Cotton Mather and the Demoniac with Brendan Walsh

Witch Hunt

In today's episode, we sit down with Brendan Walsh, an expert in Early Modern Intellectual History and Religion to examine a chilling account of a 17th century demonic child possession in Connecticut, as chronicled in Cotton Mather’s "Memorable Providences Relating To Witchcrafts And Possessions." Brendan takes us through the golden age of demonic possession, spotlighting significant figures such as the English exorcist John Darrell and notorious New England minister Cotton Mather.

As we consider the account of the "Boy of Tocutt," Brendan elucidates how such reports reflect the fundamental Puritan perceptions of the diabolical or malevolent and their assault on the spiritually weak. Join us for a fascinating journey into the past, exploring how immemorial beliefs in witchcraft, the devil’s pact, demonic obsession and possession continue to shape our understanding of evil in our society and ourselves.

"The Boy of Tocutt" and the Demonic Covenant in Seventeenth-Century New England Demonology

Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions

Salem Witch-Hunt Daily Report

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Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project Facebook Group

Sign the MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Petition

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