Abstract
ABSTRACT In 1655 the ghost of her husband appeared to Catherine Bowen. In 1691 Richard Baxter, in The Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits, collated witness statements about this extraordinary event. This article investigates this account as both typical and atypical of seventeenth-century ghost stories, and how in this period narratives were constructed around allegedly true stories of the supernatural. It also follows the story into the twentieth century, when the colonel's descendant Elizabeth Bowen retold it. It suggests that, in both her family history Bowen's Court (1941) and her short fiction, especially “The Demon Lover” (1942), Bowen is not only influenced by but also comments, directly or indirectly, on the seventeenth-century case.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Preternature: Critical and Historical Studies on the Preternatural
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
