Review: America Bewitched -- Owen Davies
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ritaerAmerica Bewitched: the Story of Witchcraft after Salem
Owen Davies
Oxford UP, 2013
978-0-19-957871-9
The Salem Witch Trials occupy a place in the American psyche somewhat out of proportion to their actual historical importance. They seem to provide a psychic landmark, the boundary between a dark and irrational past and an enlightened and scientific present and future. But, as Owen Davies makes clear, Salem was not the end of witch beliefs in America, it was only the end of state sanctioned violence against those believed to be witches. As other authorities have pointed out, the belief that certain persons are able to injure or kill humans or livestock or to cause bad weather, accidents, or other harm to neighbors through supernatural means is nearly universal. The colonists of Massachusetts brought their beliefs with them from Christian England. Later waves of immigrants brought their own versions of witchcraft beliefs. These communities included the Spanish colonists in the Southwest, as well as every other nationality that immigrated: Germans, Scots, Irish, Italians, Greeks, Russians and so on. Although the later waves of immigration took place after the educated elite of most of Europe had rejected magical world views, many immigrants were from areas in which the new scientific views had not become supreme, and retained beliefs of long-standing.
A second strand of supernatural beliefs was waiting when the Europeans arrived. Most of the Native tribes had some equivalent of witch in their belief systems. As in Europe there was sometimes overlap between those skilled in herbal and magical lore who used their skills for healing and those with the same skills who used their powers for personal gain or unmotivated animosity. There were also native practitioners who specialized in detecting or curing witchcraft, as well as those filling religious roles that Europeans were frequently unable to distinguish from magic, good or evil.
The third strand came with the Africans imported as slaves. Although less able than the Native Americans to maintain and practice their religions, the slaves did bring herbal and magical knowledge which became mingled with the European and Native beliefs. Some aimed hostile magic at masters, others defended themselves and their community from the oppressive system. Some, such as the famous Marie Leveau offered magical services to white clients as well as black.
Davies proceeds to trace the history of both the beliefs in witchcraft and the violence such beliefs begot. The post-Enlightenment legal codes gave no recourse or relief for people who believed that they had been bewitched. Police would not make arrests, nor would courts hear cases since the law did not recognize the possibility that a person's illness or the death of their livestock or failure of their business was caused by the ill wishing of another. Instead, accusers might find themselves in court, defending actions against slander. At the extreme lay lynch law. In an isolated community an accused witch might be beaten, killed or run out of town. In an area in which believers were the minority, the attackers would end up in court, on trial for assault or murder. Davies gives details of numerous cases in both rural areas and cities; heterogeneous communities and ethnic enclaves; and areas of conflict between cultures such as Native Americans or Hispanics vs. Anglo or other European immigrants. These are sad tales of people desperately convinced that there must be some cause for the illness or bad luck plaguing them or their families. What physicians could not diagnose or cure could fit the traditional pattern of attack by a witch. Those who perceived themselves to be victims would sometimes plead or offer money, appeal to the police or to neighbors. Most accused would deny responsibility, although there were some cases in which the accused had claimed or even paraded uncommon powers, threatening and taunting victims.
One interesting turn that Davies traces is the use of the insanity plea. Defense attorneys in some cases have successfully argued that the killer's belief that the victim was a witch is an insane delusion deserving treatment rather than execution or penal imprisonment. In some cases, even expressing belief in the powers of witches has caused people to be labeled insane and a menace to the community.
Davies concludes his work with an examination of the modern witchcraft revival, both serious forms such as Wicca and popular culture manifestations such as the television show "Bewitched "and the commercialization of Salem, Massachusetts.
This book does not give details of magical practices. It is about the results that such beliefs have had in the social history of America. It is a useful reminder that American history is not a simple tale of the march of enlightenment and science with beliefs and practices abandoned by the elite retiring quietly to the halls of history museums. _America Bewitched_ will be of interest to anyone fascinated by social history in general and by the history of the occult in particular.
Davies is a British scholar, a professor of Social History at the University of Herefordshire. He has written several other books on magical topics, including _The Haunted: a Social History of Ghosts_ and _Grimoires: a History of Magic Books_. He is editor of _The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic_ (Oxford UP, 2017)
Owen Davies
Oxford UP, 2013
978-0-19-957871-9
The Salem Witch Trials occupy a place in the American psyche somewhat out of proportion to their actual historical importance. They seem to provide a psychic landmark, the boundary between a dark and irrational past and an enlightened and scientific present and future. But, as Owen Davies makes clear, Salem was not the end of witch beliefs in America, it was only the end of state sanctioned violence against those believed to be witches. As other authorities have pointed out, the belief that certain persons are able to injure or kill humans or livestock or to cause bad weather, accidents, or other harm to neighbors through supernatural means is nearly universal. The colonists of Massachusetts brought their beliefs with them from Christian England. Later waves of immigrants brought their own versions of witchcraft beliefs. These communities included the Spanish colonists in the Southwest, as well as every other nationality that immigrated: Germans, Scots, Irish, Italians, Greeks, Russians and so on. Although the later waves of immigration took place after the educated elite of most of Europe had rejected magical world views, many immigrants were from areas in which the new scientific views had not become supreme, and retained beliefs of long-standing.
A second strand of supernatural beliefs was waiting when the Europeans arrived. Most of the Native tribes had some equivalent of witch in their belief systems. As in Europe there was sometimes overlap between those skilled in herbal and magical lore who used their skills for healing and those with the same skills who used their powers for personal gain or unmotivated animosity. There were also native practitioners who specialized in detecting or curing witchcraft, as well as those filling religious roles that Europeans were frequently unable to distinguish from magic, good or evil.
The third strand came with the Africans imported as slaves. Although less able than the Native Americans to maintain and practice their religions, the slaves did bring herbal and magical knowledge which became mingled with the European and Native beliefs. Some aimed hostile magic at masters, others defended themselves and their community from the oppressive system. Some, such as the famous Marie Leveau offered magical services to white clients as well as black.
Davies proceeds to trace the history of both the beliefs in witchcraft and the violence such beliefs begot. The post-Enlightenment legal codes gave no recourse or relief for people who believed that they had been bewitched. Police would not make arrests, nor would courts hear cases since the law did not recognize the possibility that a person's illness or the death of their livestock or failure of their business was caused by the ill wishing of another. Instead, accusers might find themselves in court, defending actions against slander. At the extreme lay lynch law. In an isolated community an accused witch might be beaten, killed or run out of town. In an area in which believers were the minority, the attackers would end up in court, on trial for assault or murder. Davies gives details of numerous cases in both rural areas and cities; heterogeneous communities and ethnic enclaves; and areas of conflict between cultures such as Native Americans or Hispanics vs. Anglo or other European immigrants. These are sad tales of people desperately convinced that there must be some cause for the illness or bad luck plaguing them or their families. What physicians could not diagnose or cure could fit the traditional pattern of attack by a witch. Those who perceived themselves to be victims would sometimes plead or offer money, appeal to the police or to neighbors. Most accused would deny responsibility, although there were some cases in which the accused had claimed or even paraded uncommon powers, threatening and taunting victims.
One interesting turn that Davies traces is the use of the insanity plea. Defense attorneys in some cases have successfully argued that the killer's belief that the victim was a witch is an insane delusion deserving treatment rather than execution or penal imprisonment. In some cases, even expressing belief in the powers of witches has caused people to be labeled insane and a menace to the community.
Davies concludes his work with an examination of the modern witchcraft revival, both serious forms such as Wicca and popular culture manifestations such as the television show "Bewitched "and the commercialization of Salem, Massachusetts.
This book does not give details of magical practices. It is about the results that such beliefs have had in the social history of America. It is a useful reminder that American history is not a simple tale of the march of enlightenment and science with beliefs and practices abandoned by the elite retiring quietly to the halls of history museums. _America Bewitched_ will be of interest to anyone fascinated by social history in general and by the history of the occult in particular.
Davies is a British scholar, a professor of Social History at the University of Herefordshire. He has written several other books on magical topics, including _The Haunted: a Social History of Ghosts_ and _Grimoires: a History of Magic Books_. He is editor of _The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic_ (Oxford UP, 2017)
