Making Witches: Newfoundland Traditions of Spells and Counterspells

by Barbara Rieti

Drawing from her own interviews and a wealth of material from the Memorial University Folklore and Language Archive, Barbara Rieti explores the range and depth of Newfoundland witch tradition, looking at why certain people acquired reputations as witches, and why others considered themselves bewitched. The tales that emerge - despite their seemingly fantastic elements of spells and black heart books, hags, and healing charms - concern everyday affairs and reveal the intense social interdependence central to outport life. Frequently featuring women, they provide fascinating new perspectives on female coping strategies in a volatile economy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Folklore, Witchcraft, Unfinished

208 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2008

Reviews

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very good. It was well written, exhaustively researched, and it helped me learn more about my culture. I never knew we had a witch tradition here in the province. More people should read this!

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. The author seemed to feel the she had stumbled upon some deep dark secrets of the history of Newfoundland when she got someone to talk about the subject matter. Their reticence was more likely due to her interview skills than not wanting to talk. I had heard versions of many of the stories growing up. She also changed place names to "protect" privacy but this was very distracting and unnecessary. The author changed the names of the people she interviewed but this apparently did not apply to my aunt and uncle. Although she has lived in Newfoundland for 25 years I was surprised to read that she thought the custom of calling men Uncle and women Aunt whether related or not was a localised custom. Not true at all. Because many of the names and locations had been changed it made this book very general. The stories could have happened anywhere. I got no sense of Newfoundland from it.

[Kay S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting look at the folklore of Newfoundland!

I'd never heard of witching in regards to Newfoundland despite having family there and having lived there myself. Only faeries.

When Rieti made the point about faeries being prominent among areas of Irish decent while witches in those of English decent, it made just so much sense!

The fact that the audiobook doesn't take away from the accents and dialects that make Newfoundland so distinct was a joy.

This book is so well done and calls me back to my own time studying folklore at Memorial University. Can't say I found much witching though...

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it really interesting! All the little stories were so much fun to hear!
I had the chance to listen to the audiobook and I LOVED the parts read by Kenzie Delo so much!! ♥ It was so refreshing to hear someone acting with his voice with full passion and even paying attention to the accents! ♥

[Linda]

Thank you to Libro.fm for the advanced listening copy. I only listened to a little bit because folklore isn't my thing but I'm traveling to Newfoundland soon so I was a bit interested. I liked listening to some of these witch tales in local accents.

[Brandon Skanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I've even got my copy signed by the author back in 2016.

[Marion Lougheed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid scholarly and readable folklore. Fascinating and insightful.

[Caroline Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to read this courtesy of the ALC program with libro.fm.

[Lucynell · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, if a reputed witch asked you for some fish (this being Newfoundland) and you refused she would say something like "That's alright, this will be the last you catch for this year" or if she asked for some wood and you the fool refused she'd say "That's okay, next winter you won't have a cart to carry it," and off goes your cart. Isn't it creepy, that "That's alright" and the "That's okay"? The calmness of the impending doom. Creeps me out plenty. Anyway, Barbara Rieti does a wonderful job here, a trip into Newfoundland witch lore. She writes well and her fascination, though constrained, is infectious. Social interdependence is the obvious link here and most everyone and everything is treated with care and respect. Except Kevin the Druggie. I didn't understand that one. In any case, this is good stuff and very informative in its regional environment but I'd say in general as well. The only downside is perhaps unavoidable. Too many stories gathered by the author and her students, not varied in content at all. Rieti says, "The patterns matter or they wouldn't recur," and later on, "Indeed, they may weary the reader after a while, but it is important to see the repetition in action, how the material is constantly reconfigured and recontextualized, since that is how it is transmitted and maintained. Fair enough, and primal sources are important, but still occasionally too much.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rieti's look at the history of Newfoundland witches is an incredibly detailed and fascinating read. With uncountable interviews around the island, Rieti examines which groups of people from traditional Newfoundland villages were considered witches, what instruments and superstitions victims used to counteract the curses, and how these famous citizens were remembered. The only drawback of the book is that the detailed notes that Rieti provides are endnotes and not footnotes; this makes for a lot of flipping while reading. A solid choice for anyone interested in oral history, folklore, or the history of Newfoundland.

[Paul Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Making Witches several years ago and plan to read it again. I found a rare combination of exhaustive research, insightful analysis and very good writing.