The Voices of Women in Witchcraft Trials: Northern Europe

This book explores women's voices in witchcraft trials across eight countries around the North Sea, shedding light on the individual experiences of accusation and the development of the trials. It emphasizes the enforced narratives of the accused women's confessions and compares the trials nationally and internationally.

Format: Hardback
Length: 492 pages
Publication date: 29 March 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Women play a prominent role in witchcraft trials, either as accused individuals or as witnesses. This book delves into the examination of women's voices in these trials across eight countries situated around the North Sea: the Spanish Netherlands, Northern Germany, Denmark, Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Three trials from each country are selected for in-depth analysis, employing a narratological approach that allows multiple individuals to speak. Throughout the study, a chorus of 24 voices of accused women is heard, offering valuable insights into the realm of mentalities. This research not only captures the individual experiences of being accused of witchcraft but also sheds light on the evolution of the trials. Special emphasis is placed on the confessions of the accused women, which are interpreted as enforced narratives. The analyses of individual trials are contextualized both nationally and internationally, drawing upon historical elements. A systematic comparison between the countries reveals strong similarities in terms of the influence of specific ideas about witchcraft, the use of pressure and torture, the turning point of the trial, and the verdict and sentence.

This volume serves as a vital resource for students and scholars engaged in the study of witchcraft, witchcraft trials, transnationalism, cultural exchanges, and gender in early modern Northern Europe.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032186160