The Bewitching of Anne Gunter
13 journalers for this copy...
In 1604, 20 year old Anne Gunter claimed to be bewitched: she foamed at the mouth, vomited pins and went intro trances. Somewhat suspiciously, the three women accused of bewitching her were related to the two men murdered by Anne's father during a rowdy football match. They were tried for witchcraft and acquitted. But then Anne Gunter's father appealed directly to James I, who took a close interest in witches. The case was re-opened and the ensuing Star Chamber trial - with over 50 witnesses - revealed all. Here is a true crime story, investigated properly for the first time 400 years later. It reveals much about what village life was like in early modern England, about neighbourly relations, folk beliefs and the greatly misunderstood phenomenon of English witchcraft."
Heathwitch
AnglersRest
dogsapples
neverbelilith
safrolistics
Lutrus
Rivercassini
Heaven-Ali
AFIR
tehuti
molekilby
kitkat8
bunnyhugger
Sending onto AnglersRest today. :)
PMing safrolistics now :) x
Sending to Rivercassini
Sharpe has a great story to tell as well. A young, seemingly attractive, girl, who suffers at the hands of her murderous and oppressive father, eventually finds release and, it is suggested love. Along the way, the reader finds football and murder, malefic witchcraft, satanic connections and an audience with the King at his glamorous Court in London. So far, it sounds a little bit like popular fiction. But this is, in fact, just what a history book should be: well-researched, well-written, enlightening and material.
Sharpe touches on so many aspects of medieval culture and society that it is difficult to encompass them all briefly. Those which stood out for me were his treatment of the distinctiveness of the phenomena of widespread belief English witchcraft in contrast to contemporary experiences in Europe and North America. He discusses in some details the psyche of medieval society, placing witchcraft firmly in a cultural context which, for the uneducated and half-educated at least include a belief in fairies and phantoms, demons and devils, and sympathetic and image magic sitting quite comfortably alongside a devote if irrational adherence to Christianity. The discussion of the emergence of printed material as an influence upon popular culture dates the phenomena to an earlier period than many histories, but Sharpe provides good evidence to support his case and convincing evidence of the impact of printed material in the case at hand. His treatment of the widespread perception that accusation of witchcraft was predominantly a manifestation of misogyny amounts to a debunking of conventional interpretations, making the book all the more refreshing and challenging. Perhaps of most interest to me however is the argument running through the books that the witchcraft phenomena of the middle ages was as much a response to religion as it was step away from it. Sharpe links closely the rise in belief in witches in England, and especially the emergence of a seeming connection between bewitchment and satanic possession, to the Reformation and its impact on the contemporary psyche.
So much was knowledge of witchcraft and possession inculcated in the folklore of the times, Sharpe argue, that those moved to feign bewitchment knew how they were expected to act and those that witnessed such bewitchment knew how to respond. Sharpe, of course, rejects outright any suggestion that witches actually existed. Yet Anneâs particular case provokes a reassessment of that conviction. There can be little doubt that she was a victim and suffered horribly. Her violent and painful fits, the swelling in her stomach which drove her to suicidal thoughts, her passing and vomiting of pins and other objects, amounts to an horrific account of cruelty and abuse. Her sufferings were not brought about by the three women she accuses of bewitching her but, according to Sharpe, by her father who was seeking to further a bitter village feud by having his enemies convicted of witchcraft. If a parent were guilty of inflicting such pain and suffering on their offspring they would be guilty of child abuse of the most horrific and unforgivable kind: is there a case for arguing that Anne father, Brian Gunter, was, after all, the âwitchâ who plagued her?
I found this book quite gripping and very easy to read so finished it much more quickly than I expected to. Unfortunately, I haven't yet sought the address of the next person on the list, but I will do so now and get the book sent on as soon as possible.
Thank you to Pennywhistler for organising this bookray. I don't think I'd have ever thought of picking up a book such as this to read if it hadn't been for bookcrossing!
I've posted my review on amazon as well - in the hopes that it will inspire others to read this book. Go and take a look-see:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product//1861972318/ref=cm_aya_asin.title/026-0120386-4066069
Released 17 yrs ago (11/26/2006 UTC) at To a bookcrosser in By mail / post / courier, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases
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Off in the post to Heaven-Ali.
I have the address for AFIR and will be sending on very soon.
Released 17 yrs ago (12/15/2006 UTC) at A fellow bookcrosser in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
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On its way to AFIR enjoy!!
AFIR
The book reminded me a neuropsychologist's report that I have on my daughter, he repeated the same things for 36 pages, this book does the same.
Will pass it on as soon as I have the address.
Enjoy!
Will pass on as soon as I have an address to send it.
The book is an interesting account of a case illustrating the manner in which ignorance, superstition and hysteria could be manipulated for motives of revenge. I'm sure it is one of many similar happenings. The author has amassed a huge amount of material from his meticulous research and succeeded in telling the story not only of the main protagonists but of others involved more marginally in the case. The presentation is however very academic and I did find it rather too dry at times.
Released 16 yrs ago (3/1/2008 UTC) at Pen and Wig pub OBCZ in Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom
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Since I cannot find anyone else in the ray who is able to receive this at present, I am taking it to the BC meet in Cardiff
Unfortunately the strands are intermingled in a way which leads to much repetition and a rather dry style. Sharpe is anxious, particularly in the first half of the book, to acknowledge his sources and, while he manages to do so in a fluid way, it detracts from the both the tale and the description of the times. I found myself itching to re-write the book!
I'm sure I'll be seeing safrolistics reasonably soon, so I'll find out if she is now ready to read this having passed up her place in the ray the other year.
Not sure what I'll do with it next.....watch this space!
Released 13 yrs ago (6/20/2010 UTC) at Coventry, West Midlands United Kingdom
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Released 13 yrs ago (7/7/2010 UTC) at Rutherfords Coffee Shop in Morpeth, Northumberland United Kingdom
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