Witches of Pennsylvania: Occult History & Lore

by Thomas White

Overview

A folklorist chronicles the history and lore of witchcraft in the Keystone State from William Penn’s 17th century witch trial to 20th century occultism.
 
As English and German settlers migrated to Pennsylvania, they brought their beliefs in magic with them from the Old World—sometimes with dangerous consequences. In 1802, for example, an Allegheny County judge helped an accused witch escape an angry mob. But Susan Mummey was not so fortunate. In 1934, she was killed in her home by a young Schuylkill County man who was convinced that she had cursed him.
 
In other regions of the state, views on folk magic were more complex. While hex doctors were feared in the Pennsylvania German tradition, powwowers were and are revered for their abilities to heal, lift curses and find lost objects. In this revealing study, author Thomas White traces the undercurrent of witchcraft and occultism through centuries of Pennsylvania history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625845870
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	07/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	131
Sales rank:	1,049,530
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Thomas White is the University Archivist and Curator of Special Collections in the Gumberg Library at Duquesne University. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Duquesne's History Department and an Adjunct Professor of History at La Roche College. He is the author of seven books with The History Press.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 9

Introduction. Witchcraft, Folk Healing and Hex in the Keystone State 11

1 William Perm's Witches 15

2 Powwow and Hex: The Pennsylvania German Tradition 21

3 Accounts of Witchcraft from Around the State: 1780-1920 35

4 The Hex Murders and Their Aftermath 71

5 The Witch in Urban Legend 83

Conclusion. Why Witches Won't Go 95

Selected Bibliography 97

Index 107

About the Author 111