-
1. Many women before me - our ancestors, people who paved the way for the kind of lives we lead today - were not so lucky themselves. They went up in flames for absolutely no justifiable reason. It made my heart heavy to know that on some level, we do carry this generational trauma. Just hearing and reading such stories is enough for me to feel immensely sorry for those who couldn't escape the cultural paranoia of those times. Simultaneously, I am grateful for having the luxury of choice and living in a world of science and reason (for the most part).
2. The absence of basic human needs does not only have physical repercussions but can manifest in several psychological ways. Of course, I knew this. But I am lucky enough to have never experienced that sort of scarcity. It was difficult for me to relate to neighbours and family members selling others out for a few measly morsels, but I've never been in that position so what do I know? This book offered me insight into the desperation of hunger and honed my empathy. I hope to be more considerate and thoughtful towards those less privileged than me in my own life.
It's a good read! I'd rate it 3.5. I'm definitely intrigued to research more about this, thanks to the author's notes as well.
May 29, 2019
Faith and truth battle in this fictionalized account of an ancestor of the author, who was accused of witchcraft in the 1600’s and was tried twice (and possibly a third time) and acquitted. Often magical, at times the story is shockingly disturbing in its depiction of the cruelties inherent in the Catholic church’s methods of inquisition in the witch trials, it ends with an unexpected twist.
While time and history will never erase the cruel and superstitious insanity of the burning times, we can learn from books like this to recognize the embers of mass hysteria and douse then before they erupt in destructive flames.
While time and history will never erase the cruel and superstitious insanity of the burning times, we can learn from books like this to recognize the embers of mass hysteria and douse then before they erupt in destructive flames.
August 15, 2023
While I can’t recommend such a strange little book to anyone who isn’t obsessed with the Witch Trials like I am, I loved this novel!
I read it in three hours, I literally could not put it down. Never had the horror of the trials really settled in for me, I was sweating with nerves over how the loveable main character could come out of this.
I adored reading the POV of an older woman who didn’t quite trust her own mind, adding an extra layer of mystery to the whole thing.
I need to read more historical horror, people were really unhinged back then.
Some pacing issues, otherwise a great truly horror read.
I read it in three hours, I literally could not put it down. Never had the horror of the trials really settled in for me, I was sweating with nerves over how the loveable main character could come out of this.
I adored reading the POV of an older woman who didn’t quite trust her own mind, adding an extra layer of mystery to the whole thing.
I need to read more historical horror, people were really unhinged back then.
Some pacing issues, otherwise a great truly horror read.
April 14, 2020
Well written, upsetting in places.
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