-36% 🏆 Bestseller Possessed: Women, Witches, and Demons in Imperial Russia — Witchcraft Wicca

Possessed: Women, Witches, and Demons in Imperial Russia — photo 1

Possessed: Women, Witches, and Demons in Imperial Russia — photo 2

Possessed: Women, Witches, and Demons in Imperial Russia — photo 3

📖 Have you read this book?

Your review can inspire others to read it

🌙 Witchcraft & Wicca −36%

Possessed: Women, Witches, and Demons in Imperial Russia

Name: Possessed: Women, Witches, and Demons in Imperial Russia
Price: 25.50 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780875805986

✍️ Worobec, Christine D

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$25.50 ~~$40.00~~ Save $14.50 (36%)

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This volume analyzes the phenomenon of possessed women in Russia, detailing how peasant communities, Orthodox clergy, and medical psychiatrists interpreted their behavior. Focus is placed on the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, examining how village politics, gender dynamics, and religious theology shaped explanations of demonic affliction during an era of modernizing rationalism. The text incorporates church records, medical diagnoses, folk traditions, and literary accounts to present both the lived experiences of the shriekers and the cultural reactions of the society that surrounded them.

Worobec, Christine D

📚 all books by this author (2) →

🌙

Witchcraft & Wicca

Praise for this book

“Worobec is at her best as a storyteller.... Her scholarship is marked by a meticulous reading of sources and a sensitivity to and respect for the people she studies.”

— Russian Review

“Exceptionally well-researched and exhaustive.”

— Association for Women in Slavic Studies

🏛 Northern Illinois University Press 📅 2003 📖 303 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780875805986

Fun Fact

Worobec's 'Possessed' is a meticulously researched, groundbreaking work, finally shedding light on this underexplored aspect of Russian history. It offers a nuanced, multi-faceted understanding of *klikushestvo*, drawing on an impressive array of sources. While it might disappoint those seeking sensationalized accounts, scholars and serious enthusiasts of cultural history, women's studies, or the interplay of religion and science will find this a definitive and indispensable study.

📝 Description: Possessed: Women, Witches, and Demons in Imperial Russia

Christine D Worobec offers an examination of klikushestvo, a cultural drama in Imperial Russia centered on women known as shriekers. These peasant women were believed to be possessed by devils, displaying symptoms such as howling, screaming, convulsing, and tearing their clothes. The study focuses primarily on the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as Russian society faced the pressures of modernization, while also tracking how responses to demon possession evolved over a broader span of time. Monks and peasants frequently sheltered these women, while the Russian Orthodox Church navigated a middle path between scientific rationalism and traditional beliefs in demonic possession and exorcism. To construct this account, Worobec draws upon religious documents, psychiatric records, ethnographic studies, and literary sources. The narrative explores how theologians, medical professionals, and village communities objectified and diagnosed the klikushi, grounding these competing explanations in village politics, theological debates, and gender relationships. Russian Review notes that the scholarship features meticulous reading of sources, while the Association for Women in Slavic Studies highlights the exhaustive research. This title suits readers of Russian history, women's studies, and popular religious culture seeking an academic analysis of how a complex society treated women perceived as out of control. It will not suit readers looking for a practical manual or modern occult guidebook.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Worobec delivers a scholarly, dense analysis that may overwhelm casual readers seeking accessible narratives about witchcraft. This text is strictly for those with an academic interest in Russian history or religious studies, rather than general occult enthusiasts looking for practical lore or dramatic storytelling. It does not suit readers expecting a focus on Wiccan practices or modern esoteric traditions. However, for historians and anthropologists, it provides a crucial, ground-breaking perspective on the societal and scientific responses to female hysteria in Imperial Russia, offering rigorous insight into a unique cultural moment without succumbing to sensationalism.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers fascinated by the historical intersection of faith, medicine, and gender will find profound value in this meticulous examination of *klikushi* phenomena. Those interested in how Imperial Russia navigated its transition from traditional religious explanations to emerging rationalist diagnoses will gain a nuanced understanding of these cultural dramas. It is particularly rewarding for scholars or enthusiasts who appreciate deep dives into specific historical anomalies that reveal broader societal shifts. By focusing on the perceptions surrounding these women, the book offers an unparalleled look at the complex responses from both the Orthodox Church and medical professionals, making it essential for anyone seeking to understand the haunting realities of belief in a changing world.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If the intersection of folklore, religion, and early psychology in Imperial Russia intrigues you, this book is essential. It offers a profound look at how society grappled with the inexplicable, ideal for scholars and curious minds interested in women's studies or the history of belief.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Worobec delivers a scholarly, dense analysis that may overwhelm casual readers seeking accessible narratives about witchcraft. This text is strictly for those with an academic interest in Russian history or religious studies, rather than general occult enthusiasts looking for practical lore or dramatic storytelling. It does not suit readers expecting a focus on Wiccan practices or modern esoteric traditions. However, for historians and anthropologists, it provides a crucial, ground-breaking perspective on the societal and scientific responses to female hysteria in Imperial Russia, offering rigorous insight into a unique cultural moment without succumbing to sensationalism.

❓ Frequently asked questions

*Klikushi* were women in Imperial Russia who exhibited behaviors such as screaming, convulsions, and self-mutilation, widely believed to be manifestations of demonic possession. They were central figures in a unique cultural and religious phenomenon known as *klikushestvo*.

The Church's view was complex. While acknowledging demonic possession and performing exorcisms, it also grappled with emerging scientific explanations for the *klikushi*'s behavior, reflecting a broader tension between traditional belief systems and the influences of modernity.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Women and Demonic Possession

This book profoundly explores *klikushi*, Russian women whose erratic behaviors were interpreted as demonic possession. It delves into the specific gendered dimensions, examining why women were predominantly seen as susceptible and how these beliefs shaped their experiences within Imperial Russian society and the Orthodox Church.

Societal & Ecclesiastical Reactions

Worobec details varied reactions to the *klikushi*, from compassionate shelter in rural communities to the analytical, often dehumanizing, gaze of emerging medical thought. The text reveals a society grappling with inexplicable phenomena. It highlights the Russian Orthodox Church's pivotal, yet conflicted, role in interpreting these cases during modernization.

Modernity's Impact on Belief

Focusing primarily on the 19th and early 20th centuries, this study examines how modernization in Imperial Russia influenced perceptions of demonic possession. As scientific rationalism gained ground, traditional explanations for *klikushi* behavior faced scrutiny. Yet, belief persisted, leading to a complex interplay of old and new interpretations.

📜 Historical context

This pioneering work stands as the first dedicated study of demon possession in Imperial Russia, filling a significant gap. It places the *klikushi* phenomenon within the broader European history of possession, highlighting Russia's unique cultural and religious responses. Worobec illuminates a society navigating ancient spiritual beliefs against burgeoning scientific rationalism during intense societal change.

📚 Glossary

Klikushestvo
Klikushi
Imperial Russia

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might the *klikushi*'s perceived possession have offered them a unique form of agency or social power in a highly restrictive society?
Consider how contemporary society diagnoses and treats behaviors that were once attributed to demonic possession. What has changed, and what underlying human needs or fears remain constant?
How does the Russian Orthodox Church's conflicted stance on *klikushestvo* reflect the broader challenges religious institutions face when confronted with scientific advancement?