Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts [Paperback]

Anne L. Barstow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 24, 1995

"In the sixteenth century, a rise in sexual violence in European society was exacerbated by pressure from church and state to change basic sexual customs...As the centuries since have shown escalating levels both of violence, general and sexual, and of state control, the witchcraze can be considered a portent, even a model, of some aspects of what modern Europe would be like."

Over three centuries, approximately one hundred thousand persons, most of whom were women, were put to death under the guise of "witch hunts", particularly in Reformation Europe. The shocking annihilation of women from all walks of life is explored in this brilliant, authoritative feminist history Anne Llwellyn Barstow. Barstow exposes an unrecognized holocaust -- the "ethnic cleansing" of independent women in Reformation Europe -- and examines the residual attitudes that continue to influence our culture.

Barstow argues that it is only with eyes sensitive to gender issues that we can discern what really happened in the persecution and murder of these women. Her sweeping chronicle examines the scapegoating of women from the ills of society, investigates how their subjugation to sexual violence and death sent a message of control to all women, and compares this persecution of women with the enslavement and slaughter of African slaves and Native Americans.

Ultimately Barstow traces the current backlash against women to its gynophobic torture-filled origins. In the process, she leaves an indelible mark on our growing understanding of the legacy of violence against women around the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A definitive portrait of the witch-hunts that terrorized European women during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Though the persecution, torture, and execution of more than seven million women suspected of being witches during this period has been documented in other historical sources, Barstow is the first scholar to offer a convincing gender analysis of the Reformation-era witch craze. According to Barstow, independent and intelligent women often proved to be convenient targets for misogynists seeking scapegoats for every conceivable social ill. Most interesting is the author's credible assertion that the witch-hunts not only paralleled the emergence of a more patriarchal society, but also heralded the disturbing decline in the status of women that continued over the course of the next several centuries. A fascinating historical treatise that provides an evolutionary context for the contemporary proliferation and escalation of violence toward women. Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A definitive portrait of the witch-hunts that terrorized European women during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Though the persecution, torture, and execution of more than seven million women suspected of being witches during this period has been documented in other historical sources, Barstow is the first scholar to offer a convincing gender analysis of the Reformation-era witch craze. According to Barstow, independent and intelligent women often proved to be convenient targets for misogynists seeking scapegoats for every conceivable social ill. Most interesting is the author's credible assertion that the witch-hunts not only paralleled the emergence of a more patriarchal society, but also heralded the disturbing decline in the status of women that continued over the course of the next several centuries. A fascinating historical treatise that provides an evolutionary context for the contemporary proliferation and escalation of violence toward women. " -- Margaret Flanagan Booklist

"Anne Llewellyn Barstow has thought long and hard about witchcraft. To Witchcraze she brings a rich historical understanding of Europe during the period of the persecution of witches....The book is a gold mine of information." -- Ms.

"Barstow's careful and committed scholarship gives us a new and important geography of this woman-hating persecution. She recognizes the sadism and terror of the witch hunts while scrutinizing the economic and sociological dynamics that may have been crucial factors in the murders. Surely we must know what happened to these women and why. Witchcraze brings us closer to the truth." -- Andrea Dworkin, author of Intercourse

"Serious scholarship and accessible style combine here for fascinating reading--and for an important contribution to the history of women (and men). This may well be the first--and best--work to dare view The Burning Time through unashamedly feminist, and truthful, eyes." -- Robin Morgan

"Thought-provoking....Gripping." -- New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 2nd edition (June 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062510363
• ISBN-13: 978-0062510365
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #371,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible Stereotyping, March 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts (Paperback)

"Witchcraze" has been justly ignored by the academic community. It's a testament to the human mind's ability to ignore data. Most of Barstow's information is reasonably accurate (though her listing of the death tolls in various countries is severely flawed -- some areas are omitted, others counted twice, and several of the numbers are inaccurate). Unfortunately, Barstow doesn't USE her data! Her theory is that Witch-hunting was caused by misogyny. Her own data shows that a country's level of misogyny bears no correlation to the intensity of its Witch-hunting. Misogyny won't explain where or when Witch-hunting occurred, but Barstow ignores this. She also ignores any evidence that doesn't support her theories. Example: she claims that Iceland didn't persecute Witches. In fact, Iceland killed more Witches than Russia and Ireland, two countries that Barstow does discuss. The difference is, in Iceland 95% of the victims were men. Since Barstow thinks that Witch hunting was women-hunting, she carefully deletes Iceland from the picture. The worst aspect of this book, though, is that it is chock-full of blatant ethnic and sexual stereotyping. Spain didn't kill many Witches because Spaniards are too chivalrous to do that. Doctors accused wise-women of Witchcraft because male and female healers are "natural enemies". (Barstow quickly glosses over the fact that wise-women did this too -- she certainly doesn't suggest that women were each other's "natural enemies"!) I strongly recommend people to avoid this book. Some of the information is accurate, but you can get better info -- without the stereotyping.

30 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars More Revisionism., November 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts (Paperback)

Most historians have soundly rejected Barstow's theories and methods (in fact, I know a professor who uses one of her books as an example of poor scholarship). Like so many authors today, she simply ignores any evidence which might contradict her viewpoint while "creatively" interpreting the rest.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Far too biased. Very UNhistorical, July 22, 2007

By 

Lisa Marie (NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts (Paperback)

I can't begin to explain my disappointment with this book. What was I thinking? Buying a book specifically written from a very vocal feminist's perspective is going to give one a very biased feminist's point of view. The writer loves to give a snippet of someone else's book - then give the reader a mulititude of reasons they miss the mark in their theories. Yet this woman is so determined to prove her point she makes untrue statements and misses the very big picture.

In one instance, she claims England did not use torture. They most certainly did. In another instance she claims a witch trial happened in a Catholic German town. While it certainly was Catholic at one time, during the trial of this individual it had been taken over by Swedes. All evidence of Catholicism burned to the ground.

Which brings us to the REAL reason for the witch hunts. Religious intolerance. All of this happened during the "reformation." All of these killings happened in places of major Protestant reform. Germany, England, France and Switzerland.

Martin Luther himself was completely taken over by the idea of witches and stated that he would dearly love to burn all Franciscans at the stake. In England, the robes of Catholic priests were called garments of conjuring. Candles and incense thought by the Puritans to be tools of the devil. Many of these bigotries carry over still today.

The writer fails to mention that so many of these women who were isolated were anchoresses. Not "diviners and spell casters" as she calls them. But prophets and healers. Solitary consecrated women flourished prior to Protestant Reform. They were stamped out. Tortured and murdered. Only to begin making their come back recently. Read the book Ancrene Wisse - for a better idea. Even the term "Blessed be..." comes from a prayer used by the anchoresses and anchorites (there were a few men).

That's not to say the Catholic church didn't participate in the persecution of innocents. It most certainly did. But if you compare maps and dates - you'll see the bulk went on during times and in places of Protestant Reformation.