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Making Witches: Newfoundland Traditions of Spells and Counterspells Paperback – November 28, 2012

by Barbara Rieti (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 21 ratings
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There is a little-known tradition of witch lore in Newfoundland culture. Those believed to have the power to influence the fortunes of others are not mythological characters but neighbours, relations, or even friends. 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 seemingly fantastic elements of spells and black heart books, hags, and healing charms - concern everyday affairs and reveal the intense social interdependence central to outport life. Frequently featuring women, they provide fascinating new perspectives on female coping strategies in a volatile economy. By addressing the perennial human issues at the heart of witchcraft - construction of enmity and intertwined fate - 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 endured well into the twentieth century.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    McGill-Queen's University Press
  4. Publication date
    November 28, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0773541055
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0773541054
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Making Witches is marvellously well-written, engagingly organized and full of fascinating material. I loved this book." Pauline Greenhill, women's studies, University of Winnipeg

"Full of information, and unique information at that, in subject, research method, and contextualization." Newfoundland Quarterly

"Making Witches is beautifully written and accessible to a broad audience. It could easily be used in introductory folklore classes and those on the anthropology of religion, to illustrate how seemingly incomprehensible belief systems operate in contexts more ordinary and close to home" Sabina Magliocco, California State University, Northridge

About the Author

Barbara Rieti's Strange Terrain: The Fairy World in Newfoundland won the Raymond Klibansky Book Prize awarded by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities. An independent researcher, Rieti holds an MA in folklore from the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD in folklore from Memorial University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ McGill-Queen's University Press; Reprint edition (November 28, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0773541055
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0773541054
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

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Barbara Rieti

Barbara Rieti

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
21 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Buwife
2.0 out of 5 stars Not the History Book I Expected
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
I like the book well enough; but was disappointed that there was not more actual history involved in the book. There are narrative accounts and plenty discussions of how the notion of "witches" was perceived by locals and how people who were thought to be "witches" were skillful in their manipulation of that view by others. I was seeking more of a history associated with the mores and foulkways about witchcraft and fairies, etc. brought with settlers from their native countries that ultimately laid the foundation for what is discussed in the book. In other words, "making witches." The book missed on that front in my opinion. It is a nice quick read, and well-written and organized, but it lacked the substance in history and foundation that I had hoped for.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Yewtree
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book
Reviewed in Canada on April 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a fascinating study of witchcraft beliefs and accusations in Newfoundland from the late 19th century up until the early 1990s. The author shows that popular belief was either that witchy powers were innate, or that they were acquired, either through a pact with the Devil, or through the acquisition of a book known as the Black Art Book, or Black Heart Book — apparently Newfoundlanders tend to say “heart” as “art” and vice versa, so it was hard to know what the book was actually called. There seem to have been more counter spells happening than actual spells, as the belief in witches was more widespread than the practice of witchcraft.

The first part of the book explores the sociological reasons for the prevalence of witchcraft beliefs: a strong ethic of reciprocity and mutual aid, which, when breached, led to fears of being bewitched or ill-wished, especially by women who were considered a bit odd; and mostly tightly-knit communities, for whom strangers were immediately suspect, although there was still an ethic of helping strangers.

The second part of the book contains accounts of witching and three vignettes of self-identified witches. The second half of the book was my favourite part.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of witchcraft in Canada.
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Jenny G
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
I have been looking for an academic source on the subject, and this is so well researched and written. Highly recommend!
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Bradley W Snow
5.0 out of 5 stars Witches ruled
Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2018
Verified Purchase
I am becoming a student of Newfoundland Folklore.
I wish I had this knowledge when I lived there.
It explains a lot about how people can convince themselves of anything.
One person found this helpful
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Jaclyn Ludwig
4.0 out of 5 stars Informative book
Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book was a very interesting read, giving me a lot of insight into parts of Canadian traditions that I had never heard about before. For the most part, it is entertaining, but it can get a little monotonous at times with overlapping and very similar accounts of events/people. It seems very well researched and I highly recommend it to learn a little something unique in Canadian history/traditions.
One person found this helpful
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Shawny
5.0 out of 5 stars Made someone's Christmas
Reviewed in Canada on December 26, 2019
Verified Purchase
My boyfriend was looking forward to this book
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