psychoceramics: Witch sermons

[Mitchell Porter <qix @ desire.apana.org.au>]

Some time ago I went to a lecture on possession and witch trials in
late-medieval France. The lecturer mentioned that it was a common thing
for possessed women to give "sermons". Afterwards, I mentioned that I
had an interest in rants through the ages and asked if the texts of
any of these sermons have been preserved. She suggested one source:

Sebastian Michaelis, The Admirable Historie of the Possession and 
Conversion of a Penitent woman. Sedvced by a magician that made her to 
become a Witch ...  Wherevnto is annexed a Pnevmology, or Discourse of 
Spirits. trans. by W.B., London, William Aspley, 1613, p. 313, Baillieu 
Library, University of Melbourne, (Microfilm collection 'Witchcraft in 
Europe and America').  "Possibly available on inter library loan. The 
speeches are by two possessed nuns, Louise Capeau and Madeleine Demandols. 
Capeau is best for ranting. It is a 1611 case of possession in Aix in France."

She adds that the book is probably "available world wide ... from different 
libraries, including, I think, Cornell University Library... 
  "The texts of cases of possession are quite extraordinary, but I am not
sure if they all qualify as rants. DP Walker's book Unclean Spirits has some
good bibliographical info."

-mitch
http://desire.apana.org.au/~qix