PAPERS ANALYZING WITCH TRIAL DOCUMENTS                                     HSTEU305

These papers should will take the transcripts of one or more witch trials, and place the trials in
 their specific historical context.  Trial documents can be analyzed in various ways:

1) Factual / literal / historical reading of trial records:
Reconstruct the events leading to trial from a close reading of the trial document.
What happened before the trial? How did accusation(s) come about?
Who is testifying against the accused?  What happens after person is arrested?
Use small bits of information in the trial records as evidence, clues.

2) Social/cultural/symbolic reading:
What images of witch, devil, familiars etc are invoked in trial?
What is the social context of the accused witch's life?
Is s/he accused by neighbors, relatives, strangers?
Can you identify the accused witch's social role (e.g. beggar, healer, midwife etc.)?
What social purposes might be served by this trial?

Analyses of trial records should begin with a close reading of the trial itself,
including specific details. Note that the bizarre nature of much testimony means
                                         not all details will be easily interpreted.

Papers drawing on trial documents should then place a specific trial in its
historical context (country, date, type of court, religion etc.) 
How does this trial record reflect local traditions, beliefs, legal procedures? 
You should examine specific charges brought, how an initial accusation came before the court,
the kind of court trying the case (if secular jurisdiction: local or higher appeals court?; if a Catholic
court: Inquisition or Bishop’s court?; most trials outside of Italy & Spain occur in secular courts).
Note also the kinds of questions put to defendant & to witnesses, form of judicial procedure used,
the types of evidence accepted by the court, the standards of proof in use, and the outcome of the case. 
What is interesting, surprising or unique about this case?  How does it compare to trials elsewhere?

To place trials in their context, you need some secondary sources.  What follows is a list of
trials and relevant sources for context. A recent new Encyclopedia of Witchcraft (2006). edited
by Richard Golden is availalbe in Suzzallo Reference Section BF1566 .E56 2006 v.1 -4 for
Library Use Only (LUO) You could use the articles on England or German as background.

1) Italy: Trial of the Benandanti  in Appendix of Carlo Ginzburg, The Night Battles  pp. 147-171  
Use his discussion of the trials for context, especially pp 1-39, 69-97.
            Ginzburg, Night Battles  pp. 1-21 (included in Xerox packet)
            Ginzburg, Night Battles  pp.22-30 (not included in Xerox packet)
            Appendix to Night Battles  pp.147-171: original trial transcripts of benandanti (included in Xerox packet)

2)  Netherlands/France: Trial of Suzanne Gaudry in Kors & Peters  # 57 pp. 359-366. 
For context, see link to article by Robert Muchembled, "Witches of the Cambresis"

3)  Chelmsford Witches:  The first set of Chelmsford trials are included in Kors & Peters #46,
pp. 302-208; later outbreaks are also documented in Barbara Rosen (ed) W/C in England.
For context on English trials and Chelmsford, see Levack on England.  Also on reserve:
Sharpe, Instruments of Darkness;  Keith Thomas, Religion & Decline of Magic, Ch. 14-17. 

4) German trials:  In our reading there are several documents from German cities that can
form the basis for a paper about the German witch panic.  Specific documents include:
trial of Walpurga Hausmanin, in Xerox Packet #3; trial of Johannes Junius in Bamberg 1628,
K& P, # 53  pp. 348-353 ; brief document from Wurzburg, K&P, #  54 pp 353-5, moving statement
by Frederich Von Spee, Jesuit confessor to witches in Wurzburg, in K&P  # 65 pp. 425-429. 
For overall context use Midelfort article in Xerox packet, Levack & lecture notes.

5)  Salem:  Context is provided by Richard Godbeer and the anthology includes trial records.
Five other trials are included in the book by David Dallin (alias David Levin), What Happened at Salem? 
(multiple copies will be on 3 day reserve OUGL, Prof. O’Neil also has copies of this book).
Complete transcripts of Salem trials and related documents are  on line at:
http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/texts/ This is an outstanding site, but Godbeer and Dallin/Levin
have more than enough material.

I’d suggest picking one or two trials, perhaps comparing a man and a woman (men: John Proctor, George
Burroughs; women: Sarah Good is a classic, but see also Bridge Bishop and others).  Or compare a
“respectable” person like Rebecca Nurse with a “beggar witch” like Sarah Good.