The origin of demonic possession during the witch-hunts is one that has differing perspectives. Levack writes that possession was the caused by a witch and points out that a number of witch prosecutions can be attributed to the "witch" being accused of inflicting the possession on a large group of peoples (Levack 184). On the other hand Johann Weyer believed that the Devil possessed the afflicted directly, not as a result of witchcraft. (CP 187)
Possession had reached its peak in Europe in the 1550's but its prominence in Colonial America was not until the late 17th century. A case of possession in Boston in 1688 led to a witchcraft trial and an eventual execution. Then there was the witch-hunt at Salem, this was a highly publicized event that led to a number of cases in England and Scotland. Cases like these helped cement the idea of possession and exorcism in the minds of generations to come and tales of possession are still seen today.
For those of you who are interested here is the Exorcism of Jonah Hill:
Great post, Zach! Thank you. There is a lot of debate as to where possession comes from. I always think of the Crucible, and how those girls had basically faked being possessed in order to keep from being in trouble (or get what they want). But this would be a more sceptical view. It is interesting how the news article we read for today also supports the existence of possession, and even provides factual information of the matter. I suppose, as with anything of this nature, that it could go either way.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Possession is an interesting topic because in class we are trying to relate it to witchcraft and what it had to do with the accusations. Yet, in today's society, in a number of scary movies possession has nothing to do with witchcraft, in fact in most movies I would have to say they agree with what Johann Weyer is saying, that the Devil will possess the afflicted directly.
ReplyDeleteFunny, Zach. Nice Weyer reference, Kayla! Sarah--you made a nice turn around in your analysis as you tilted towards a different view. Levack would be proud. This raises the question--were the girls in Salem fakers or were they subsumed by their religious context, and in what ways can possession be performed unconsciously to fit the ideals of the society? Tensions and anxieties can also bring out accusations against others that effect people subconsciously. But on the other hand--check out the videos of Bob Larson, or his website!
ReplyDeletegreat post. I never realized there was a case of possession in Boston. I also never realized how prevalent the thought and pursuit of possession is in the real world until reading the article in the CP. It seems to be a topic we love to look at and find entertainment through with movies but whenever it comes to the real world these events seem to be overlooked. Or at least, without looking for them or reading the Enquirer one wouldn't find news about possessions and or exorcisms being performed.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with Kayla. I'm not a huge horror movie fan, but I often find myself watching things about possession. In most cases they attribute the possession to the devil or some direct dealing with them, but I can think of one case that's similar to what Levack mentioned. In Drag Me to Hell, a woman is haunted by something known as the lamia. This was a curse put on her by a gypsy woman who she'd denied a loan to. They try to call it out and the lamia possesses a goat when the cursed woman attempt to do some magic of her own.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the film The Fourth Kind, introduces the idea of aliens who invade the body, just like a possession. There is "real-life" footage alongside cinematic footage of a person levitating on a bed as the aliens take over their body for a moment.
Before reading this post I had never really considered the frequency of possessions in modern American culture. This illustrates that the concept of possession is alive and well in most modern Americans mindset. Personally I think that this could be causing something of a desensitization to the subject as it has become so common.
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