The role of male witches in colonial New England, as E.J. Kent discusses, has been largely overlooked by historians, with numerous scholars focusing primarily on their female peers.[1] Examining the trials and persecutions of thirty-five men accused of witchcraft, Kent reveals that the vast majority (twenty-three individuals) were tried, imprisoned, and/or executed for the same deeds of maleficium as their female counterparts, namely “murdering and bewitching men, women and children, bewitching and killing livestock, [and] harming property and domestic product.”[2] Unlike female witches, though, men were also charged with crimes of non-malefic witchcraft, including charming, conjuring, enchanting, and sorcery.[3] In fact, twelve of the thirty-five men examined by Kent were convicted of using evil spirits to find hidden treasure, fortunetelling, and employing black magic to deceive others and enact love spells.[4]
Works Referenced
Kent, E.J. “Masculinity and Male Witches in Old and New England, 1593-1680.” History Workshop Journal 60 (2005): 69-92.
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[1] Kent, 69-70.
[2] Kent, 71.
[3] Kent, 70-71.
[4] Kent, 70-71.
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