The Magic of Animals: English Witch Trials in the Perspective of Folklore

Author: Sax, Boria

Source: Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, Volume 22, Number 4, December 2009 , pp. 317-332(16)

Publisher: Berg Publishers

Free trial available!

Key:

- Free Content

- New Content

- Subscribed Content

- Free Trial Content

Abstract:

This article looks at familiars in a context of folklore. Possible precedents for familiars include shamanic animal helpers, mascots of deities or saints, and local spirits, all of which are usually classified by folklorists as “grateful animals.” Stories of witches and familiars are in the mainstream of European folklore, and their sole novelty lies in the fact that those figures were demonized. One result of the witch trials in England was that stories of animal sages, guides, and protectors were largely eliminated from English folklore, since these too closely resembled familiars. The persecution of those who consorted with familiars helped deprive animals of all intrinsic significance, thus opening the way for their exploitation as livestock and their humanization as pets in the centuries to come. Even today, however, familiars continue to be significant, exemplifying an intense communion between animals and human beings.

Keywords: DESCARTES; FAMILIARS; GRATEFUL ANIMALS; JOSEPH JACOBS; POST-DOMESTIC SOCIETY; PUSS IN BOOTS; WITCHES; WITCH TRIALS

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.2752/089279309X12538695316068

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$32.99 plus tax Refund Policy