Witchcraft, gender, and society in early modern Germany / by Jonathan B. Durrant.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Durrant, Jonathan B. (Jonathan Bryan)

Series:

Studies in medieval and Reformation traditions ; v. 124.

Studies in medieval and Reformation traditions, 1573-4188 ; v. 124

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Witchcraft--Germany--Eichstatt (Landkreis)--History--16th century.

Witchcraft.

Witchcraft--Germany--Eichstatt (Landkreis)--History--17th century.

Trials (Witchcraft)--Germany--Eichstatt (Landkreis)--16th century.

Trials (Witchcraft).

Trials (Witchcraft)--Germany--Eichstatt (Landkreis)--17th century.

Sex role--Religious aspects.

Sex role.

Germany--Social conditions--16th century.

Germany.

Germany--Social conditions--17th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (316 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Recent witchcraft historiography, particularly where it concerns the gender of the witch-suspect, has been dominated by theories of social conflict in which ordinary people colluded in the persecution of the witch sect. The reconstruction of the Eichstätt persecutions (1590-1631) in this book shows that many witchcraft episodes were imposed exclusively ‘from above’ as part of a programme of Catholic reform. The high proportion of female suspects in these cases resulted from the persecutors’ demonology and their interrogation procedures. The confession narratives forced from the suspects reveal a socially integrated, if gendered, community rather than one in crisis. The book is a reminder that an overemphasis on one interpretation cannot adequately account for the many contexts in which witchcraft episodes occurred.

Contents:

Preliminary material / J.B. Durrant

Chapter One. Witch-hunting in Eichstätt / J.B. Durrant

Chapter Two. The witches / J.B. Durrant

Chapter Three. Friends and enemies / J.B. Durrant

Chapter Four. Food and drink / J.B. Durrant

Chapter Five. Sex / J.B. Durrant

Chapter Six. Health / J.B. Durrant

Chapter Seven. The abuse of authority / J.B. Durrant

Conclusion / J.B. Durrant

Appendix 1. The interrogatory of 1617 / J.B. Durrant

Appendix 2. Occupations of suspected witches or their households / J.B. Durrant

Bibliography / J.B. Durrant

Index / J.B. Durrant.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. [265]-273) and index.

CC BY-NC-ND

Description based on print version record; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9786611936204

9781281936202

1281936200

9789047420552

9047420551

OCLC:

302420990

Publisher Number:

10.1163/ej.9789004160934.i-288 DOI

Access Restriction:

Unrestricted online access