For years, feminist scholars have argued that witch hunts were inspired by a reactionary, misogynistic church. But new scholarship, like Lyndal Roper's "Witch Craze," reveals that the real villains were the neighbors.
Century-hopping this morning, with the sad tale of Petronilla de Meath. The maid servant of Dame Alice Kyteler, Petronilla bears the dubious honour of being the first known case of death by fire for heresy in Ireland. Place setting for Petronilla de Meath from Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party © Judy Chicago. Photograph by Jook Leung Photography When, in 1324, her mistress was accused of practicing witchcraft, Petronilla was arrested as her accomplice. Kyteler was charged with committing sorcery and demonism, murdering several husbands (she had just buried her fourth) and was claimed to have illegally acquired her substantial wealth by witchcraft. Petronilla confessed to denying the faith of Christ and the Church and to sacrificing three times to devils. She admitted she had made many ointments and powders in the skull of a beheaded criminal, with the purpose of tormenting the bodies of those who remained faithful to the Church. There was also the admission of rubbing an ointment onto a beam, that then allowed the women to fly. The trial pre-dated any formal witchcraft statute in Ireland, so the women were tried under ecclesiastical law and charged with heresy. Pope John XXII added Witchcraft to the list of heresies in 1320. Alice Kyteler escaped to England, taking with her Petronilla's daughter, Basilia; no further record of their whereabouts exists. Petronilla was not so fortunate; she was flogged and burnt at the stake before a crowd on 3rd November, 1324 in Kilkenny, Ireland. The house where Petronilla worked in Kilkenny, now a popular inn.
We are the granddaughters of the witches you weren't able to burn. #WomensMarch #WomensMarchCLT
The Witch by C.S. Lewis
Infused with page-turning suspense, bittersweet romance, shocking twists, and tragic turns, Sterling has written a standout debut. --Dana Mele, author of People Like Us Hannahs a witch, but not the kind youre thinking of. Shes the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If shes ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannahs concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannahs sure its the work of a deadly Blood Witch. the issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica. While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if shes going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salems witches become deadlier by the day. Isabel Sterlings delightful, suspenseful debut is equal parts sweet romance and thrilling mystery. With everything she loves on the line, Hannah must confront this murderous villain before her coven--and any chance she has with the new girl--is destroyed.
Live fast, die young. Bad Witches do it well.
