Making witches Newfoundland traditions of spells and counterspells - Rieti, Barbara (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2008)
Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002
Includes bibliographical references (p. [173]-184) and index
pt. 1. Witchful thinking: an overview of patterns and themes -- Enemies and economies -- Seeing the seers: on prophecy and visiting witches -- Jinkers and male witchery -- Witching as equal participation and social inclusion -- Victim strikes back -- Indian witches -- Magical Jerseymen -- Black heart book -- Religion -- pt. 2. Hagridden Barrenville -- Charity begins at home: Sarah Haley -- True believers -- Egg Cove: bodies as battlefield -- Insiders and outsiders: two student chronicles -- Archive versus reality: Julia Short -- Empty nets and not-so-empty Threats -- Exit Barrenville -- pt. 3. Triptych: three portraits -- Frances Long (1914-1995) -- Mary Bell and her daughter Rachel -- Janie Smith (c. 1890-1960) -- Framing three witches
"Drawing from her own interviews and a wealth of material from the Memorial University Folklore and Language Archive, Barbara Rieti explores the range and depth of Newfoundland witch tradition, looking at why certain people acquired reputations as witches and why others considered themselves bewitched. The tales that emerge - despite their spells and black heart books, hags, and healing charms - concern everyday affairs and the intense social interdependence central to outport life. Often featuring women, they provide fascinating new perspectives on female coping strategies in a precarious economy." "By addressing the human issues at the heart of witchcraft - the construction of enmity and intertwined fates - these narrative accounts also illuminate older witch beliefs revealed in witchcraft trial documents. Making Witches shows that in storytelling communities with a rich legacy of witch lore, witch tradition has survived well into the twenty-first century."--Jacket