In the first edition of the Bancroft Prize-winning
Entertaining Satan, John Putnam Demos presented an entirely new perspective on American
witchcraft. By investigating the surviving historical documents of over a hundred actual witchcraft cases, he vividly recreated the world of
New England during the witchcraft trials and brought to light fascinating information on the role of witchcraft in early American culture. Now Demos has revisited his original work and updated it to illustrate why these early Americans' strange views on witchcraft still matter to us today. He provides a new preface that puts forth a broader overview of witchcraft and looks at its place around the world--from ancient times right up to the present.
Click for the original review.
Background Information
Based on groundless accusations, the trials for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693 resulted in the executions of 20 people. New England is the name given to those states that lie north and east of New York State.
