Detestable and Wicked Arts: New England and Witchcraft in the Early Modern Atlantic World

Abstract

In Detestable and Wicked Arts Paul B. Moyer examines early modern witchcraft accusations and trials in their Atlantic world contexts between 1640 and 1670. The book draws on a deep archive of primary sources, ranging from trial transcripts and letters to published work, and provides rich visual contextualization through the many maps, images, and charts. Moyer's analysis draws on and synthesizes a wide range of witchcraft scholarship from both sides of the Atlantic to show how understandings of witchcraft in New England were shaped within a Puritan Atlantic world that included England and Europe as well as parts of the Caribbean, including Bermuda. The seven chapters assess early modern witchcraft from the perspectives and roles of those involved. Chapter 1 provides evidence for the benefit of studying New England between 1630 and 1670 in a transatlantic context. The chapters that follow examine how different actors shaped New England witchcraft. Chapter...