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The Penguin Book of Witches
Chilling real-life accounts of witches, from medieval Europe through colonial America.
From a manual for witch hunters written by King James himself in 1597, to court documents from the Salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper coverage of a woman stoned to death on the streets of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress met, The Penguin Book of Witches is a treasury of historical accounts of accused witches that sheds light on the reality behind the legends. Bringing to life stories like that of Eunice Cole, tried for attacking a teenage girl with a rock and buried with a stake through her heart; Jane Jacobs, a Bostonian so often accused of witchcraft that she took her tormentors to court on charges of slander; and Increase Mather, an exorcism-performing minister famed for his knowledge of witches, this volume provides a unique tour through the darkest history of English and North American witchcraft, never failing to horrify, intrigue, and delight.
From a manual for witch hunters written by King James himself in 1597, to court documents from the Salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper coverage of a woman stoned to death on the streets of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress met, The Penguin Book of Witches is a treasury of historical accounts of accused witches that sheds light on the reality behind the legends. Bringing to life stories like that of Eunice Cole, tried for attacking a teenage girl with a rock and buried with a stake through her heart; Jane Jacobs, a Bostonian so often accused of witchcraft that she took her tormentors to court on charges of slander; and Increase Mather, an exorcism-performing minister famed for his knowledge of witches, this volume provides a unique tour through the darkest history of English and North American witchcraft, never failing to horrify, intrigue, and delight.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2014
424 people are currently reading
13370 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Howe
18 books2,537 followersKatherine Howe is a #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer of historical fiction and nonfiction. Her best known books are The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list in 2009 and was named one of USA Today's top ten books of the year, and Conversion, which received the 2015 Massachusetts Book Award in young adult literature. In 2014 she edited The Penguin Book of Witches for Penguin Classics, a primary source reader on the history of witchcraft in England and North America. She co-authored the #1 bestselling Vanderbilt: the Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty with CNN's Anderson Cooper, which came out in September 2021. Their next bestselling collaboration, Astor: the Rise and Fall of an American Fortune released September 19, 2023. And her next novel, A True Account: Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself came out November 21. 2023, and her edited volume The Penguin Book of Pirates came out April 30, 2024. She holds a BA in art history and philosophy from Columbia and an MA in American and New England studies from Boston University, and is completing her doctorate in American studies at the University of East Anglia, A native Houstonian, she lives in New England with her family. She also puts hot sauce on everything.
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October 21, 2023
While today we can enjoy dressing as witches on Halloween, root for them in tv series and movies and even delve into tarot cards and crystals in public with only minor annoyance of Satanic Panic in the US, hundred of years ago even the suggestion of being a witch was enough for a person to be publicly shamed and executed. The Penguin Book of Witches, edited by Katherine Howe, brings together documents from King James I’s
Daemonologie
—a manual for witch hunters published in 1597—to court records from the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and beyond in order to give a first hand witness to the cross-examinations and writings of those who would condemn so many people to death. While it can be a bit dry and would have vastly benefitted from more commentary or supplemental essays, this is an interesting resource and guide through these dark histories of weaponized misogyny and religious and politically motivated executions that thrived on public fear.
Salem Witch Trials
Howe begins with a look at how witches appeared in the Bible, pointing to the often cited ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’ of Exodus 22:18 that was used for decades to justify countless murders. Howe goes on to point out ‘all of Exodus 22 remains silent on the definition of what or who a wich is, or on what activities might constitute witchcraft,’ and what becomes evident through the many documents is that witchcraft is a term lobbed at anyone someone might wish to paint a target on. And it was an effective way to remove them. As Reginald Scott writes in his 1584 The Discouerie of Witchcraft:
We see in these cross-examinations that these women definitely are not actually casting curses and spells, and while the claims of witchcraft could be used, say, to get rid of a widow with land you might wish to take for your own, the majority of those accused and executed were the poor. And it was easiest to accuse anyone for what was determined to be anti-social behavior or any aberration from ‘polite’ society: namely childless women, old women or women with a sense of independence that made others uncomfortable. ‘When for ‘witches’ we read ‘women, we gain fuller comprehension of the cruelties inflicted by the church upon this portion of humanity,’ said 1800s women’s rights activist Matilda Joslyn Gage (who also was the inspiration of Glinda the Good Witch in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). While, yes, men were accused, tried and executed as well, it was in far fewer numbers with far greater percentage of being let off.
‘Witch’ is something we call a woman who demands the benefit of the doubt, who speaks the truth, who punctures the con, who kills your joy if your joy is killing.’
—Lindy West, The Witches Are Coming
As well as documents from the cases, the book also contains an apology of Salem judge Samuel Sewall in 1697 as well as the letter of apology from the jury. Howe chronicles how witchcraft began to be less of a legal issue and more of cultural condemnation, aided in part by the Witchcraft Act of 1735 which redefined witchcraft from being a pact with the devil to claims of practice that was basically an accusation of fraud. There are a few documents taking place after the Salem Trials, such as showing how indigenous peoples fell under scrutiny using accusations of witchcraft and, as Howe writes about one case, these accusations ‘conflates both confusions about native practice with lingering Protestand North American anxiety about territorial clashes.’
If you are looking for much analysis about the psychology of witch hunts or lingering issues today, there isn’t much to be found here though I would highly recommend Mona Chollet’s In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial for such purposes. Howe does briefly mention McCarthyism and states ‘the phrase ‘witch hunt’ appears frequently in American political and cultural discourse, perhaps frequently enough to be leached of much of its impact’ but doesn’t delve into it much. Those following US politics the past few years have certainly seen the term witch hunt appropriated by wealthy white men in statements where ‘being held accountable’ is the better fit, but thats another discussion for another day.
Those with an interest in the documents of the Salem Trials and other witch trials will find this to be a cool resource. I would have liked more commentary but it is what it is and its a nice little book to have around.
3/5
Salem Witch Trials
Howe begins with a look at how witches appeared in the Bible, pointing to the often cited ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’ of Exodus 22:18 that was used for decades to justify countless murders. Howe goes on to point out ‘all of Exodus 22 remains silent on the definition of what or who a wich is, or on what activities might constitute witchcraft,’ and what becomes evident through the many documents is that witchcraft is a term lobbed at anyone someone might wish to paint a target on. And it was an effective way to remove them. As Reginald Scott writes in his 1584 The Discouerie of Witchcraft:
‘the name of a witch is so odious and her power so feared among the common people, that if the honestest body living chance to be arraigned thereupon, she shall hardly escape condemnation.’
We see in these cross-examinations that these women definitely are not actually casting curses and spells, and while the claims of witchcraft could be used, say, to get rid of a widow with land you might wish to take for your own, the majority of those accused and executed were the poor. And it was easiest to accuse anyone for what was determined to be anti-social behavior or any aberration from ‘polite’ society: namely childless women, old women or women with a sense of independence that made others uncomfortable. ‘When for ‘witches’ we read ‘women, we gain fuller comprehension of the cruelties inflicted by the church upon this portion of humanity,’ said 1800s women’s rights activist Matilda Joslyn Gage (who also was the inspiration of Glinda the Good Witch in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). While, yes, men were accused, tried and executed as well, it was in far fewer numbers with far greater percentage of being let off.
‘Witch’ is something we call a woman who demands the benefit of the doubt, who speaks the truth, who punctures the con, who kills your joy if your joy is killing.’
—Lindy West, The Witches Are Coming
As well as documents from the cases, the book also contains an apology of Salem judge Samuel Sewall in 1697 as well as the letter of apology from the jury. Howe chronicles how witchcraft began to be less of a legal issue and more of cultural condemnation, aided in part by the Witchcraft Act of 1735 which redefined witchcraft from being a pact with the devil to claims of practice that was basically an accusation of fraud. There are a few documents taking place after the Salem Trials, such as showing how indigenous peoples fell under scrutiny using accusations of witchcraft and, as Howe writes about one case, these accusations ‘conflates both confusions about native practice with lingering Protestand North American anxiety about territorial clashes.’
If you are looking for much analysis about the psychology of witch hunts or lingering issues today, there isn’t much to be found here though I would highly recommend Mona Chollet’s In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial for such purposes. Howe does briefly mention McCarthyism and states ‘the phrase ‘witch hunt’ appears frequently in American political and cultural discourse, perhaps frequently enough to be leached of much of its impact’ but doesn’t delve into it much. Those following US politics the past few years have certainly seen the term witch hunt appropriated by wealthy white men in statements where ‘being held accountable’ is the better fit, but thats another discussion for another day.
Those with an interest in the documents of the Salem Trials and other witch trials will find this to be a cool resource. I would have liked more commentary but it is what it is and its a nice little book to have around.
3/5
December 22, 2016
The Penguin Book of Witches is a collection of historical accounts of witchcraft and witches spanning from 1582 to 1813 with special emphasis on the Salem Witch Trials.
The court documents, warrants, and testimonies are fascinating, though some of the documents are difficult to push through if read from beginning to end.
And the said Ursula, seeing nothing to be had of the said Grace, fell out with her and said that she would be even with her and thereupon she was taken lame, and from that day. [. . .] The said Ursula Kemp saith that about ten or eleven years past, she this examinant was troubled with a lameness in her bones, and for ease thereof, went to one Cocke's wife of Weley, now deceased, who telled this examinant that she was bewitched, and at her entreaty taught her to unwitch herself. - The Trial of Ursula Kemp, St. Osyth, England, 1582
Challenging reading aside, the book offers a unique look at the evolution of the definition of witchcraft and the ways in which court cases against accused witches escalated from enforcing small fines to executing the accused.
For the name of a witch is so odious and her power so feared among the common people, that if the honestest body living chance to be arraigned thereupon, she shall hardly escape condemnation. - Reginald Scott, The Discouerie of Witchcraft, 1584
Every document is introduced by author Katherine Howe. Her brief introductions provide an explanation for the document's relevance, highlighting what shifts in attitudes toward witches or the practices employed in incriminating them are portrayed in each document.
The Penguin Book of Witches is an intriguing examination of witchcraft in colonial North American and explores what the historical documents on witchcraft reveal about the time in which they were written.
The court documents, warrants, and testimonies are fascinating, though some of the documents are difficult to push through if read from beginning to end.
And the said Ursula, seeing nothing to be had of the said Grace, fell out with her and said that she would be even with her and thereupon she was taken lame, and from that day. [. . .] The said Ursula Kemp saith that about ten or eleven years past, she this examinant was troubled with a lameness in her bones, and for ease thereof, went to one Cocke's wife of Weley, now deceased, who telled this examinant that she was bewitched, and at her entreaty taught her to unwitch herself. - The Trial of Ursula Kemp, St. Osyth, England, 1582
Challenging reading aside, the book offers a unique look at the evolution of the definition of witchcraft and the ways in which court cases against accused witches escalated from enforcing small fines to executing the accused.
For the name of a witch is so odious and her power so feared among the common people, that if the honestest body living chance to be arraigned thereupon, she shall hardly escape condemnation. - Reginald Scott, The Discouerie of Witchcraft, 1584
Every document is introduced by author Katherine Howe. Her brief introductions provide an explanation for the document's relevance, highlighting what shifts in attitudes toward witches or the practices employed in incriminating them are portrayed in each document.
The Penguin Book of Witches is an intriguing examination of witchcraft in colonial North American and explores what the historical documents on witchcraft reveal about the time in which they were written.
December 6, 2020
If you like reading fictional accounts of witches, you are going to love dipping into these real-life accounts of witches. The truth is often stranger than what you discover in a novel, as you will soon find out as you read through the allegations made by the accusers, the scholarly experts who supported the investigations into the operation of magic, and the women (and men) who found themselves caught in an increasingly dangerous legal process in which they were assumed to be guilty unless they proved their innocence. This collection of edited texts is European and American in its scope, and covers the early modern period through the well-known witch trials in Salem in 1692 and into 18th-century America.
December 1, 2016
Es un libro muy interesante y esclarecedor sobre el tratamiento de la brujería a lo largo del tiempo. Se centra, concretamente, entre el año 1582 y el 1813. No es una novela (lo digo porque me he topado con gente que cree que lo es); es una recopilación cronológica de transcripciones de interrogatorios, juicios, testimonios y otras diversas crónicas relacionadas con los casos de brujería más sonados en esa etapa en Inglaterra y las colonias norteamericanas. En ocasiones los textos son densos, contundentes y, obviamente, emplean lenguaje jurídico, pero son exposiciones y capítulos muy cortos, lo que hace del libro un manual de lectura fácil por su estructura.
Se divide en cuatro partes: la primera nos pone en situación sobre la figura de la bruja y sus primeras apariciones, ya en la Biblia. También se incluye un fragmento de "Demonología", del rey Jacobo I (ferviente defensor de la caza de brujas), y se exponen algunos casos de brujería en la Inglaterra del siglo XVI. La segunda parte incluye los primeros juicios ya en las colonias inglesas norteamericanas; la tercera parte se centra en uno de los episodios más destacados de la historia de la brujería: Salem (1692), donde fueron juzgadas y ejecutadas por un mismo caso veinte personas (catorce de ellas mujeres); y la cuarta parte trata sobre lo que pasó después de Salem, con teorías de personas cercanas a estos hechos, disculpas de los jueces, y también podemos ver cómo fue evolucionando el juicio por brujería después de 1692, hasta acabar quedando relegado al más inofensivo folklore tan solo cien años después.
Por ponerle una pega diría que el libro tiene algunas lagunas, que son más evidentes en el apartado de Salem. Conocía bastante de este episodio, pero no por ello quería darlo por hecho, y he podido notar que en "El libro de las brujas" no habría estado de más incluir alguna información más acerca del proceso, porque para quien no conozca nada sobre el caso se va a quedar con una sensación de vacío. La autora escribe una pequeña introducción antes de cada interrogatorio o testimonio concreto, nos pone en situación y nos cuenta muchas curiosidades de la época, pero es cierto que sabe a poco.
Pero en general me ha gustado mucho, me ha parecido un documento muy esclarecedor que reafirma mi teoría de que en este tipo de casos había mucho malentendido, conspiración, encerrona, fingimiento, pánico extendido, sugestión, mentiras, rencillas entre vecinas y vecinos, envidia... pero muy poca, o más bien ninguna, brujería. Pero era más fácil acusar a los demás de ser amigos del Diablo en esta época de miedo y fervor religioso. Es escalofriante pensar lo que debió suponer para las acusadas pasar por el trance de ser tachadas de brujas, juzgadas, revisado su cuerpo al mínimo detalle (en una época de puritanismo) y, finalmente, ejecutadas, cuando en realidad no habían hecho ningún pacto con el Diablo. ¿Qué pasaría por sus cabezas? ¿Confesaron por extorsión o porque se rindieron? ¿O tal vez alguna acabó por perder la cabeza en el proceso? Cuantísima barbaridad e ignorancia ha cubierto al ser humano desde el principio de los tiempos, qué cantidad de atrocidades se han cometido y se cometen en nombre de una idea y una religión. Es repugnante que tantas mujeres y hombres hayan muerto con miedo, con su nombre y memoria ensuciados con las palabras "bruja" y "hechicero" con connotación diabólica, cuando lo más que hacían era servirse de algunas hierbas medicinales y remedios naturales o, simplemente, nada.
Un saludo,
Carol Rodríguez
Se divide en cuatro partes: la primera nos pone en situación sobre la figura de la bruja y sus primeras apariciones, ya en la Biblia. También se incluye un fragmento de "Demonología", del rey Jacobo I (ferviente defensor de la caza de brujas), y se exponen algunos casos de brujería en la Inglaterra del siglo XVI. La segunda parte incluye los primeros juicios ya en las colonias inglesas norteamericanas; la tercera parte se centra en uno de los episodios más destacados de la historia de la brujería: Salem (1692), donde fueron juzgadas y ejecutadas por un mismo caso veinte personas (catorce de ellas mujeres); y la cuarta parte trata sobre lo que pasó después de Salem, con teorías de personas cercanas a estos hechos, disculpas de los jueces, y también podemos ver cómo fue evolucionando el juicio por brujería después de 1692, hasta acabar quedando relegado al más inofensivo folklore tan solo cien años después.
Por ponerle una pega diría que el libro tiene algunas lagunas, que son más evidentes en el apartado de Salem. Conocía bastante de este episodio, pero no por ello quería darlo por hecho, y he podido notar que en "El libro de las brujas" no habría estado de más incluir alguna información más acerca del proceso, porque para quien no conozca nada sobre el caso se va a quedar con una sensación de vacío. La autora escribe una pequeña introducción antes de cada interrogatorio o testimonio concreto, nos pone en situación y nos cuenta muchas curiosidades de la época, pero es cierto que sabe a poco.
Pero en general me ha gustado mucho, me ha parecido un documento muy esclarecedor que reafirma mi teoría de que en este tipo de casos había mucho malentendido, conspiración, encerrona, fingimiento, pánico extendido, sugestión, mentiras, rencillas entre vecinas y vecinos, envidia... pero muy poca, o más bien ninguna, brujería. Pero era más fácil acusar a los demás de ser amigos del Diablo en esta época de miedo y fervor religioso. Es escalofriante pensar lo que debió suponer para las acusadas pasar por el trance de ser tachadas de brujas, juzgadas, revisado su cuerpo al mínimo detalle (en una época de puritanismo) y, finalmente, ejecutadas, cuando en realidad no habían hecho ningún pacto con el Diablo. ¿Qué pasaría por sus cabezas? ¿Confesaron por extorsión o porque se rindieron? ¿O tal vez alguna acabó por perder la cabeza en el proceso? Cuantísima barbaridad e ignorancia ha cubierto al ser humano desde el principio de los tiempos, qué cantidad de atrocidades se han cometido y se cometen en nombre de una idea y una religión. Es repugnante que tantas mujeres y hombres hayan muerto con miedo, con su nombre y memoria ensuciados con las palabras "bruja" y "hechicero" con connotación diabólica, cuando lo más que hacían era servirse de algunas hierbas medicinales y remedios naturales o, simplemente, nada.
Un saludo,
Carol Rodríguez
February 7, 2017
Me ha resultado sumamente interesante. Es un ensayo por lo que hay capítulos más densos o que requieren más tiempo para ser asimilados aunque la autora nos da muchas explicaciones para que entendamos bien los documentos o juicios que nos presenta. Fue una época oscura e injusta con todas aquellas mujeres que demuestra de lo que son capaces los seres humanos.
October 6, 2014
If you have ever had an interest the historical story of witches, how they became so notorious , and how society came to fear them to the point of mob justice, generating the term "witch hunt," this is the book for you. Katherine Howe takes historical records from 15th century court records of witch trials to the 19th century when belief in witches as a reality began to wane. Her study crosses England, Scotland, Ireland, New England and Canada. Howe it's thorough in demonstrating what created our present vision of a witch.
This is non-fiction, and if like me you get a little disgusted by the sensational version of witches like the show 'Salem,' this may be for you. This was a real and tragic attack on the disenfranchised, those on the outskirts of society, the poor, and those that did not conform to the societal norm. As the bible states, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." This was not the first, or the last situation the bible would be utilized to justify swift unreasonable violence.
Think about your life and see if you fit in the demographic of those that would be accused of a witch. First, are you a single woman? Men were accused too, but a disproportionate amount were women. Are you middle-aged or older? As a woman do you not always conform to gender roles like getting in an argument with your neighbors and cursing? Have you ever had to beg or depend on the charity of your neighbors? Do you choose to not go to church or occasionally just miss services? Do you live alone with no family living in your town? If you said yes to at least three of these you probably would have been accused of being a witch. If you were lucky the court may just make you give your land to your accuser, but it's more likely you would have lost your life.
How do you prove a person is a witch? Confession. What could possibly cause someone to confess. Interrogation. It was generally violent. Accused witches bodies would be searched thoroughly for open sores, or teats, that the devil and his imps would suckle for the witches blood. I can only imagine the amount of skin tags and legitimate sores people had on their bodies at these periods in history. If you wanted to find something I have no doubt you would. The indignity of the search would be terrible. I don't want to mention everything but I do want to peak your interest.
This is a compilation of research and study including Howe's impressive notes section. If you enjoy in-depth analysis you will like this. Actual documents are included, and while Howe explains it, it is not broken down into layman's terms. This is for those with historical curiosity. This in not a book to read on Halloween to create a spooky atmosphere. I did appreciate it and am glad I read it.
I received this from NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Classics in return for an honest review.
This is non-fiction, and if like me you get a little disgusted by the sensational version of witches like the show 'Salem,' this may be for you. This was a real and tragic attack on the disenfranchised, those on the outskirts of society, the poor, and those that did not conform to the societal norm. As the bible states, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." This was not the first, or the last situation the bible would be utilized to justify swift unreasonable violence.
Think about your life and see if you fit in the demographic of those that would be accused of a witch. First, are you a single woman? Men were accused too, but a disproportionate amount were women. Are you middle-aged or older? As a woman do you not always conform to gender roles like getting in an argument with your neighbors and cursing? Have you ever had to beg or depend on the charity of your neighbors? Do you choose to not go to church or occasionally just miss services? Do you live alone with no family living in your town? If you said yes to at least three of these you probably would have been accused of being a witch. If you were lucky the court may just make you give your land to your accuser, but it's more likely you would have lost your life.
How do you prove a person is a witch? Confession. What could possibly cause someone to confess. Interrogation. It was generally violent. Accused witches bodies would be searched thoroughly for open sores, or teats, that the devil and his imps would suckle for the witches blood. I can only imagine the amount of skin tags and legitimate sores people had on their bodies at these periods in history. If you wanted to find something I have no doubt you would. The indignity of the search would be terrible. I don't want to mention everything but I do want to peak your interest.
This is a compilation of research and study including Howe's impressive notes section. If you enjoy in-depth analysis you will like this. Actual documents are included, and while Howe explains it, it is not broken down into layman's terms. This is for those with historical curiosity. This in not a book to read on Halloween to create a spooky atmosphere. I did appreciate it and am glad I read it.
I received this from NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Classics in return for an honest review.
September 25, 2020
Not bad, but not what I really wanted. It is a collection witch testimonies and medieval texts on witches and witch-finding. I was hoping for a more sociological and psychological analysis. I left it a third of the way through.
October 15, 2022
This was a rather startling nonfiction about the witch trials in the US and England. Excerpts of the Bible, witch hunting manuals, chilling real testimony, poems and songs are woven together to tell the story. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the narration by Gabra Zackman.
February 5, 2018
Una pequeña decepción la que me ha supuesto este libro, la verdad. La edición está muy cuidada, y los extractos de los distintos juicios por brujería que recoge están realmente bién; en ese aspecto, el libro es más que correcto, y tiene un aparato de notas que ayuda mucho a comprender lo que estamos leyendo.
Pero esperaba algo más, no solo una simple recopilación de fuentes con una (mínima) introducción por parte de la editora. Además, y en muchos de los casos, da por sobreentido que los lectores tenemos conocimiento pleno de los eventos recogidos en las fuentes, llegando al punto de no contextualizar, o hacerlo mínimamente, la parte a mi parecer central del libro: los juicios por brujería de Salem.
Pero esperaba algo más, no solo una simple recopilación de fuentes con una (mínima) introducción por parte de la editora. Además, y en muchos de los casos, da por sobreentido que los lectores tenemos conocimiento pleno de los eventos recogidos en las fuentes, llegando al punto de no contextualizar, o hacerlo mínimamente, la parte a mi parecer central del libro: los juicios por brujería de Salem.
September 28, 2018
Me ha parecido una lectura interesante desde el punto de vista histórico y social. El libro hace un recorrido desde los primeros juicios de brujería hasta los últimos que tuvieron lugar, incluyendo los sucesos de Salem.
A veces olvido lo prehistórico, imbécil y bruto que ha sido el ser humano (y por desgracia sigue siendo en muchas ocasiones). Las exploraciones a las que sometían a las mujeres acusadas de brujería me parecen asquerosas (era muy sencillo que encontraran alguna marca en el cuerpo de una mujer que manifestara dicha condición), sin mencionar la prueba de flotación en la que tiraban a la acusada al mar para ver si flotaba, los ahorcamientos, en fin, sin palabras.
En la mayoría de los casos estas acusaciones estaban motivadas por algún tipo de desavenencia entre vecinos. También era muy común acusar a mujeres muy pobres, a menudo solteras o viudas que resultaban molestas para el resto de la vecindad.
El caso de Salem me parece muy curioso, muchas fueron las que se declararon hechizadas y muchas mujeres fueron acusadas por brujería, los hombres acusados fueron una minoría ridicula. El motivo real de estos acontecimientos no creo que lo sepamos nunca, hablan de histeria colectiva, envenenamiento, fanatismo o extremismo religioso... pero para mí fue pura maldad de la humanidad.
A veces olvido lo prehistórico, imbécil y bruto que ha sido el ser humano (y por desgracia sigue siendo en muchas ocasiones). Las exploraciones a las que sometían a las mujeres acusadas de brujería me parecen asquerosas (era muy sencillo que encontraran alguna marca en el cuerpo de una mujer que manifestara dicha condición), sin mencionar la prueba de flotación en la que tiraban a la acusada al mar para ver si flotaba, los ahorcamientos, en fin, sin palabras.
En la mayoría de los casos estas acusaciones estaban motivadas por algún tipo de desavenencia entre vecinos. También era muy común acusar a mujeres muy pobres, a menudo solteras o viudas que resultaban molestas para el resto de la vecindad.
El caso de Salem me parece muy curioso, muchas fueron las que se declararon hechizadas y muchas mujeres fueron acusadas por brujería, los hombres acusados fueron una minoría ridicula. El motivo real de estos acontecimientos no creo que lo sepamos nunca, hablan de histeria colectiva, envenenamiento, fanatismo o extremismo religioso... pero para mí fue pura maldad de la humanidad.
March 3, 2023
Este libro habla de, como lo dice su subtítulo, Casos de brujería en Inglaterra y en la colonias norteamericanas entre (1582-1813).
Yo no sabía qué esperar del libro, ya que hace tiempo pensaba erróneamente que hablaba de estos temas pero de una forma novelada. Pero en tiempos más recientes, cuando me propuse más en serio leerlo, di con que es más bien un trabajo de investigación por parte se su autora Katherine Howe de los casos documentados de brujería; primero en Europa para pasar con lo sucedido en las colonias inglesas. Todo esto redactado con muchas referencias a los libros que llevaron registro, en su gran mayoría parciales, de algunos casos y otros que continuaron con la investigación años después, sobre todo por motivos religiosos.
El libro se divide en cuatro partes. En la primera conoceremos los antecedentes de la brujería, desde lo que es mencionado en la biblia y las creencias populares en la Inglaterra pre colonial. En la segunda se presentan diversas crónicas de casos de brujería en las que se da cuenta del primer juicio en Massachusetts por este crimen. También presenta cuáles fueron las características de la población peregrina para entender un poco el contexto poco acogedor que fue el escenario ideal para gestar histerias a lo desconocido. La tercera parte es la más extensa, pues es donde se habla a fondo de los casos de Salem a través de las transcripciones de los juicios reales, se nos va presentando cada caso y el papel que jugaron los pobladores así como las personas a cargo de la justicia. Y la cuarta parte habla de lo sucedido después de Salem, sus repercusiones y cómo las creencias fueron cambiando gracias a la entrada de la razón ilustrada, transformando el mito pero también la realidad de lo que pasó con las mujeres juzgadas en este poblado.
El libro es maravilloso si lo que buscas es sumergirte en una sucesión de datos históricos que te harán conocer a fondo lo que realmente pasó en Salem, y descubrir un poco de los orígenes del mito de la bruja así como de las leyes que han existido en contra de estas. La verdad es que el texto es un poco denso porque son muchas las referencias, los datos y fechas, las transcripciones de los documentos originales, los nombres mencionados, publicaciones antiguas, etc. Puede que tanta información caiga de peso pero en cada página se encuentra algo interesante así que recomendaría leer con un marcador a la mano para no perder detalle de la información que quieras resaltar para después.
He descubierto mucho con esta lectura y me han quedado claros algunos aspectos de la sociedad de colonizadores puritanos, rasgos religiosos, condiciones de vida y el antecedente del porque llegaron a América. Todo esto ayuda a sentar las bases para entender mejor lo que pasó y cómo se ha ido transformando la historia gracias a la literatura y las películas contemporáneas.
También me gusto el análisis que hace la autora de cómo cada generación ha interpretado los sucesos de los juicios dependiendo de lo que se estaba viviendo en su actualidad, como las características femeninas han sido catalogadas como el origen del mal y que la “cacería de brujas” es algo que sigue existiendo para acabar con la otredad, aunque irónicamente estas creencias en conjunto con mucha tradición pagana también han originado nuevas religiones como la Wicca.
Así que ha sido un libro estupendo, me he quedado con ganas de saber más pero el material que se tiene en cuanto a los juicios es algo limitado, aunque la autora incluye una lista de lecturas recomendadas para seguir ahondando en el tema.
Yo no sabía qué esperar del libro, ya que hace tiempo pensaba erróneamente que hablaba de estos temas pero de una forma novelada. Pero en tiempos más recientes, cuando me propuse más en serio leerlo, di con que es más bien un trabajo de investigación por parte se su autora Katherine Howe de los casos documentados de brujería; primero en Europa para pasar con lo sucedido en las colonias inglesas. Todo esto redactado con muchas referencias a los libros que llevaron registro, en su gran mayoría parciales, de algunos casos y otros que continuaron con la investigación años después, sobre todo por motivos religiosos.
El libro se divide en cuatro partes. En la primera conoceremos los antecedentes de la brujería, desde lo que es mencionado en la biblia y las creencias populares en la Inglaterra pre colonial. En la segunda se presentan diversas crónicas de casos de brujería en las que se da cuenta del primer juicio en Massachusetts por este crimen. También presenta cuáles fueron las características de la población peregrina para entender un poco el contexto poco acogedor que fue el escenario ideal para gestar histerias a lo desconocido. La tercera parte es la más extensa, pues es donde se habla a fondo de los casos de Salem a través de las transcripciones de los juicios reales, se nos va presentando cada caso y el papel que jugaron los pobladores así como las personas a cargo de la justicia. Y la cuarta parte habla de lo sucedido después de Salem, sus repercusiones y cómo las creencias fueron cambiando gracias a la entrada de la razón ilustrada, transformando el mito pero también la realidad de lo que pasó con las mujeres juzgadas en este poblado.
El libro es maravilloso si lo que buscas es sumergirte en una sucesión de datos históricos que te harán conocer a fondo lo que realmente pasó en Salem, y descubrir un poco de los orígenes del mito de la bruja así como de las leyes que han existido en contra de estas. La verdad es que el texto es un poco denso porque son muchas las referencias, los datos y fechas, las transcripciones de los documentos originales, los nombres mencionados, publicaciones antiguas, etc. Puede que tanta información caiga de peso pero en cada página se encuentra algo interesante así que recomendaría leer con un marcador a la mano para no perder detalle de la información que quieras resaltar para después.
He descubierto mucho con esta lectura y me han quedado claros algunos aspectos de la sociedad de colonizadores puritanos, rasgos religiosos, condiciones de vida y el antecedente del porque llegaron a América. Todo esto ayuda a sentar las bases para entender mejor lo que pasó y cómo se ha ido transformando la historia gracias a la literatura y las películas contemporáneas.
También me gusto el análisis que hace la autora de cómo cada generación ha interpretado los sucesos de los juicios dependiendo de lo que se estaba viviendo en su actualidad, como las características femeninas han sido catalogadas como el origen del mal y que la “cacería de brujas” es algo que sigue existiendo para acabar con la otredad, aunque irónicamente estas creencias en conjunto con mucha tradición pagana también han originado nuevas religiones como la Wicca.
Así que ha sido un libro estupendo, me he quedado con ganas de saber más pero el material que se tiene en cuanto a los juicios es algo limitado, aunque la autora incluye una lista de lecturas recomendadas para seguir ahondando en el tema.
October 22, 2021
Saying that I was completely riveted by these primary source documents, might be one of the nerdiest things I have ever said, but there it is. Reading these firsthand accounts of witch trials and accusations gave me chills and broke my heart.
September 11, 2014
When you think of Halloween you usually think of witches, well at least I do and a witches costume is usually one of the most worn on that day of ghouls and ghostlies. Whether or not you believe in witches is up to you, but I certainly do and when there are books to read or movies/TV shows to watch, I am always right there. I love reading about witchcraft even the dark magic stuff. Witchcraft is something that has often plagued history, in most countries, but we had our own scare of it right here in the US. Salem Massachusetts, is what most people learn about in history classes in most schools. I think most people look at witchcraft as something to be feared but I believe that with education of this phenomonen we can all get a better understanding as to why people were persecuted for being witches. From the book "The first witchcraft act in England was passed in 1542, and the last anti witchcraft statute was not officially repealed until 1736." That is a 200 year span of witchcraft suspicion and persecution, pretty impressive I think. I also think in a lot of cases these people were superstitious and when something out of the ordinary happened, from a cow missing or an ill person, that the people could not explain, it was easy to accuse.
In The Penguin Book of Witches by Katherine Howe, the reader is taken upon a journey of fascination. A huge amount of resources went into the writing of this title. What do we really know of witchcraft? Usually what we have been taught and what we see in books and movies. Were there really witches? If there were, I think for the superstitious people as far back as medieval times and even earlier, witches in fact did exist for them. This book tells us the different legends and folk tales, as far back as the bible, the early colonies in particular Salem and what happened after Salem. A highly informative and entertaining book for the lover of witchcraft.
I enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
I received a copy from First to Read and I was not monetarily compensated for my review.
In The Penguin Book of Witches by Katherine Howe, the reader is taken upon a journey of fascination. A huge amount of resources went into the writing of this title. What do we really know of witchcraft? Usually what we have been taught and what we see in books and movies. Were there really witches? If there were, I think for the superstitious people as far back as medieval times and even earlier, witches in fact did exist for them. This book tells us the different legends and folk tales, as far back as the bible, the early colonies in particular Salem and what happened after Salem. A highly informative and entertaining book for the lover of witchcraft.
I enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
I received a copy from First to Read and I was not monetarily compensated for my review.
January 29, 2019
Couldn’t finish this one. Too boring.
September 29, 2025
"For if any adversity, grief, or sickness, or loss of children, corn, cattle, or liberty happen unto them, by and by they exclaim upon witches."
I went into this book completely blind, but was pleasantly surprised. Or I guess... unpleasantly surprised. This book is a collection of accounts of accused/convicted witches. Of course the witch hunts were baseless & simply counts of misogyny/ostracism, but reading transcripts of what these women went through was so harrowing.
I went into this book completely blind, but was pleasantly surprised. Or I guess... unpleasantly surprised. This book is a collection of accounts of accused/convicted witches. Of course the witch hunts were baseless & simply counts of misogyny/ostracism, but reading transcripts of what these women went through was so harrowing.
March 17, 2017
Gracias a mi novio por regalarme este libro.
Es un libro bastante interesante, en el que Katherine Howe ha hecho un gran trabajo de investigación. Recoge varios casos de brujería y juicios de supuestas brujas, en los que la autora va explicando a lector ciertos detalles que por la época no son inteligible hoy en día, por lo que no hay que ser un gran erudito para leer este libro.
Es un libro bastante interesante, en el que Katherine Howe ha hecho un gran trabajo de investigación. Recoge varios casos de brujería y juicios de supuestas brujas, en los que la autora va explicando a lector ciertos detalles que por la época no son inteligible hoy en día, por lo que no hay que ser un gran erudito para leer este libro.
February 26, 2018
Este es un libro muy interesante, sobre todo si te interesa todo el tema de las brujas.
Tiene un montón de transcripciones de juicios de esa época. La mayoría parecen una broma, pero leyéndolos podemos ver cómo era la mentalidad de esa época, en miedo que tenían a lo desconocido (en el caso del pueblo) y a perder su poder (en el caso de altos cargos o miembros de la iglesia).
Tengo que reconocer que con la parte de la paletilla de cordero me dio la risa, y a la vez no entendía como algo así pasó de verdad. Ni entiendo cómo eran capaces de dar por válidas las pruebas que se "mostraban" contra las brujas.
Sin duda seguiré leyendo cosas sobre este tema.
Tiene un montón de transcripciones de juicios de esa época. La mayoría parecen una broma, pero leyéndolos podemos ver cómo era la mentalidad de esa época, en miedo que tenían a lo desconocido (en el caso del pueblo) y a perder su poder (en el caso de altos cargos o miembros de la iglesia).
Tengo que reconocer que con la parte de la paletilla de cordero me dio la risa, y a la vez no entendía como algo así pasó de verdad. Ni entiendo cómo eran capaces de dar por válidas las pruebas que se "mostraban" contra las brujas.
Sin duda seguiré leyendo cosas sobre este tema.
September 16, 2025
Very disappointed by this. There's a "So what?" in this that never gets answered or is even paid a modicum of attention to by the editor. I was expecting more than just an introduction and what amounts to a garbled mess of historical accounts and first- and second-hand accounts of witchcraft trials. (Imagine trying to perform a Shakespearean speech with a mouthful of marbles. That's what reading Puritan-era English is like.)
While many of the accounts are frustrating and heartbreaking, especially given how vile organized religions have always been, any illuminating scholarship is completely absent. Almost every account has to do with European and American witches.
It's irritating that no other culture's treatment of witches is present in this. What about witches in Africa? Asia? The Caribbean? The mistreatment of men and women (mostly women) of lower social status and their removal from society because they were deemed "inconvenient" or "abnormal" isn't the purview of just the three major salvation religions. Other cultures have and continue to abuse innocent people and accuse them of witchcraft, which is a moniker that goes almost completely undefined.
The book itself is nothing more than a collection of one-sided courtroom documents written in the nearly inaccessible language of the delusional and stupid, with no work done to further illuminate the stories and struggles of innocent people massacred by the forces of "goodness". If you want a more impactful experience that highlights these horrors in a meaningful way, just watch The Crucible.
While many of the accounts are frustrating and heartbreaking, especially given how vile organized religions have always been, any illuminating scholarship is completely absent. Almost every account has to do with European and American witches.
It's irritating that no other culture's treatment of witches is present in this. What about witches in Africa? Asia? The Caribbean? The mistreatment of men and women (mostly women) of lower social status and their removal from society because they were deemed "inconvenient" or "abnormal" isn't the purview of just the three major salvation religions. Other cultures have and continue to abuse innocent people and accuse them of witchcraft, which is a moniker that goes almost completely undefined.
The book itself is nothing more than a collection of one-sided courtroom documents written in the nearly inaccessible language of the delusional and stupid, with no work done to further illuminate the stories and struggles of innocent people massacred by the forces of "goodness". If you want a more impactful experience that highlights these horrors in a meaningful way, just watch The Crucible.
February 8, 2020
Es un auténtico recorrido por los procesos y juicios de brujería en Estados Unidos. No solo se recopilan datos sobre los archiconocidos Juicios de Salem, sino de otras causas en diferentes estados del páis que llegan hasta bien entrado el s. XIX.
Si os gusta este tema, no dejéis de leerlo.
Si os gusta este tema, no dejéis de leerlo.
October 24, 2022
Relectura.
Si te interesa el tema, está muy bien documentado y es impresionante ver las transcripciones reales de los juicios y como fue evolucionando el tema a lo largo de los años.
Si te interesa el tema, está muy bien documentado y es impresionante ver las transcripciones reales de los juicios y como fue evolucionando el tema a lo largo de los años.
October 1, 2014
"The first witchcraft act in England was passed in 1542, and the last anti witchcraft statute was not officially repealed until 1736." This important quote indicates that over 200 years of witchcraft accusations, investigations, trials, and punishments of being thrown in stocks, ducked in water, exorcised, or suffering jail and death that fell on far too many men and women in England and America. Witchcraft was the definitive focus of hyperbolic, potent fury as clearly shown in this collection of stories, arguments, and accounts, usually with dire consequences.
There’s no clear-cut evidence that witchcraft was a denomination or united group, as it was later to become; but it was clear that superstition raged during the above cited period and its combination with the strange behavior of certain individuals, meticulously described as evidence in warrants, examinations or depositions of the characters presented in this text make for fascinating reading. The fact that some like the slave-maid Tituba in Salem, Massachusetts gathered children with her to celebrate some voodoo practices surely did not help matters and many readers will be familiar with the outcome because of their familiarity with the play, “The Crucible,” by Arthur Miller.
One particular selection was refreshing in that George Gifford, a Puritan minister in Essex, England in 1593, attempts to assert some reason into what he describes as the “greed, anger, fear and hate” which are the motives behind all witch accusations. His response is to wage spiritual warfare against those motives in one’s own heart and to wage spiritual warfare against actual behavior one perceives may or may not be witchery. It is the Devil, he said, that “seduces ignorant men.”
On the other hand, King James I’s “Daemonologue” is an attempt to show his superior knowledge of theology and intellectual analysis as he wrote about whether witches were real and the type of people whom one should watch as possible practitioners of witchcraft. He hoped in this way to cement his leadership over the Church and demonstrate his intellectual and spiritual prowess to other leaders around the world. It reads indeed like any other accusation and imitation of other catalogued lists of witching behavior.
Readers will be either truly thrilled or horrified by each account in this notable collection of cows who were sickened or died, children who exhibited strange behavior or illness, crops that began to fail with no observable reason, spinning bodies, individuals supposedly unable to say the name of God or Jesus Christ, and so many more tales told. Entertaining as this may be, it is even more horrifying to realize that those accused of these acts were tortured and killed for the same; even more damning is the fact that surrounding neighbors lived in dire fear that they would be accused next. An atmosphere of suspicion and superstition laid the groundwork for a terrifying two hundred year period of historical and magical folklore gone awry!
A highly readable, mesmerizing collection that is great reading and provides enough diversity around the topic to keep the reader engaged on every page!
There’s no clear-cut evidence that witchcraft was a denomination or united group, as it was later to become; but it was clear that superstition raged during the above cited period and its combination with the strange behavior of certain individuals, meticulously described as evidence in warrants, examinations or depositions of the characters presented in this text make for fascinating reading. The fact that some like the slave-maid Tituba in Salem, Massachusetts gathered children with her to celebrate some voodoo practices surely did not help matters and many readers will be familiar with the outcome because of their familiarity with the play, “The Crucible,” by Arthur Miller.
One particular selection was refreshing in that George Gifford, a Puritan minister in Essex, England in 1593, attempts to assert some reason into what he describes as the “greed, anger, fear and hate” which are the motives behind all witch accusations. His response is to wage spiritual warfare against those motives in one’s own heart and to wage spiritual warfare against actual behavior one perceives may or may not be witchery. It is the Devil, he said, that “seduces ignorant men.”
On the other hand, King James I’s “Daemonologue” is an attempt to show his superior knowledge of theology and intellectual analysis as he wrote about whether witches were real and the type of people whom one should watch as possible practitioners of witchcraft. He hoped in this way to cement his leadership over the Church and demonstrate his intellectual and spiritual prowess to other leaders around the world. It reads indeed like any other accusation and imitation of other catalogued lists of witching behavior.
Readers will be either truly thrilled or horrified by each account in this notable collection of cows who were sickened or died, children who exhibited strange behavior or illness, crops that began to fail with no observable reason, spinning bodies, individuals supposedly unable to say the name of God or Jesus Christ, and so many more tales told. Entertaining as this may be, it is even more horrifying to realize that those accused of these acts were tortured and killed for the same; even more damning is the fact that surrounding neighbors lived in dire fear that they would be accused next. An atmosphere of suspicion and superstition laid the groundwork for a terrifying two hundred year period of historical and magical folklore gone awry!
A highly readable, mesmerizing collection that is great reading and provides enough diversity around the topic to keep the reader engaged on every page!
September 3, 2014
Great as a reference, not so much fun to sit and read straight through.
August 1, 2020
Recomendación: Es un libro muy intersante cuyo análisis está basado en la recolección de documentos relacionados a juicios llevados contra de "brujas" entre los siglos 16 y 19. Por eso mismo, puede ser un poco tedioso de leer para algunos, ya que el protagonismo absoluto del libro lo tienen estos documentos judiciales. Sin embargo, yo lo disfruté mucho y me revolqué en mi indignación por el tema y el trato a estas mujeres.
Reseña: La autora, que comienza diciendo que su interés en esta rama de la historia se debe a que es descendiente de 3 de las mujeres quemadas en el juicio de las brujas de Salem, recopiló y sistemó mucha documentación relacionada a los juicios que se llevaron en contra de "brujas" en Inglaterra y Estados Unidos entre 1582 y 1813.
Lo primero que salta a la vista, es que pocos casos hubo contra hombres -y menos que hayan terminado en sentencias de muerte-, así que, es oficial. No puede venir nadie a decirme que es Hollywood o la literatura la que han ensalzado la idea de que las brujas fueron en su mayoría mujeres, sino que fue una situación real.
Pero esto no lo digo en forma alguna como algo positivo. Sino que queriendo remarcar el hecho que fueron siempre las mujeres las perseguidas, las juzgadas y las sentenciadas, por cosas que ¡ni siquiera tenían un sustento real! Una forma más de abuso y opresión, que partía desde la misma sociedad (con vecinos y vecinas que acusaban a alguien de mirarlos feo, o de mendigar) pero que se veía apoyado por el sistema judicial y por los eruditos. Si, hasta los eruditos. El libro incluye extractos de libros de la época escritos sobre las características de las brujas y su relación con el demonio, a los que se le reconocía la misma validez e importancia que a los libros sobre medicina o astronomía.
Si bien uno trata de entender el contexto de la época, en que no solo había mucha ignorancia y superstición entre la gente común sino también entre los mismo eruditos y gobernantes, lo que "explicaría" que las brujas eran una figura creada para excusar fenómenos negativos como muertes inesperadas, épocas de sequía o inundaciones (o sea, fenómenos producidos por las fuerzas oscuras del Demonio y de ninguna manera permitidas por el bondadoso Dios). Pero este "contexto" no debiera llevar a desconocer que esto fue una persecución sistemática directamente enfocada contra mujeres. Mujeres que podían tener enfermedades mentales que las hacían actuar extraño (más de alguna "poseída" o que "hablaba con el demonio" debe haber tenido ezquisofrenia o epilepsia), como también mujeres sanas y normales, sólo que se comportaban de forma distinta a los cánones que la sociedad les imponía (mujeres solteras o sin hijos, mujeres que levantaban la voz, mujeres que se defendían ante abusos).
Esta situación es la que dió origen a la expresión "caza de brujas", en la que se persigue y condena de un grupo social como culpable de todos los problemas que desequilibran la forma de vida de un pueblo... lo que se ha repetido en varias ocasiones en la historia, pero que tiene su origen en estas mujeres.
Entonces, es un libro muy interesante porque abre un diálogo entre el lector y la documentación de los procesos legales de la época, lo que incluye las acusaciones, las declaraciones de los testigos, las "pruebas de brujería" y muchos otros elementos que a una "persona de la época moderna" como nosotros nos sorprende -sea por su riduculez, por el nivel de supertición e ignorancia en que estaban basados, por la falta de argumentos de peso y muchas otras posibles razones-, pero que, no hay que olvidar que en su momento, fueron la causa de muerte de muchas mujeres.
October 23, 2025
comprei achando que era um monte de conto sobre bruxas, mas na verdade são os casos reais das mulheres que foram consideradas bruxas, julgadas e (em sua maioria) mortas durante 1600-1800. todos os casos me deixaram tão triste, tão angustiada. eram mulheres em situação de vulnerabilidade, marginalizadas, viúvas, que não tinham o que comer, algumas eram apenas briguentas, outras só não iam a igreja, outra só porque brigou com uma família “importante”. os julgamentos, principalmente de salém, foram tão injustos e ignorantes. como eles eram pessoas horríveis, acusando essas mulheres de nada, a troco de nada, só pra ver elas sendo humilhadas e assassinadas por coisas tão sem sentido. aquele pedido de desculpas deles, “achávamos que estávamos fazendo o bem”, sendo qhe eles sabiam sim o que estavam fazendo: matando mulheres que iam contra o que mulheres deveriam ser. espero que eles estejam sentindo minha raiva de onde eles estejam!!!!!!! e a essas mulheres eu desejo que vocês tenham encontrado algum sossego finalmente, vocês infelizmente nasceram na época errada.
“The same day and hour she was executed there was a great tempest at Connecticut (…)”
“The same day and hour she was executed there was a great tempest at Connecticut (…)”
December 29, 2023
Un gran descubrimiento, si no mirase los libros en la biblioteca no lo habría encontrado nunca.
Los juicios transcritos, la historia de la "caza de brujas" desde antes de Salem y después de Salem.
Más que interesante, una gran lectura.
Los juicios transcritos, la historia de la "caza de brujas" desde antes de Salem y después de Salem.
Más que interesante, una gran lectura.
October 19, 2024
rumours I'm pregnant? yeah I’m pregnant with another DnD adventure that I put an unreasonable amount of research into (I am also unfortunately in down down down the road down the witches' road purchasing eyeliner pencil and thinking of getting an eyebrow slit. a lot going on!)
March 30, 2019
Este no es un libro de magia, alquimia y misticismo; es un libro que relata el abuso de poder, la injusticia y la crueldad de que el ser humano es incapaz.
Escrito por una descendiente de 2 de las mujeres a quienes injustamente juzgaron brujas en Salem, en sus páginas encontrarás una recopilación de los juicios y textos que retratan como la brujería fue un mito que evoluciono en un delito castigado con pena de muerte para acabar siendo un fraude.
Me ha dolido leerlo, porque me duelen las mujeres que por envidias, malos entendidos o pura maldad fueron acusadas; su delito defenderse, no ceder a la coerción, intentar ayudar a sus semejantes o simplemente ser pobres o ignorantes.
No cabe dentro de mí la gran ignorancia que los litigantes, jurados y jueces emplearon para asesinar en éstas mujeres, no puedo con lo injusto de las acusaciones y tampoco con la falta de empatía y misericordia de las comunidades en que se desarrollaron los hechos.
This isn´t a book of magic, alchemy and mysticism; is a book that tells the abuse of power, injustice and cruelty that the human being is capable.
Written by a descendant of 2 of the women who unjustly judged witches in Salem, in its pages you will find a compilation of judgments and texts that portray how witchcraft was a myth that evolved into a crime punishable by death penalty to end up being a fraud.
It hurt me to read it, because victims were innocent; they were accused because envy, misunderstanding or pure evil people; his crime to defend himself, not to give up to coercion, to try to help his fellowmen or simply to be poor or ignorant.
The great ignorance that litigants, juries and judges used to murder these women can not be within me, I can not with the injustice of the accusations and with the lack of empathy and mercy of the communities in which the events took place.
Escrito por una descendiente de 2 de las mujeres a quienes injustamente juzgaron brujas en Salem, en sus páginas encontrarás una recopilación de los juicios y textos que retratan como la brujería fue un mito que evoluciono en un delito castigado con pena de muerte para acabar siendo un fraude.
Me ha dolido leerlo, porque me duelen las mujeres que por envidias, malos entendidos o pura maldad fueron acusadas; su delito defenderse, no ceder a la coerción, intentar ayudar a sus semejantes o simplemente ser pobres o ignorantes.
No cabe dentro de mí la gran ignorancia que los litigantes, jurados y jueces emplearon para asesinar en éstas mujeres, no puedo con lo injusto de las acusaciones y tampoco con la falta de empatía y misericordia de las comunidades en que se desarrollaron los hechos.
This isn´t a book of magic, alchemy and mysticism; is a book that tells the abuse of power, injustice and cruelty that the human being is capable.
Written by a descendant of 2 of the women who unjustly judged witches in Salem, in its pages you will find a compilation of judgments and texts that portray how witchcraft was a myth that evolved into a crime punishable by death penalty to end up being a fraud.
It hurt me to read it, because victims were innocent; they were accused because envy, misunderstanding or pure evil people; his crime to defend himself, not to give up to coercion, to try to help his fellowmen or simply to be poor or ignorant.
The great ignorance that litigants, juries and judges used to murder these women can not be within me, I can not with the injustice of the accusations and with the lack of empathy and mercy of the communities in which the events took place.
December 4, 2014
The Penguin Book of Witches is a great resource for primary source documents that either informed many of the key thought processes of the time or document many of the trials themselves. As a non-fiction compilation this does read more like a textbook but an immensely fascinating one if you are at all interested in cultural or socio-economic bias, bullying or witchcraft. Katherine Howe, our editor, makes several great points about how the hysteria had a lot less to do with religion or any particular time period and so much more to do with how we perceive and react to those who are “different” from “the norm.” Those who are “Other”.
As a former resident of Salem, MA I know quite a bit about the hysteria that took place in Massachusetts but I fund it fascinating to read the transcripts and documents from other areas and time periods. Salem may be the most well know account of persecution but it is by no means the only one as this book demonstrates. It really brings home the actual horror of the events which to a certain degree have been sanitized and glamorized by the tourist industry in Salem.
If you really want to feel like you can step into the past and experience the truth regarding Witches…this is the read for you.
As a former resident of Salem, MA I know quite a bit about the hysteria that took place in Massachusetts but I fund it fascinating to read the transcripts and documents from other areas and time periods. Salem may be the most well know account of persecution but it is by no means the only one as this book demonstrates. It really brings home the actual horror of the events which to a certain degree have been sanitized and glamorized by the tourist industry in Salem.
If you really want to feel like you can step into the past and experience the truth regarding Witches…this is the read for you.
October 29, 2014
With Halloween just around the corner I was in the mood for something a little bit spooky. However, I am not a fan of the horror genre so this collection of primary sources collated by Katherine Howe was exactly what I was looking for. Katherine is the author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane which I read back in 2010 and really enjoyed.
My full review of this book is on my blog: http://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspo...
My full review of this book is on my blog: http://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspo...
April 19, 2015
As advertised...a collection of records, court transcripts and such back from the 1600's and 1700's, illustrating the persecution of alleged witches. Interesting stuff, a quick read... Just wondering, how can people be so nuts..?
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