Vexed with Devils: Manhood and Witchcraft in Old and New England - Ingram Academic Gasser, Erika by Gasser, Erika

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Witchcraft & Wicca

Vexed with Devils: Manhood and Witchcraft in Old and New England - Ingram Academic Gasser, Erika

Name: Vexed with Devils: Manhood and Witchcraft in Old and New England - Ingram Academic Gasser, Erika
Price: 98.00 USD
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Rating: 4.7 (2 reviews)
Author: Gasser, Erika
ISBN: 9781479831791

Gasser, Erika

Reader rating

4.7

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$98.00

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Uncover the hidden masculine anxieties fueling witchcraft accusations across two continents.

Erika Gasser's "Vexed with Devils" meticulously re-examines the pervasive phenomena of witchcraft and demonic possession, spanning from early modern England to colonial New England. This groundbreaking cultural history shifts focus to the often-overlooked role of men and the undercurrents of patriarchal power in these dramatic episodes. By analyzing how male anxieties, societal expectations, and power dynamics influenced accusations, interpretations of symptoms, and legal proceedings, Gasser reveals a crucial dimension previously missing from traditional accounts, offering a more complete understanding of these tumultuous periods.

Key themes

Masculinity and Accusation Ambiguous Afflictions Transatlantic Connections

Historical context

This work belongs to the tradition of early modern cultural history, specifically focusing on gender studies within the context of European and colonial witchcraft trials. It contributes to scholarly debates regarding patriarchal power structures and masculine identity in Old and New England.

Gasser, Erika

📚 all books by this author (2) →

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🏛 New York University Press 📅 2017 📖 272 pages 📔 Hardcover 📐 Hardcover ISBN: 9781479831791

Fun fact

Gasser masterfully reorients the traditional witchcraft narrative, revealing how masculine anxieties and patriarchal power structures profoundly shaped these historical events across two continents. This book will undoubtedly disappoint readers seeking only detailed local case studies or a reiteration of female-centric narratives. However, its unique gender-focused lens makes it an indispensable contribution to early modern history and gender studies, offering fresh, critical insights that challenge long-held assumptions and enrich our understanding of a pivotal, often misunderstood, historical period.

📝 Description: Vexed with Devils: Manhood and Witchcraft in Old and New England - Ingram Academic Gasser, Erika

Stories of witchcraft and demonic possession from early modern England through the last official trials in colonial New England Those possessed by the devil in early modern England usually exhibited a common set of symptoms: fits, vomiting, visions, contortions, speaking in tongues, and an antipathy to prayer. However, it was a matter of interpretation, and sometimes public opinion, if these symptoms were visited upon the victim, or if they came from within. Both early modern England and colonial New England had cases that blurred the line between witchcraft and demonic possession, most famously, the Salem witch trials. While historians acknowledge some similarities in witch trials between the two regions, such as the fact that an overwhelming majority of witches were women, the histories of these cases primarily focus on local contexts and specifics. In so doing, they overlook the ways in which manhood factored into possession and witchcraft cases. Vexed with Devils is a cultural history of witchcraft-possession phenomena that centers on the role of men and patriarchal power. Erika Gasser reveals that witchcraft trials had as much to do with who had power in the community, to impose judgement or to subvert order, as they did with religious belief. She argues that the gendered dynamics of possession and witchcraft demonstrated that contested meanings of manhood played a critical role in the struggle to maintain authority. While all men were not capable of accessing power in the same ways, many of the people involved--those who acted as if they were possessed, men accused of being witches, and men who wrote possession propaganda--invoked manhood as they struggled to advocate for themselves during these perilous times. Gasser ultimately concludes that the decline of possession and witchcraft cases was not merely a product of change over time, but rather an indication of the ways in which patriarchal power endured throughout and beyond the colonial period. Vexed with Devils reexamines an unnerving time and offers a surprising new perspective on our own, using stories and voices which emerge from the records in ways that continue to fascinate and unsettle us.

💎 Expert review

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💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Gasser provides a meticulously researched cultural history that successfully shifts the analytical lens toward male anxieties in early modern England and colonial New England. While intellectually robust and groundbreaking in its focus on overlooked masculine dimensions, this academic volume may not suit casual readers or those seeking narrative-driven popular histories of witchcraft. It requires patience for dense theoretical frameworks and is best approached by those with an existing interest in gender studies or early modern legal history rather than general occult enthusiasts.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Scholars and history enthusiasts deeply interested in the intersection of gender dynamics and religious hysteria will find immense value in this text. It offers a vital corrective to traditional narratives by centering male anxiety and patriarchal power rather than solely focusing on female victims. Readers seeking to understand the sociological underpinnings of witchcraft accusations across two continents will appreciate the rigorous analysis of how societal expectations shaped legal proceedings and interpretations of demonic possession. This book is essential for anyone wishing to grasp the full complexity of these tumultuous periods beyond surface-level accounts.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.7/5

★★★★★

If you're captivated by the historical intersection of gender, power, and the supernatural, this book is essential reading. Delve into the complexities of early modern belief systems and uncover the often-hidden masculine dimensions that shaped one of history's most fascinating and chilling…

Reader rating

4.7

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Gasser provides a meticulously researched cultural history that successfully shifts the analytical lens toward male anxieties in early modern England and colonial New England. While intellectually robust and groundbreaking in its focus on overlooked masculine dimensions, this academic volume may not suit casual readers or those seeking narrative-driven popular histories of witchcraft. It requires patience for dense theoretical frameworks and is best approached by those with an existing interest in gender studies or early modern legal history rather than general occult enthusiasts.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Unlike many studies that focus primarily on female figures or localized contexts, this book uniquely centers on the role of men and patriarchal power dynamics in shaping the narratives and outcomes of witchcraft and possession cases across both England and New England.

Yes, the book analyzes a range of cases from early modern England through the last official trials in colonial New England, including insights into how familiar events like the Salem witch trials were influenced by these broader masculine dynamics.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Masculinity and Accusation

This work deeply explores how contemporary definitions of manhood and patriarchal societal structures profoundly influenced witchcraft accusations and possession narratives. It investigates how male authority, perceived vulnerabilities, and societal expectations for men intersected with fears of the demonic, shaping who was accused, who was believed, and how these events unfolded in both England and New England.

Ambiguous Afflictions

Gasser scrutinizes the bewildering array of symptoms associated with demonic possession, such as fits, visions, and speaking in tongues. The book delves into how these afflictions were interpreted, often blurring lines between genuine illness, deliberate deception, and diabolical intervention. It highlights the role of public opinion and cultural beliefs in dictating whether these symptoms were seen as external attacks or internal corruption.

Transatlantic Connections

Moving beyond localized studies, the book powerfully demonstrates the intellectual and cultural continuities between witchcraft cases in early modern England and colonial New England. It reveals how shared anxieties, legal precedents, and evolving interpretations of demonic influence traveled across the Atlantic, linking diverse communities through a common understanding of spiritual threats and their perceived remedies.

💬 Quotes from the book

“The interpretation of demonic possession often served as a mirror reflecting societal anxieties about masculine authority and its perceived vulnerabilities.”

“Far from isolated incidents, the transatlantic flow of ideas about witchcraft profoundly shaped both the accusations and the defenses offered in court.”

📜 Historical context

While numerous studies have explored the Salem Witch Trials and other localized episodes, Gasser's work expands our understanding by explicitly linking these events to broader transatlantic cultural currents and, crucially, by foregrounding the role of men. It challenges narratives predominantly focused on female victims and accusers, placing the phenomena within a richer tapestry of evolving patriarchal power structures and societal anxieties during a period of immense change.

📚 Glossary

Demonic Possession
Patriarchal Power
Early Modern Period

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might prevailing societal anxieties about gender and power in our own time influence contemporary perceptions of unexplained phenomena or societal deviance?
Reflect on a historical event you're familiar with. How might re-examining it through the lens of gendered power dynamics alter your understanding?
Consider the ambiguity of symptoms described in the book. How do we, as a society, distinguish between spiritual, psychological, or physiological causes for distress today?