Just Couldn’t Finish Reading: Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee (FP: 2012) [365pp] 

Lancashire, 1620. Sarah Haworth lives with her family on the edge – the edge of the village, the edge of acceptability and on the edge of starvation. Forced to exist by any means necessary after the death of her father both Sarah and her mother use their knowledge to aid those who come in the night looking for relief from pain, from an unwanted pregnancy or an unwanted husband. But things are about to change. The local disgraced magistrate is leaving, and his replacement is on the constant lookout for troublemakers and problems. It’s only a matter of time before his baleful gaze turns in the direction of the remaining Haworth family. To add to their complicated lives, Sarah has formed a relationship with a local farmer’s son Daniel. Will this be the spark that ignites the villager's fury, or will Daniel be their saviour? Only time will tell. 

I had fairly high hopes for this going in. It was well written with a strong feeling for place and time, and the characterisation was pretty solid throughout... But, after around 140 pages I couldn’t bring myself to continue. Part of the problem I had was that the pacing was slightly better than glacial. There was a lot of character building (along with some world building) but little that I felt I could get my teeth into. There was a sense of menace, but it didn’t seem to go anywhere. But the biggest problem I had was the fact that this was essentially a teenage love story rather than the one I was expecting (and essentially what the blurb promised). There was SOME talk of magic, the Devil, spells and such but very much sprinkled in the gaps between the story of Sarah and Daniel. Personally (and it is just a quirky character trait on my part) I’m not a huge fan of the Romance genre – as you might have guessed by now. I don’t mind a romance element in a story. Afterall you can’t really expect realistic characters to be indifferent to each other especially where jeopardy is involved. Surviving a near-death experience might just result in feelings and even a slice of intimacy too... But what I don’t enjoy is when such things are the primary focus of the novel and the things I’m actually interested in are reduced (of necessity) to the background. So, whilst not a BAD book (as far as I could tell having abandoned it about one third through) this just wasn’t for me.  

Just Finished Reading: Witchcraft – A History by P G Maxwell-Stuart (FP: 2000) [150pp] 

Witchcraft and the witches who perform it have been around for a very long time. They were written about in Antiquity and, no doubt, existed long before the written word. So why is it that the European witch ‘craze’ and the trials that followed suddenly explode in the Late Medieval/Early Modern Period? It's a very good question and the lack of a glib answer impressed me. 

As with most cultural phenomena, the ideas circulating around witchcraft are complex. The turn against the practice has no easy answer. No doubt the turmoil of the period heated up any witch hunting – we are notorious for our scapegoats after all – but it was more than that. Extra complexity is provided by the fact that not all countries, or regions within a country, or towns within a region responded to the ‘problem’ in the same way. There was a similar diversity of opinion both between and within Catholic and Protestant beliefs after the Great Schism. An equally complex and rather mysterious question is why the craze for witch trials passed into history after around 150 years of periods of panic and recovery. Was it the growing so-called Enlightenment which resulted in a feeling of scepticism sweeping across Europe? Was it growing prosperity or a feeling of being more in control? Was it growing literacy and a more general understanding of how things worked without the need to conceive of magic or supernatural interventions? The author was brave enough to leave the answer largely unconfirmed. Both the origins and demise of the witch panic in Europe are complicated, diverse and unconfirmed. 

Magic, in its MANY forms, has existed for as long as humanity itself. It did not emerge in the late Middle Ages, nor did it vanish with the coming of the Enlightenment and the Modern age. Magic, and indeed witchcraft, is still practiced today all across the world. Even so-called ‘normal’ people cross their fingers, throw salt over their left shoulder, avoid cracks in the pavement and a thousand other things that humans have been doing to ward off ‘bad luck’ or evil spirits all across the globe. Nothing has really changed. Modern witchcraft, often referred to as Wicca, is a booming business with books, websites, conferences, equipment and consumables available at the touch of a button. Without an overarching belief system or dogma witches, in groups or solitary, can create a system that fulfils their needs and craft both spells and ceremonies that works for them. Defining a witch today is no easy task!  

I picked up this slim hardback book decades ago and have only just plucked it off my shelves. I was impressed by the author’s even handedness as well as his clear acknowledgement that the subject is complex and that research into it is far from complete. It was both a useful refresher for me and a prompt to read further into this fascinating subject. Recommended and much more to come.

Just Finished Reading: Witchfinders – A Seventeenth-Century English Tragedy by Malcolm Gaskill (FP: 2005) [286pp] 

After my previous read I was both intrigued and pleased to discover that Manningtree and its witch trial were both real. It’s also where the notorious ‘witchfinder’ Matthew Hopkins (and his less well-known side-kick John Stearne) started his discovery of witches. 

 As far as I’m aware England was unique at that time – around the mid-17th century – in its scepticism of all things witchcrafty, at least in the case of the judges and magistrates who more often than not threw out case after case brought before them. This deep scepticism only grew with time and, as the 17th century moved to its end, getting a witchcraft conviction became very difficult indeed. But around the time of Hopkins and his crusade things were far from normal. England was at war with itself – not only politically but also on the religious stage. The Protestant religion had begun to splinter – indeed shatter – into ever increasing denominations and off-shoots and religious practice, at least in the mainstream, was becoming more Puritan and ever more prescribed. Deviation, especially if it had even the hint of Popery, was denounced and often attacked physically. Any religious imagery or ornamentation was either removed or destroyed. Interestingly both Catholics and witches were both seen as agents of the Anti-Christ. As you might imagine that was pretty inflammatory! 

With everyone under close examination and with little or no understanding of science or disease it’s not surprising that arguments or just vague fears of ‘strange’ neighbours resulted in accusations of witchcraft when livestock or people sickened and died. Most of the time this would have been handled locally and the accused would have ended up in the stocks, but these were not normal times and both tempers and fears were running high. Enter the witchfinders to add their fuel to the fire and, well, we can all guess what happened next. Speaking of fire... It’s a very common misconception that witches were burnt at the stack for their ‘crimes’. Certainly, in England this was not the case – although it was both in Scotland and across the European continent. Generally, in England witches were hung – unless they were convicted of ‘treason’, which included killing their husbands. In that case witches were indeed burnt – although most of them were strangled first. 

With the times being so chaotic and, honestly, dangerous on multiple levels Hopkins and company managed to work their way in-between the official channels to do their work. Only when things started to recover (it took somewhat longer for things to return to normal) did the regular authorities start to clamp down on private operators doing government work. With ever rising scepticism, order returning and the clamp down Hopkins and Stearne faded into obscurity. 

Although I had studied the European witch craze in university my knowledge of the English version had only been picked up in a roundabout way through other reading and the occasional very bad movie. I knew of Hopkins of course. I think everybody of my age learnt about him in school but my ‘knowledge’ was pretty shallow. This interesting book has certainly added to that rough understanding a great deal. It was certainly interesting to see how the relative breakdown of normal society brought on by the Civil War(s) could bring witchcraft accusations and, more importantly, actual convictions on the flimsiest of ‘evidence’ to fruition. The only ‘problem’ I had with the book, and to be honest it was a very minor problem, was that the author thought it necessary to go into detail of each accusation and each process and trials progressed. The actual trajectory from accusation to hangman's rope almost invariably followed the same route so it might have been better to point out the variations rather than the norm. I did find myself skimming over a few of the later cases because of this. But on the whole, this was both an informative and interesting read (again especially as I couldn’t help comparing reality to fiction and finding myself even more impressed by the previous novel). Recommended for anyone interested in the English experience of witches. More to come in both fact and fiction.  

Just Finished Reading: The Manningtree Witches by A K Blakemore (FP: 2021) [290pp] 

Essex, England 1643. She was trapped and she knew it. With a dead father, an aging mother and a life of the ragged edge of the village her options where few to none. Trapped. There was one, possible, way out if she could somehow manage it. The town clerk, John Edes, had taken a shine to her and was teaching her to read. He might, just might, be her means of escape. But he was increasingly busy these days with the incomers. Two strangers had taken up residence in an abandoned tavern and looked to be staying for a while. They were both clearly gentlemen, educated, well-dressed. They were also in Manningtree for a purpose. They were looking for witches and seem to have found one. An aging widow with a wooden leg was accused of casting a harmful spell. Under examination she had confessed and had accused others of being in a coven. It was a great victory for witchfinder Matthew Hopkins – his first breakthrough of the crusade. For Rebecca West it was something quite different. Her mother, Anne West, had been named as a witch. It was only a matter of time before someone named Rebecca too. Her mother gave her just one piece of advice – survive, no matter what you need to do. But what price would the feared witchfinder general demand of her? How far would she go to protect her own young life? 

I briefly studied the European witch craze in university for an essay I was working on and read a handful of books on the subject to help me formulate my arguments. One thing that was very clear from the outset was that the English witch craze was a very different beast both in extent and in result. Although witches certainly were discovered and ‘dealt with’ in various ways in England (although they were hardly ever burnt at the stake which was a common misconception) the number of witches arrested, tried and executed was minute compared to our European neighbours. However, especially in the Civil War period where this story takes place, the breakdown of law and order and of society as a whole allowed so-called ‘witchfinders’ like Hopkins to do their work largely (at least to begin with) unopposed. 

I could definitely see, almost from the outset, why this impressive debut novel won the Desmond Elliott Prize in its publication year. As a first novel it was outstanding. The prose used throughout was excellent and often beautiful. I was not surprised at all when I discovered that not only was the author a published poet but an award winning one too. It certainly shows in her writing. Her feeling of time and place was completely immersive and her characterisation, most especially of Rebecca West (a new fictional favourite), was very good indeed. I found out later that much that took place in the book is based on real events which made me even more impressed at how the author weaved her tale in-between known historical events without (as far as I can tell) inventing anything too outlandish or out of context. She certainly never at any point came close to ejecting me from the narrative with ahistorical or anachronistic insertions. Indeed, the language and idioms used throughout made things more ‘real’ if anything. Although the English used in the novel had been modernised for the reader there was enough 17th century words and ideas sprinkled through the text (some of which I’d heard before, some I picked up with context and some I was tempted to Google but let the narrative flow instead) to make it sound realistic in the historical and geographical context of the novel. That alone was an impressive feat. Overall, this was a very impressive and often quite lovely read despite its subject matter. I shall definitely be looking out for her next novel. Definitely recommended and if you want to know what REALLY happened in Manningtree (yes, it's a real place!) and with Matthew Hopkins stay tuned....  

Just Finished Reading: Circe by Madeline Miller (FP: 2018) [333pp] 

Maybe it was her youth, but Circe seemed to be the only one with a heart, the only one who saw Prometeus in pain and who wanted to do something about it. The other Titans looked on with a mixture of boredom and disdain. It was, after all, his own fault. Giving mortals the ‘gift of fire’ wasn’t in the plan envisioned by Zeus for mankind. But it was too late now. But that act of disobedience wasn’t the thing that caused her exile, THAT was much worse. The problem with Circe was that she had power, the power to change things, the power to heal and the power to kill. Circe, just like her siblings was a witch – the first in the world and even the gods themselves feared that kind of power in the hands of an Immortal. Trapped, isolated and alone Circe did the only thing she could, she perfected her art and found that she was actually quite good at it once she stopped trying too hard and felt her way by instinct towards the results she wanted. Her isolation, however, was never total – despite the agreement between her father and Zeus. Hermes, messenger of the Gods, visited to gently torture her whilst passing along morsels of information of the outside would. There were other visitors too, some welcome, most not. Although the unwelcome visitors regretted their arrival, at least briefly, before they died – or worse. Then there was Odysseus...   

I enjoyed the author’s previous book ‘The Song of Achilles’ very much so had high hopes for this one. I was definitely not disappointed. Impressively I thought this was even better than her first work and am looking forward already to her future output. Many things impressed me about the book. One of the things that really stuck out for me was the fact that, seemingly like most celebrities from any age, Circe seemed to have more than a nodding relationship to almost every famous (or infamous) hero/ine of the Ages and not just that most central hero Odysseus. Oh no, she had dealings with Daedalus (father of Icarus), was a friend of Ariadnne (of Minitour fame), sister to the Minitour’s mother Pasiphaë, Medea the lover and later wife of Jason (of the Argonauts fame) was her niece, she was the creator of the sea monster Scylla and much else besides. She had one HECK of a life, which isn’t all that surprising considering just how long she lived! Certainly, if you have only a passing knowledge of Greek Myth and, like me, gleaned a goodly chunk of that knowledge from children's books and Hollywood movies you’ll have a much deeper and wider knowledge of the subject after reading this wonderful novel. I did almost at times think it was bordering on too much information coming my way, but the writing was so masterful as well as more than occasionally either laugh out loud funny or poetically beautiful that I couldn’t help but forgive the authors exuberance and love of the subject. If you’ve ever wondered about the Greek Mythical world but couldn’t face a potentially dry tome listing gods and heroes and their deeds or misdeeds, then this is most definitely the book for you. But be warned, this just might make you into an avid fan of Mythology and those heavy tomes you’ll end up buying aren't cheap! Highly recommended. 

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Just Finished Reading: Royal Witches – Witchcraft and the Nobility in Fifteenth-Century England by Gemma Hollman (FP: 2020) [275pp]

The accusation of witchcraft has often been used as a weapon directed (for the most part at least) at women. Those accused of such crimes could lose all of their belongings to be distributed by the accuser. It was for some a highly profitable way of removing elderly relatives sitting on valuable land or simply discrediting their perceived enemies. But such accusations were not completely risk free. In England, for most of its history, judges and magistrates were almost universally sceptical about people pointing to witches in their midst. Indeed, even in the midst of the great European witch craze it was in England that accused witches had the greatest chance of surviving the experience. Not surprisingly most witches, the so-called ‘wise women’ and ‘wise men’ within most communities were poor, often living on the margins. But some high-born (or at least high-status) women were also accused of practicing the Black Arts. Here the author tells the tale of four of them and what befell them.

Of the four mentioned women – Joan of Navarre, Eleanor Cobham, Jacquetta of Luxembourg and Elizabeth Woodville – I was only previously aware of the last two by previously reading novels by Philippa Gregory. In each case the accusation was for largely political reasons – to discredit or disinherit the woman herself or to attack another member of her family (usually her husband) by being associated with a witch. Each accusation outlined here resulted in varying consequences. One lost her property and land – essentially a ‘shakedown’ to pay for a war – but a significant part was eventually returned to her, another lost just about everything but kept her life and another merely had people whispering behind her back for the rest of her life. Despite a spell of incarceration – if you can call months spent in rather palatial castles being waited on by servants' ‘incarceration’ - few of these women could be said to have suffered overly much because of their status as ‘maybe witch’. 

Overall, I must admit that I was somewhat less than impressed by this book. Although accusations of witchcraft figured somewhat in the lives of all four women – who were connected by marriage, birth or association – such things were generally peripheral and felt like a rather contrived link to create the book. I wouldn’t say that the title/sub-title was misleading but I think it sometimes flirted with the idea. Whilst generally a reasonable history of the period I often found the focus elsewhere from the women it was supposedly about. The author herself, on multiple occasions, stated that little was known of this period in her life or that incident (a dead giveaway to me is the referencing of bills of payment in lieu of anything else on record) but speculated anyway. But from my perspective the worse ‘sin’ was that I felt that the author spent far too much time speculating on the emotional states of the women filtered through her own feelings of the incidents described – separation from husband/children, loss of property/status, the great unknown of what was going to happen next. Although people living 500 years ago were essentially the same as those living today their culture and upbringing (at any social level) was vastly different. For example, with high infant mortality it was not uncommon for children of poor families not to be named until weeks or months after their birth because there was a greater emotional cost to burying a named child rather than an unnamed one. Such things are practically unthinkable today and such parents would be called ‘unfeeling’ or even ‘monsters’ but 500 years ago it was simply pragmatic. So, assigning unknowable emotional responses based on our present cultures beliefs is questionable at least. Reasonable with caveats.         

Just Finished Reading: The King’s Witch by Tracy Borman (FP: 2018) [437pp] 

England, 1603. With the death of the old Queen and the arrival of the new King from Scotland, Frances Gorges was happy to be away from court and on her parent's country estate. Unfortunately for Frances her uncle and family patriarch had other ideas. Looking to his own position at the new court he wanted Frances to present herself and be in a position to marry someone who could bolster his position with the Stewart royal house. But times and attitudes had changed since the death of Elizabeth. No longer shying away from having a window into the hearts (and beliefs) of the sovereign's subjects, King James will no longer tolerate dissent from the Protestant religion and will most certainly not tolerate any hint of witchcraft in his new realm. Even the mere accusation of witchcraft can be enough to result in the torture and death of the unfortunate individual – no matter their status or connection. How witchcraft is defined by those with the authority and power to do so allows it to be used as a weapon to discredit or depose of anyone seen as ‘trouble’ or as a potential rival at court. Frances herself has much to be worried about. Already known as a proficient healer, her skills open her to the charge of congress with the diabolical. One bright light in her life is the growing relationship with Thomas Wintour, a lawyer with connections to the Queen. But there is a mysterious side to Thomas that Frances struggles with and she is right to be concerned – for Thomas is involved in a plot that will echo down the ages, a plot with the distinctive smell of gunpowder. 

This was a nice change of pace from my recent reading. Although it started slowly at first the pace picked up about a quarter way in, and then breezed along at a reasonable speed. I did find the title a bit of a misnomer though, just a tad misleading. For one thing Frances wasn’t actually a witch though she was, briefly, accused of such because of her healing skills. Although this was the basis of her accusation the witchcraft itself was only a way of attacking her (without the requirement of actual evidence) as a way of getting at her parents. Everyone involved actually knew that no real witchcraft was taking place. Putting that aside though, the actual novel was rather well done. Characterisation all round was solid and definitely believable. The court of James I felt real and chimed with what I had heard from other sources – often offensively decadent and flamboyant – and James's oppression of the Catholics, which gave rise to the infamous Gunpowder Plot, shone through the narrative from the start. It seemed, with reason, that almost everyone who met James I eventually wanted to see him dead. If half of what transpired in this novel was true I can see why. I’m only aware of the highlights (or would that be low lights?) of the Stewart dynasty so it was good to see some of it fleshed out – even in fiction – and it has prompted me to read more about the whole period. I was particularly intrigued by the depiction of James’ wife – Anne of Denmark. I need to see if there’s a good biography of her. I was also going to schedule something about the Civil War (caused by James' son Charles) anyway and this has given me extra reason to do so. I’ll also see if I can schedule something about the ‘Glorious Revolution’ (involving James’ grandson – also Charles!). Overall, this was a solid, interesting and informative read and I’ll be checking out the rest of the series at some point. Recommended.    

Just Finished Reading: Witchcraft – A Very Short Introduction by Malcolm Gaskill

I’ve been interested in magical thinking, magic and witchcraft for some time now. I’ve read quite a few books on the subject (pre-Blog) and have even actively studied the subject at an academic level. So when I found this book – part of a series I’ve been very impressed with – I picked it up to reacquaint myself with the subject.

In 8 chapters (Fear, Heresy, Malice, Truth, Justice, Rage, Fantasy and Culture) and a little over 120 pages the author managed to cover the ground very well indeed. As with most things the author started out with definitions, and the problems of defining something as widespread, ancient and controversial as witchcraft. Heresy and Malice both dealt with the Christian response to ‘the discovery of witches’ and the many deaths that followed in what modern day witches refer to as the Burning Times. Truth, Justice and Rage went into some details with individual trial transcripts and tales of the mass executions – especially in Germany and parts of France - whilst Fantasy noted how, over time, increasingly sceptical judges, magistrates and political leaders moved away from such witch trials and witch burnings seeing both accusers and the accused being part of a fantastical belief system rather than a conspiracy against Christian civilisation. Finally in Culture the author explores the (comparatively) recent re-emergence of the witch in western culture from its invention in post-war Britain to the recognition of Wicca as a religion in some countries (notably the USA) and, of course, its ever present place in movies, TV and books.

If your only experience or knowledge of witchcraft comes from ready Harry Potter and you’re interested in increasing your knowledge of the subject – before moving on to better and more detailed things – this is definitely the introduction for you. The focus is very much on the western European and North American experience but despite that it should pique its reader’s interests enough to investigate other aspects too. Recommended.    

Just Finished Reading: Paper Mage by Leah R Cutter

Not one of Xiao Yen’s family could have suspected where her active imagination would take her. When she’s spotted by a great teacher of paper magic he persuades her family to allow her to train as a mage. Isolated by the fact that she is the only girl in the group and shunned by most of her relations she has little choice but to concentrate on her studies. When she becomes one of the most talented students of the magic school she is sent on her first escort mission travelling hundreds of miles towards the border populated by hostile barbarians. When a Goddess pleads for her assistance in freeing her sister’s soul from the clutches of an evil immortal warlord, Xiao Yen must put her fears aside as she embarks on an adventure that could bring her everlasting fame or leave her in an unmarked grave.

This was an unusual, and therefore interesting, variation on a fairly common theme. The main character is withdrawn from her family at an early age because of her natural talent. She must cope with the taunts of her schoolmates and disapproval of a patriarchal society which increases her isolation but also makes her free. She must then face a challenge before she is fully ready which will change her life as well as that of anyone she comes into contact with. So far it’s pretty standard stuff. What made this book stand out was that the action took place in Ancient China against a background of social upheaval within a deeply rigid society. A nice touch I thought was the type of magic employed – Origami – paper folding. The descriptions of the creatures that come alive after they are folded into existence is very interesting and I have read nothing quite like it before. Cutter is an excellent storyteller and despite a few very minor wobbles has produced a very accomplished first novel. I shall be looking out for more of her work. If it’s anywhere near as good as her first attempt I know I’ll be in for a treat.