Product Description

Confessing to "familiarity with the devils", Mary Johnson, a servant, was executed in Connecticut in 1648. A wealthy Boston widow, Ann Hibbens was hanged in 1656 for casting spells on her neighbours. In 1662, Ann Cole was "taken with very strange Fits" and fuelled an outbreak of withcraft accusations in Hartford a generation before the notorious events at Salem. Today, questions such as why these and other women were likely witches still remains. The author reveals the social construction of witchcraft in 17th-century New England and illuminates the larger contours of gender relations in that society.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #503610 in Books
• Published on: 1998-08-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

It relates to women's issues of today
I thought that the book told about witchcraft in a new light. It brought many issues in the book, that can be related to women today. Women took the blame a lot for witchcraft then, and they take the blame for a lot now. Women had to suffer for many reasons, and witchcraft was just one of them. This book gave a newer more modern prospective of New England witchcraft. It didn't just talk about the nature itself, but Karlsen gave you a reason to think about it, and why women are considered "the devil in the shape of a woman." It even related to the Bible, and how Eve was the prime reason for the evil in the Garden. But, whether people want to admit it or not, Adam, was the man in charge, he should have known better to allow a woman to do his job. This is how it is today, many times women are taking over the roles of men, and when something bad happens, they respond, "that woman you gave me." I really enjoyed the book, and in comparison to other witchcraft books, she gets the higher ranking.