“BECAUSE SHE WOULD NOT BE GOVERNED”: MEDIEVAL WOMEN, POWER, AND THE POLITICIZATION OF WITCHCRAFT
Anna Nelson Bennett
Statement of the Problem: Since mid-­‐twentieth century, scholarship on European witchcraft has proved critical in understanding relationship between gender, sexuality, and power pre-­‐modern Western society. For medieval early modern people, accusations heresy served to reinstate control over elements society that were perceived as dangerous or dissident established order. While advances study have greatly informed fields history anthropology, such up until this point largely focused witch hunts targeting women lower classes. Further concerning use charges a political tool aimed at socially prominent is needed better inform scholarly full breadth craze. This thesis will specifically examine multitude cases spanning Middle Ages through period, roughly fifth eighteenth centuries, involving positions social visibility power, who attacked with means removing them from seemingly unnatural gender role. Methodology Procedures: utilizes diverse range documents, especially treatises, exploring evolution throughout culminating late feminization institution witchcraft. In order establish politically motivated against powerful repeating pattern history, assumes sweeping perspective, taking note similar occurred both chronologically geographically separate one another. Subsequently, source material upon which relies quite diverse. Infamous inquisitors’ guides Formicarius by Johannes Nider Malleus Maleficarum Kramer Sprenger provide theoretical foundation built, similarly allow me explain belief system place allowed succeed. Moving foundational literature, explores variety primary sources documenting specific instances leveled influential women. These include, name few, claims Anglo-­‐Saxon Queen Ælfthryth twelfth-­‐century chronicle Liber Eilensis, recording sorcery trial Dame Alice Kyteler fourteenth-­‐century Ireland, court proceedings for treason brought Joan Arc fifteenth-­‐century Burgundy Anne Boleyn