This book discusses the role of children in the Salem witch trials through a close reading of the many and varied narratives of the trials, including court records, contemporary and historical documents, fiction, drama, and poetry. Taking a critical theory approach to explore both what we might understand as a child in 1692 New England and to consider our adult investment in reading the child, Kristina West explores narratives of the afflicted girls and the many accused children whom are often absent or overlooked in histories, and considers how the trial structure is continually repeated in attempts to establish the respective guilt and innocence of these and other groups. This book also analyses later manuscripts and fictional rewritings of the trials to question the basis on which assumptions about the child in history are made, and to consider why such narratives of Salem’s children are still relevant now.

In 1659, fourteen-year-old Mary Newbury keeps a journal of her voyage from England to the New World and her experiences living as a witch in a community of Puritans near Salem, Massachusetts.

Special Free Preview! “A lightning bolt erupted from the cloud and aimed directly at Ned’s heart. He couldn’t cry out. He couldn’t even move. He could just feel the magic sink into his skin and spread itself over every inch of him, bubbling and slithering and cutting deep, until he didn’t know where the magic stopped and he began.” When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging, bewitched river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Sure enough, Ned grows up weak and slow, and stays as much as possible within the safe boundaries of his family’s cottage and yard. But when a Bandit King comes to steal the magic that Ned’s mother, a witch, is meant to protect, it's Ned who safeguards the magic and summons the strength to protect his family and community. In the meantime, in another kingdom across the forest that borders Ned’s village lives Áine, the resourceful and pragmatic daughter of the Bandit King. She is haunted by her mother’s last words to her: “The wrong boy will save your life and you will save his.” But when Áine and Ned’s paths cross, can they trust each other long enough to make their way through the treacherous woods and stop the war about to boil over? With a deft hand, acclaimed author Kelly Barnhill takes classic fairy tale elements--speaking stones, a friendly wolf, and a spoiled young king--and weaves them into a richly detailed narrative that explores good and evil, love and hate, magic, and the power of friendship.

It's a rainy spring-time, coming up to Witch Baby Daisy's second birthday. Her nursery class are putting on a musical performance, helped by the older children, including big sister Lily. Meanwhile Mum is trying to potty train Daisy, unaware that as soon as she succeeds, Daisy will be reclaimed by the witches who live on the hill, who've only been waiting for their little protegee to be out of nappies before they take her 'home'. Happily, Daisy is so rubbish at toilet training that Lily persuades Mum to drop the idea, and the day is saved! The concert is a great success, despite Daisy turning Lily's bagpipes into a spider, and the witches are distracted by spells for romance. Another charming, brilliantly plotted and gorgeously illustrated gem of a book by this outstandingly talented author/illustrator.

Containing ten essays by anthropologists on the beliefs and practices associated with witches and sorcerers in Eastern Africa, the chapters in this book are all based on field research and new information which is studied within its wider social context. First published in 1963.

Written in the form of letters from an experienced witch to her two apprentices, solitary witchcraft is offered, not as a substitute for coven worship, but as a fulfulling lifestyle in its own right. Rae Beth explains the importance of the Goddess and her consort, the Horned God, as sources of spiritual strength and worship. The author extols the feminine principles of healing and regeneration as well as attacking greed and self-interest which jeopardize the planet's very future. Rae Beth provides spells for all the key festivals of the witch's calendar; describes and outlines the Pagan approach to finding a partner. Her lyrical letters, accompanied by delicate pen-and-ink sketches, bring the reader towards a deeper understanding of the solitary witch's lifestyle and beliefs.

The first book-length study of witchcraft and adolescence in American popular culture. Will provide readers with a comprehensive overview of teenage witches in literature/media. Uses a novel theoretical framework (Foucauldian and Deleuzian theory, new materialism, theories of embodiment). Adds a new perspective to a topic (female monstrosity) dominated by psychoanalytical theory. Studies a diverse range of texts (film, television, literary and popular fiction, comics, YA fiction). Will appeal to scholars of feminism, media history, girlhood studies, horror, the Gothic, etc.

This book examines the factors influencing women's choices of obstetrical care in a Bariba community in the People's Republic of Benin, West Africa. When selecting a research topic, I decided to investigate health care among the Bariba for several reasons. First, I had served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in northern Benin (then Dahomey) and had established a network of contacts in the region. In addition, I had worked for a year as assistant manager of a pharmacy in a northern town and had become interested in the pattern of utilization of health care services by urban residents. This three-year residence proved an invaluable asset in preparing and conducting research in the northern region. In particular, I was able to establish relationships with several indigenous midwives whose families I already knew both from prior research experience and mutual friend ships. These relationships enabled me to obtain detailed information regarding obstetrical practice and thus form the foundation of this book. The fieldwork upon which the book is directly based was conducted between June 1976 and December 1977 and sponsored by the F ord-Rockefeller Popula tion Policy Program, the Social Science Research Council, the National Science Foundation, and the FUlbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Program. The Ford-Rockefeller Population Policy Program funded the project as a collab oration between myself and Professor Eusebe Alihonou, Professor Agrege (Gynecologie-Obstetrique) at the National University of Benin.

Margaret Murray's groundbreaking book 'The Witch-Cult in Western Europe' delves into the history and practices of witchcraft across various regions in Europe. Written in a scholarly and detailed manner, Murray explores the origins of the witch-cult beliefs and rituals, shedding light on the persecution and discrimination faced by accused witches. The book's thorough research and analysis provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of how witchcraft was perceived in Western Europe during different historical periods. Murray's literary style is informative and captivating, making this book a seminal work in the study of witchcraft and folklore. The historical context in which the witch-cult beliefs developed is carefully examined, offering insights into the societal attitudes and religious influences of the time. Margaret Murray's expertise in anthropology and folklore shines through in this well-researched and thought-provoking book, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the history of witchcraft and paganism.