Demon Possession in Elizabethan England

236 Pages·2004·22.97 MB·English

by  Kathleen R. Sands

DEMON
POSSESSION
IN
ELIZABETHAN
ENGLAND
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DEMON
POSSESSION
IN
ELIZABETHAN
ENGLAND
Kathleen R. Sands
PRAEGER Westport, Connecticut
London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sands, Kathleen R.
Demon Possession in Elizabethan England / Kathleen R. Sands
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-275-98169-X (alk. paper)
1. Demoniac possession—England—Case studies. 2. Demonomania—
England—Case studies. 3. Demoniac possession—England—History—16th
century. 4. Demonomania—England—History—16th century. I. Title.
BF1555.S26 2004
133.4'26,09420931—dc22 2004052156
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2004 by Kathleen R. Sands
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2004052156
ISBN: 0-275-98169-X
First published in 2004
Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.praeger.com
Printed in the United States of America
@r
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 9 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21
Copyright Acknowledgment
The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission for use of the following
material: Images from Picture Book of Devils, Demons and Witchcraft, Ernst and
Johanna Lehner. © 1971 by Dover Publications, Inc.
To the memory of those who moved on
during the writing of this book:
Steven E. Squire,
who loved history;
J. Douglas Canfield,
who loved writing;
Pauline M. Hicks,
who loved reading;
Rosemary G. Davis,
who loved me.
Peace to you all
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Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Anne Mylner 13
3 Edmund Kingesfielde's Wife 29
4 Alexander Nyndge 41
5 Robert Brigges 57
6 Agnes Brigges and Rachel Pindar 75
7 Sarah Williams 91
8 Katherine Wright 109
9 Thomas Darling 127
10 The Starchy Seven 145
11 William Somers 161
12 Mary Glover 175
13 Conclusion 191
Sources 207
Index 221
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Chapter 1
Introduction
T
he young man falls to the ground and lies motionless. A few
seconds later, his arms and legs begin to twitch, jerking ever
more violently, until they are thrashing in the dirt. His head
rolls back and forth. His back arches upward, into a deep curve. His
teeth grind together; spittle foams from his mouth. A passerby,
alarmed, stops and asks, "What's wrong? How can I help you?" The
suffering young man, oblivious, cannot respond. His behavior con
tinues to be fiercely convulsive, his body and mind obviously racked
with pain. A crowd gathers and watches in dismay. A few in the
crowd attempt to help, but they can do nothing. The young man's
father arrives. He tries to calm and comfort his son, but his attempts
are as futile as everyone else's are. The young man's agony contin
ues, visible for all to see, its furious power intensely frightening the
helpless crowd.
A local rabbi approaches the crowd and asks what is happening.
The father says, "This is my son, who has been possessed by a demon
for many years, ever since he was a little boy The demon tears and
wastes my son's body It renders him deaf and mute. It makes him
thrash, foam, and gnash. It causes him to cast his body into fire and
into deep water. No one here has been able to help him today." The
rabbi expresses impatience at the crowd's helplessness. Then, turning
to the young man on the ground, he sternly addresses the evil spirit
within: "Demon, I command you to leave this man's body and never
to return."