#open source witchcraft

[opensourcewitchcraft]

The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut, 1647-1697

I stumbled on this book while researching the life of Rebecca Greensmith, one of the first accused and executed witches in the American British Colonies. This book contains a large number of witness accounts and confessions from the accusers and accused, providing a fascinating look at witch-lore in New England. Highlights include: stumbling upon a witches sabbat, transforming into crows, familiar spirits, and spectral tormentors. 

READ IT HERE!

Licence/Rights: Public Domain 

Image Info: Image from page 48 of "Old Hadley, quarter millennial celebration, 1909; Sunday, Monday Tuesday and Wednesday, August 1-2-3 and 4" (1909), Public Domain, Access here

[opensourcewitchcraft]

Demonology and Devil-lore

A catalog of demons and spirits with some real cringe cultural commentary in that late 1800s colonial way. Like put down the Lewis Morgan! While flawed and outdated there are small pieces of lore tucked in that are easy to sift out. Check out this tidbit!

The characters of the Northern Heaven and Hell survive in the English custom of burying the dead on the southern side of a church. How widely this usage prevailed in Brand’s time may be seen by reference to his chapter on churchyards. The north side of the graveyard was set apart for unbaptized infants and executed criminals, and it was permitted the people to dance or play tennis in that part. Dr. Lee says that in the churchyard at Morwenstow the southern portion only contains graves, the north part being untenanted; as the Cornish believe (following old traditions) that the north is the region of demons. In some parishes of Cornwall when a baptism occurs the north door of the nave opposite the font is thrown open, so that the devil cast out may retire to his own region, the north.

READ IT HERE!

Licence/Rights: Public Domain 

[opensourcewitchcraft]

Caliban and the Witch:Women, the Body, and Primitive Accumulation

Silvia Federici’s book Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body, and Primitive accumulation

License: CC BY-NC 4.0 

Permission to: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, remix, transform, and build upon the material AS LONG AS the use is noncommercial and you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. 

https://archive.org/details/CalibanAndTheWitchWomenTheBodyAndPrimitiveAccumulation/page/n1/mode/2up

This felt like an appropriate first post since the book covers the enclosure of the commons in detail. Dr. Federici’s work has been widely read and cited in the past decade and was a joy to read. 

This is a book I would love to make reading group questions or a guide for in the future!