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Master's Thesis (918.8Kb) ABSTRACT Possession, Witchcraft, and the Suffocation of the Mother: Edward Jorden’s Effects on Women’s Spiritual Agency in Early Modern England Meghan M. Clark, M.A. Committee Chairperson: Dr. Beth Allison Barr This thesis argues that Edward Jorden’s 1603 treatise A Briefe Discourse of a Disease Called the Suffocation of the Mother emphasized the physical weakness that resulted from women’s unstable reproductive systems and was crucial to the Protestant desacralization of women’s bodies and subsequent decrease of women’s spiritual agency. The first body chapter examines possession through four case studies that compare treatment of men’s and women’s bodies in Puritan possessions. The second chapter provides a close analysis of Jorden’s text in the context of women’s bodies. The third chapter analyzes witchcraft through a case study of the East Anglia trials of 1644-1645. The conclusion reiterates Jorden’s role in redefining the relationship between women’s bodies and spiritual agency in early modern England. Possession, Witchcraft, and the Suffocation of the Mother: Edward Jorden's Effects on Women's Spiritual Agency inEarly Modem England by Meghan M. Clark, B.A. A Thesis Approved by the Department of History Jeffrey Hamilton, Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee Beth Allison Barr, Ph.D., Chairperson Kimberly R. Kellison, Ph.D., Chairperson J. Lenore Wright, Ph.D., Chairperson Accepted by the Graduate School August 2013 J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School. Copyright © 2013 by Meghan M. Clark All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. vi Dedication ......................................................................................................................... vii Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 The Story of Mary Glover ....................................................................................... 1 Thesis ...................................................................................................................... 4 Significance ............................................................................................................. 9 Chapter Divisions .................................................................................................. 13 Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................... 17 Possession ............................................................................................................. 17 Witchcraft ............................................................................................................. 22 Women’s Bodies ................................................................................................... 28 Early Modern Texts .............................................................................................. 33 Chapter Three: Demonic Possession and Women’s Spiritual Agency ............................. 39 Introduction: Recognizing Possession .................................................................. 39 Gender, Possession, and Jorden’s Treatise ........................................................... 45 Exorcism as Gendered Theatre ............................................................................. 47 History of Demonic Possession ............................................................................ 49 The Nature, Signs, and Embodiment of Demonic Possession .............................. 54 Male and Female Bodies in Early Modern English Cases of Demonic Possession ............................................................................................................. 56 Thomas Darling ........................................................................................ 57 Alexander Nyndge .................................................................................... 64 Fid and Sara Williams ............................................................................... 71 Conclusion: Gender and Mary Glover’s Possession ............................................. 81 Chapter Four: Women’s Bodies in Edward Jorden’s A Briefe Discourse of a Disease Called the Suffocation of the Mother ................................................................................ 89 Introduction: Questioning Possession ................................................................... 89 Hysteria in Early Modern England ....................................................................... 91 Jorden in Context: Early Modern English Medicine ............................................ 94 Jorden’s Treatise and His Treatment of Women’s Bodies ................................... 99 Conclusion: The Spiritual Effects of Hysteria .................................................... 110 Chapter Five: Male and Female Bodies in the East Anglia Witchcraft Trials ................ 113 Introduction: Accusing Evil ................................................................................ 113 iv Comparing Male and Female Bodies in English Witchcraft .............................. 116 Early English Witchcraft and the Role of the Body ........................................... 118 Male and Female Bodies in Witchcraft Trial Records ........................................ 124 Women as Witches: The Body and Female Sexuality ............................ 125 Male Witches and Masculine Witchcraft ................................................ 133 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 141 Chapter Six: Conclusion ................................................................................................. 144 Holy Maids: Elizabeth Barton and Mary Glover ................................................ 144 Women’s Bodies in Possession, Witchcraft, and Hysteria ................................. 146 Hysteria and Spiritual Authority: Expanding into the Modern World ............... 151 Bibliography . ................................................................................................................. 154 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first of all like to thank the faculty and staff of the Department of History of Baylor University for their assistance in preparing this thesis. I would also like to thank Dr. Beth Allison Barr for serving as my thesis advisor. Her advice, encouragement, and editing skills proved invaluable throughout the entire process, and she was the one who continually reassured me that this was, in fact, a project worth undertaking. I am grateful to her for helping refine my ideas, suggesting new (or better) sources, and painstakingly correcting each and every draft I sent to her. Most of all, I am thankful to her for introducing me to medieval and early modern women’s history—a rich and fascinating field whose terrain I have enjoyed exploring over the past two years. Thanks go out as well to the members of my thesis committee, Dr. Kimberly Kellison and Dr. Lenore Wright. I am deeply appreciative of their critiques, encouragement, and commitment during this process. To my family, who has loved and supported me throughout my graduate education—thank you for listening to my complaints, encouraging me to keep going, and reminding me that there is life outside of graduate work. You were the ones who taught me to love stories, both past and present, and I am continually grateful for your influence. To my mother—thank you for teaching me to enjoy the intricacies of the English language, its beauty, and its depth. As a writer, I would be lost without the skills you taught me. To my father—thank you for teaching me how to outline (the second rule of life), the joys of public speaking, and the importance of finding a passion. Your constant willingness to listen to other people’s stories always inspires me. To my sister—thank vi you for always being there, to talk, to listen, and to laugh. You will always be my closest friend, my lobster, and I am so grateful that no matter where I am in my education or in life, I can always share the journey with you. And to my grandparents—thank you for your constant wit, wisdom, and support. Your stories helped shape who I am, and my love for the past is in no small part due to years of listening to your memories. To my community of friends and co-workers at Baylor—thank you for being such a rich and valuable part of my life during graduate school. To the Poage Legislative Library and the Baylor Institute for Oral History—thank you for your unwavering support of academic goals before all else. To my dear friends Adina, Jonathan, Katie, Nick, and Lauren—thank you for your advice, encouragement, and all the fun we’ve shared over the past two years. You have made graduate school and thesis writing much more enjoyable, and I am grateful to be part of such a close-knit and wonderful group of colleagues and friends. Finally, to Robert—thank you for the late-night discussions, the constant encouragement, and your patience with frazzled nerves and too many cups of coffee. Without your
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