The Devil and Familiar Spirits in English Witchcraft

Abstract

THE POPULAR LITERATURE of witchcraft in England almost invariably featured spirits, or “familiars”, that assisted the witch in doing harm. The origins of these creatures are obscure, but it is clear that they belonged to a popular understanding of witchcraft that fitted somewhat awkwardly with orthodox Christian demonology. In this chapter Charlotte-Rose Millar notes the remarkable prevalence of these creatures in English witchcraft pamphlets, and their apparently demonic associations. On the basis of this evidence, she argues that historians should reconsider the traditional view that diabolism was largely absent from English witch trials. Moreover, there was a sexual aspect to the relationship between English witches and their spirits. Millar’s analysis relates to the role of “doubtful spirits” in early modern popular culture more generally, a topic addressed by Euan Cameron in Chapter 7 of this book. By identifying English witches as the sexual partners of demons, she also provides a fascinating addition to the discussion of gender and sexuality in witchcraft presented by the contributors to Part Seven.