1st Edition
Marks of an Absolute Witch Evidentiary Dilemmas in Early Modern England
By Orna Alyagon Darr
Copyright 2011
334 Pages
by
Routledge
334 Pages
by
Routledge
334 Pages
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
This work explores the social foundation of evidence law in a specific historical social and cultural context - the debate concerning the proof of the crime of witchcraft in early modern England. In this period the question of how to prove the crime of witchcraft was the centre of a public debate and even those who strongly believed in the reality of witchcraft had considerable concerns regarding... Read more
Introduction; 1: Pre-trial Procedure; 2: Trial Procedure; 3: Circumstantial Evidence; 4: Ritual Acts and Artefacts of Witchcraft; 5: The Devil's Mark; 6: Imps; 7: The Swimming Test; 8: Scratching; 9: Supernatural Evidentiary Techniques as Experiments; 10: Judicial Assessment of Narratives and Statements; 11: Searching for Reliable Testimony; 12: Confession; Conclusions
Biography
Orna Alyagon Darr, Carmel Academic Center Law School, Israel
'Overall, this book should be essential reading for anyone interested in the criminal aspects of the witchcraft trials and in the history of common law.' H-Albion, 2011 'Pour conclure, c’est un travail d’une grande valeur pour tout chercheur qui s’intéresse à la sorcellerie en Angleterre.' Moreana 'This book should [...] be valuable reading for anyone interested in the criminal procedure of witchcraft in England and the larger questions prompted by the study of this crime.' H-Albion, 2013 'Orna Alyagon Darr's book is a shining example of the great value of an interdisciplinary study of historical issues.' Zmanim '... a serious and useful study, gathering together the problems and attempted solutions of proof for this most tricky of crimes.' English Historical Review 'This important study is a must read for both legal historians and those interested in the European witch hunts.' Sixteenth Century Journal '... an innovative addition to the historiography of witchcraft.' Journal of Modern History 'All in all, Darr’s is a thought-provoking study that adds considerably to the literature on English witchcraft. ... a valuable book.' Preternature '... this important and highly useful book significantly enriches our understanding of the evidentiary dilemmas in witchcraft trials and will be an enduring contribution to the fields of witchcraft studies and legal history.' Renaissance Quarterly
