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Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England
In the first edition of the Bancroft Prize-winning Entertaining Satan , John Putnam Demos presented an entirely new perspective on American witchcraft. By investigating the surviving historical documents of over a hundred actual witchcraft cases, he vividly recreated the world of New England during the witchcraft trials and brought to light fascinating information on the role of witchcraft in early American culture. Now Demos has revisited his original work and updated it to illustrate why these early Americans' strange views on witchcraft still matter to us today. He provides a new preface that puts forth a broader overview of witchcraft and looks at its place around the world--from ancient times right up to the present.
543 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 1982
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January 1, 2016
Possibly my favorite thing about this book is Demos's confession, in his preface, that he discovered in the course of researching this book that, yes, he is descended from those Putnams. But this is because trivia and the malice of serendipity fascinate and delight me.
This is an excellent, careful, thoughtful history of witchcraft in seventeenth-century New England, excluding Salem. Demos puts Salem in context, showing not only that it was an aberration, but how it was an aberration. More than that, though, he examines witchcraft as a phenomenon, both sociological and psychological, and he explains the part it took in Puritan culture.
The thing I found most interesting was the recurrent picture of witches, from depositions of victims and witnesses, as people who just won't go away. "Intrusive" is Demos's word, and he also talks about why this was such a problem for Puritans, caught between the realities of their tiny, isolated, precarious communities and the values they were taught of self-abnegation and social harmony. Again and again, we get word pictures of witches forcing themselves into other people's homes, other people's business, other people's families and lives. And I can see a way, in the subconscious, subcultural workings, in which an accusation of witchcraft was a desperate defensive strategy simply to make this person LEAVE YOU ALONE.
And that seems kind of trivial and funny (in a horrible, morbid way), but at the same time, it isn't. When you're taught from infancy not to assert yourself (and that's true for both Puritan women and Puritan men, although obviously both genders had strategies for getting around that--the important thing being that those likely to be accused of witchcraft were those who simply ignored those strategies and asserted themselves directly), you are really helpless against someone who ignores those rules and won't take a hint. And that is frightening. It is a threat.
Demos also talks about why most witches were women, and why most accusers were women, too, and, yes, it's much more complicated than Monolithic Patriarchal Oppression. I don't agree with everything Demos says (I find some of his psychological theorizing a little too heavy-handed), but he creates a coherent and sympathetic picture of both "witches" and their "victims" (or, to turn it around, witch-accusers and their victims) and in so doing, unfolds seventeenth-century Puritan culture in a way that makes it, if not accessible exactly, at least comprehensible.
This is why these people were who they were. Which is possibly the most important question history can try to answer.
This is an excellent, careful, thoughtful history of witchcraft in seventeenth-century New England, excluding Salem. Demos puts Salem in context, showing not only that it was an aberration, but how it was an aberration. More than that, though, he examines witchcraft as a phenomenon, both sociological and psychological, and he explains the part it took in Puritan culture.
The thing I found most interesting was the recurrent picture of witches, from depositions of victims and witnesses, as people who just won't go away. "Intrusive" is Demos's word, and he also talks about why this was such a problem for Puritans, caught between the realities of their tiny, isolated, precarious communities and the values they were taught of self-abnegation and social harmony. Again and again, we get word pictures of witches forcing themselves into other people's homes, other people's business, other people's families and lives. And I can see a way, in the subconscious, subcultural workings, in which an accusation of witchcraft was a desperate defensive strategy simply to make this person LEAVE YOU ALONE.
And that seems kind of trivial and funny (in a horrible, morbid way), but at the same time, it isn't. When you're taught from infancy not to assert yourself (and that's true for both Puritan women and Puritan men, although obviously both genders had strategies for getting around that--the important thing being that those likely to be accused of witchcraft were those who simply ignored those strategies and asserted themselves directly), you are really helpless against someone who ignores those rules and won't take a hint. And that is frightening. It is a threat.
Demos also talks about why most witches were women, and why most accusers were women, too, and, yes, it's much more complicated than Monolithic Patriarchal Oppression. I don't agree with everything Demos says (I find some of his psychological theorizing a little too heavy-handed), but he creates a coherent and sympathetic picture of both "witches" and their "victims" (or, to turn it around, witch-accusers and their victims) and in so doing, unfolds seventeenth-century Puritan culture in a way that makes it, if not accessible exactly, at least comprehensible.
This is why these people were who they were. Which is possibly the most important question history can try to answer.
March 12, 2017
I am told that this remains an important study of New England witch trials, even more than thirty years after its publication. For me, it adds to work on European witchcraft, like Levack’s The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, and helps to explain the differences between witch trials in the Old World and the New. In a European context, witch trials were on the decline by the Seventeenth Century, and the famous trials in Salem (1692-93) come very late in the cycle, which raises the question of why Puritan colonists would be susceptible to models of anxiety and thought that Europeans were moving away from. Putnam offers some insight into this through this study.
First, it must be stated that this study does not include the Salem witch craze among its case studies. Presumably, Demos left it out because it had already been adequately covered, but it also has the benefit of allowing us to see witchcraft as an ongoing concern across time and space, rather than as a unique flare-up in a “crisis” example. New Englanders were constantly talking and thinking about the Devil and his impact on the material world, and they took this completely seriously, to the point that the courts became involved every few years in one case or another. There are patterns, however, which Demos brings out: Witch-hunting was most prevalent when there were fewer external threats, such as wars, famines, or religious schisms, going on at the same time. One might say that New Englanders, when relieved of strife, found ways to create it for themselves. Given their highly religious outlook, it is not surprising that they emphasized spiritual concerns at such times.
Demos also gives a very convincing analysis of the demographic and social characteristics of the witches themselves. Witches tended to be middle aged, female, and of lower to middle social class. They also tended to be difficult to get along with, quick to speak ill of others, or somehow odd in behavior. Demos demonstrates that in the small tightly-knit societies of the colonial period, neighbors had highly inter-dependent lives that caused people to see any threat to goodwill and “commonwealth” as a potential danger to everyone. He also argues that Puritanism offered few if any outlets for healthy expression of anger or frustration with others, and thus through a means of “reaction formation” and projection, it was possible for citizens to turn their own feelings of anger into suspicions of the person at whom they were angry.
It is in the area of psychology that I feel Demos goes a bit too far. He is given to now-outdated Freudian terminology and concepts (as “reaction formation”) and assumes a great deal about the inner lives of his subjects. He also operates on an assumption that all visual manifestations of witchcraft were delusional, and can be analyzed as such. I would not argue that a historian should always take primary sources at their word, certainly when they claim that people turned into animals, or objects levitated, or other magical events occurred, but there is a level of arrogance in assuming that the historian knows “better” what the objective truth is than the witnesses, which I think is better avoided (and usually is, in the European studies I have read).
Nevertheless, although I have some problems with his methods, I did learn a good amount from this book, and would recommend it to others interested in the history of American witchcraft.
First, it must be stated that this study does not include the Salem witch craze among its case studies. Presumably, Demos left it out because it had already been adequately covered, but it also has the benefit of allowing us to see witchcraft as an ongoing concern across time and space, rather than as a unique flare-up in a “crisis” example. New Englanders were constantly talking and thinking about the Devil and his impact on the material world, and they took this completely seriously, to the point that the courts became involved every few years in one case or another. There are patterns, however, which Demos brings out: Witch-hunting was most prevalent when there were fewer external threats, such as wars, famines, or religious schisms, going on at the same time. One might say that New Englanders, when relieved of strife, found ways to create it for themselves. Given their highly religious outlook, it is not surprising that they emphasized spiritual concerns at such times.
Demos also gives a very convincing analysis of the demographic and social characteristics of the witches themselves. Witches tended to be middle aged, female, and of lower to middle social class. They also tended to be difficult to get along with, quick to speak ill of others, or somehow odd in behavior. Demos demonstrates that in the small tightly-knit societies of the colonial period, neighbors had highly inter-dependent lives that caused people to see any threat to goodwill and “commonwealth” as a potential danger to everyone. He also argues that Puritanism offered few if any outlets for healthy expression of anger or frustration with others, and thus through a means of “reaction formation” and projection, it was possible for citizens to turn their own feelings of anger into suspicions of the person at whom they were angry.
It is in the area of psychology that I feel Demos goes a bit too far. He is given to now-outdated Freudian terminology and concepts (as “reaction formation”) and assumes a great deal about the inner lives of his subjects. He also operates on an assumption that all visual manifestations of witchcraft were delusional, and can be analyzed as such. I would not argue that a historian should always take primary sources at their word, certainly when they claim that people turned into animals, or objects levitated, or other magical events occurred, but there is a level of arrogance in assuming that the historian knows “better” what the objective truth is than the witnesses, which I think is better avoided (and usually is, in the European studies I have read).
Nevertheless, although I have some problems with his methods, I did learn a good amount from this book, and would recommend it to others interested in the history of American witchcraft.
August 31, 2014
A. Summary: This book examines 4 particular areas of Salem witchcraft (biology, psychology, sociology, and historical) to answer such questions as; Who were the witches? (biography) What did the victims believe? (psychology) Why was witchcraft so potent in New Englander’s life? (sociology) Why did witchcraft occur where and when it did? (history)
B. Biography: Who was the typical witch?
1. Female, middle aged (40-60), English Puritan, married but with few or no children, low social position
2. Frequent conflicts with other family members
3. Accused of some crime (usually theft or slander)
4. Practiced a medical vocation (informally)
5. Contentious and resilient in the face of adversity
C. Psychology: What did the victims believe?
1. Every ‘attack’ by witches represented a number of vulnerabilities within the members of the community
2. This vulnerability was the New Englander’s sense of self
3. KEY psychological factor of the victim: Repressed feelings of anger, the desire to dominate, and self-expression were caused by a cultural emphasis on religion and submission. The victims outlet was to project those repressed feelings onto the strongwilled “witch” which represented all that was not allowed in society.
D. Sociology: Why was witchcraft so potent in New Englander’s life?
1. Organized religion was incredibly intensive. The people viewed themselves as parts of a cosmic struggle between Satan and God.
2. Social experience was very personal (unlike the anonymous differentiated world of today)
a) Each resident was known to all others (very personal)
b) Witches fit here. A loss of a loved one could be attributed to a personal cause--someone known and evil
E. History: Why did witchcraft occur where and when it did?
1. Internal factionalism. See Boyer and Nissenbaum
2. An unusually strained social climate in N.E. at this period
3. Witches died out as modernism rose and along with it the values of competition and struggle
a) The idea of providence faded as did the belief in the clash between good and evil
B. Biography: Who was the typical witch?
1. Female, middle aged (40-60), English Puritan, married but with few or no children, low social position
2. Frequent conflicts with other family members
3. Accused of some crime (usually theft or slander)
4. Practiced a medical vocation (informally)
5. Contentious and resilient in the face of adversity
C. Psychology: What did the victims believe?
1. Every ‘attack’ by witches represented a number of vulnerabilities within the members of the community
2. This vulnerability was the New Englander’s sense of self
3. KEY psychological factor of the victim: Repressed feelings of anger, the desire to dominate, and self-expression were caused by a cultural emphasis on religion and submission. The victims outlet was to project those repressed feelings onto the strongwilled “witch” which represented all that was not allowed in society.
D. Sociology: Why was witchcraft so potent in New Englander’s life?
1. Organized religion was incredibly intensive. The people viewed themselves as parts of a cosmic struggle between Satan and God.
2. Social experience was very personal (unlike the anonymous differentiated world of today)
a) Each resident was known to all others (very personal)
b) Witches fit here. A loss of a loved one could be attributed to a personal cause--someone known and evil
E. History: Why did witchcraft occur where and when it did?
1. Internal factionalism. See Boyer and Nissenbaum
2. An unusually strained social climate in N.E. at this period
3. Witches died out as modernism rose and along with it the values of competition and struggle
a) The idea of providence faded as did the belief in the clash between good and evil
December 24, 2017
Detailed and fascinating piece of interdisciplinary history. Particularly enjoyed the multitude of methodologies that Demos incorporates into his study.
For some important/favourite quotes, see this Twitter moment: https://twitter.com/i/moments/9450357...
For some important/favourite quotes, see this Twitter moment: https://twitter.com/i/moments/9450357...
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November 5, 2024I started this years ago and wanted to come back to it. It was interesting for the in-depth research Demos did into primary documents. But the overarching narrative is not very good. Or more accurately it feels very dated. Weird psychological stuff (Freud anyone?) and some vaguely homophobic stuff with the one male "witch" he looked into. It was a mixed bag.
What I think I came away from this was a realization that witch trials and persecution didn't happen quite how we have been led to believe. The majority of cases were neighbors making drama with each other and taking each other to very boring court trials. It's amusing for the gossip of it, but most accusations didn't stick and even when they did they weren't burning them at the stake. Mostly they got fined or spent a few weeks in jail.
What I think I came away from this was a realization that witch trials and persecution didn't happen quite how we have been led to believe. The majority of cases were neighbors making drama with each other and taking each other to very boring court trials. It's amusing for the gossip of it, but most accusations didn't stick and even when they did they weren't burning them at the stake. Mostly they got fined or spent a few weeks in jail.
March 12, 2013
I liked it. An in depth look at the witchcraft culture endemic in New England at its founding. I was struck by how exhaustive the court records were for several of the witchcraft trials considering the frontier nature of these settlements and the litigious nature of Puritans that I was not aware of. I really enjoyed seeing the trends and conclusions the author drew from his compiling of the surviving court papers and town histories and how these fit into the larger witch scare movement winding down in Europe. I don't know if I agree with some of the Freudian psychoanalysis the author uses with a couple of the accused witches and their accusers as it seems to be a bit of a reach at some points. Regardless, an excellent book that helps to understand why I had to read "The Crucible" sophomore year of high school. I'd recommend.
March 6, 2016
Clearly the definitive study of witchcraft in colonial America, Demos provides layers of research to create a rational portrait of the terror, blight and scourge that scarred so many lives. I picked this up in order to learn more about the background of the Salem witch tirals and specifically, the background behind Miller's play, "the Crucible," and in that respect I was disappointed--Demos gives that event only glancing treatment. But about all the other cases of witchcraft, it essentially works as an encyclopedia, documenting the biographies, the psychology, the sociology and the history.
Most definitely recommended for study and for understanding a very complicated time, I gained from my reading; and what is more, I think the book serves as a model of what every historian should strive for in presenting the past.
Most definitely recommended for study and for understanding a very complicated time, I gained from my reading; and what is more, I think the book serves as a model of what every historian should strive for in presenting the past.
July 13, 2008
A detailed analysis of various factors surrounding witchcraft in the Colonies. If you were an older, childless woman who was often in conflict with your neighbors, you were more likely to be accused of witchcraft than others. If you were a young woman, being bewitched by a neighbor and subject to fits and other signs of demonic possession would bring you fame and recognition otherwise denied to those of your age and sex. If your town was involved in Indian wars and other strife, people were more likely to be taken up by that and not have time to contemplate accusations of witchcraft against their neighbors. Lots of accounts of trials and case histories; probably more about the subject than I really care about, but interesting.
April 17, 2013
Although the history narrated in this book is quite fascinating, it was impossible to get past the constant psychoanalysis of the people. There are other forms (and more accurate) of psychology and the use of Freud's outdated methods to identify with these figures makes this book one very difficult to read. I found myself constantly skipping entire pages looking for the historical accounts through all of the muck. If I had not been forced to read this for a class I would have out it down immediately.
September 15, 2009
Being a Massachusetts native, I have always been fascinated by the witch trials in Salem. This book covers the subject in amazing detail. The research is in-depth and the writing thoroughly entertaining.
September 17, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book and the use of multidisciplinary analysis. The breakdown was easy to follow and the evidence used was relevant to the topic. It is refreshing to see a new take on witchcraft that DOES NOT revolve around Salem.
February 24, 2009
Too psyco-analytical for my taste, otherwise quite interesting.
April 7, 2009
Demos left me with a new perspective on the witchcraft crisis. I'm not sure that his use of Freudian analysis is valid, however his exploration on the role of pyschology was very interesting.
January 26, 2011
Excellent resource for those interested in the whys and hows of the witch trials in early New England.
February 7, 2013
This book contains a lot of information that is neatly organized and easy to follow. A good reference for those who need a basic look at the how's and why's of witchcraft trials in early New England.
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April 21, 2014I read this in high school many years ago, but it gives some interesting insight on the Salem Witch Trials and beliefs during that period of time.
February 8, 2016
Listen, there was altogether too much detail.
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July 5, 2017
Freud interprets the Salem witch craze. Which would be interesting if Freudian psychology was still a valid scope.
October 5, 2017
Exquisite piece of scholarship that impressively doubles as an entertaining book for lay readers.
November 11, 2019
I learned some interesting things about New England witchcraft, but this book was a slog. I did not care for the psychology aspects, particularly as they’re outdated and not accurate, but the conclusions were fascinating. My belief that Puritanism is horrific has been bolstered.
November 30, 2016
Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England by John Demos is a comprehensive study of the various influences surrounding witchcraft in the early American colonies. Diving the book into four sections: biography, psychology, sociology, and history, Demos uses “the four corners of one scholar’s compass” to provide a 360 degree perspective of early American witchcraft and culture (15). The primary focus of Demos’ research was on the social and psychological aspects of witchcraft; however, including sections on biography and history, the author delivers an inclusive representation of early New England society through the lens of witchcraft. I was especially intrigued by how exhaustive and extensive court documents were for those put on trial for witchcraft. In the preface, Demos states that he wanted to tell true stories about witchcraft putting individual men and women at the center-stage (xii).
Part one examines the biographical nature of witches in seventeenth century New England. Using the examples of John Godfrey and Rachel Clinton, Demos organizes a considerable amount of historical records and court documents detailing the biographical characteristics of witches. Part two studies the psychology of those accused of witchcraft, those accusing others of being a witch, and examines the psychological structure of seventeenth century New England Puritan communities. The psychology of witchcraft is the strongest argument in the book. This was a new and thought-provoking analysis of the mass hysteria that flourished in New England over witches. A significant amount of research was done at the local level through archival documentation utilizing primary sources from court hearings and eyewitness accounts of those present during witchcraft accusations. Demos states very clearly that this information may not be complete, but provides enough primary and secondary evidence to substantiate his conclusions.
Part three examines the sociology of witchcraft through the power of local gossip and Demos’ own interpretation of how the community viewed those charged of witchcraft. In part four, Demos traces witchcraft throughout history concluding that witchcraft was more prevalent than originally believed and not limited to just Salem, Massachusetts. Providing a few examples of witchcraft outside of Salem, Demos strengthens his argument showing that witchcraft accusations were not specific to Salem, but occurred elsewhere. The last section tightly concludes the biographical sketches with the psychological and social influences witchcraft had on communities facing the phenomenon of witchcraft.
In Entertaining Satan, there is a substantial amount of psychological interpretation of what it was like living in colonial New England during the witchcraft hysteria. The objective of Entertaining Satan is to show that witchcraft was not as simple as accusing an individual of being a witch. The witchcraft phenomenon was a conglomeration of multiple issues converging together providing the perfect storm for mass hysteria. There are really no simple answers, yet Demos does a brilliant job of interconnecting each idea to achieve his thesis.
Part one examines the biographical nature of witches in seventeenth century New England. Using the examples of John Godfrey and Rachel Clinton, Demos organizes a considerable amount of historical records and court documents detailing the biographical characteristics of witches. Part two studies the psychology of those accused of witchcraft, those accusing others of being a witch, and examines the psychological structure of seventeenth century New England Puritan communities. The psychology of witchcraft is the strongest argument in the book. This was a new and thought-provoking analysis of the mass hysteria that flourished in New England over witches. A significant amount of research was done at the local level through archival documentation utilizing primary sources from court hearings and eyewitness accounts of those present during witchcraft accusations. Demos states very clearly that this information may not be complete, but provides enough primary and secondary evidence to substantiate his conclusions.
Part three examines the sociology of witchcraft through the power of local gossip and Demos’ own interpretation of how the community viewed those charged of witchcraft. In part four, Demos traces witchcraft throughout history concluding that witchcraft was more prevalent than originally believed and not limited to just Salem, Massachusetts. Providing a few examples of witchcraft outside of Salem, Demos strengthens his argument showing that witchcraft accusations were not specific to Salem, but occurred elsewhere. The last section tightly concludes the biographical sketches with the psychological and social influences witchcraft had on communities facing the phenomenon of witchcraft.
In Entertaining Satan, there is a substantial amount of psychological interpretation of what it was like living in colonial New England during the witchcraft hysteria. The objective of Entertaining Satan is to show that witchcraft was not as simple as accusing an individual of being a witch. The witchcraft phenomenon was a conglomeration of multiple issues converging together providing the perfect storm for mass hysteria. There are really no simple answers, yet Demos does a brilliant job of interconnecting each idea to achieve his thesis.
March 30, 2017
A really nice interesting book.
To me, the most appealing parts of the book were the sociological and psychological aspects of the whole situation.
To me, the most appealing parts of the book were the sociological and psychological aspects of the whole situation.
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