Chilly about piles – review of the book “You will not let Witches live”

Statistics – how many piles were there?

If you read scientific or popular science books about the Slavic region, its religions, rituals or legends, you know that the main slogan of these analyzes is “we know very little”. It appears in strictly archaeological publications such as Grody, pots and scholars by Agnieszka Krzemińska, but also in researchers who are now sometimes considered too sure of their findings – Baranowski or his student Leonard Pełka . Jacek Wijaczka argues especially with the former.

Already in the introduction there is a statement that Baranowski overestimated the number of victims of witch hunts in Poland, the author mainly refers to the publication recently reissued by Replica, Trials of witches in Poland in the 17th and 18th centuries . Wijaczka does not deny all the findings from the 1960s, but points out how the approach to historical sources written directly during the trials or reporting them only after a long time has changed. He also proposes a slightly different method of determining the size of the late medieval and enlightenment satanic panic – basing on data from places where these have been best preserved, and then generalizing to other regions.

Case study

In accordance with the chosen method, Wijaczek carefully analyzes the available certificates from selected areas, mainly in Wielkopolska. There will also be an example from Kashubia, which is of course my favorite chapter – local patriotism obliges (although in this case history does not fill us with pride). The researcher will also look at Mazovia, where the fewest court documents have survived.

You will not let the witches live is a collection of articles, not a coherent monograph. Each of the cases discussed here is carefully considered, in the text of the chapters you will find a lot of quotations from the files of the described cases, they are also accompanied by appendices with source materials and a bibliography. As I mentioned, this publication is strictly scientific. It will appeal to specialists and amateurs of history focused on anecdotes or drawing conclusions on the basis of a large set of readings. While Baranowski or Pełka can be read purely entertainingly, Wijaczek demands a more professional attitude.

Focused on the analysis of individual cases, Witches avoid general statements. There is no summary here, although the introduction plays its role in a way. I have already mentioned a certain inconsistency in the volume – most of the chapters talk about the trials of witches or women who until recently were mistakenly considered sentenced for witchcraft, for example, a condemnation to a pile of arsonists, a sentence without any reference to magic or the devil. However, you will also find a description of a case concerning an alleged ritual murder, in which the accused were a group of Jews.

Why study witch trials?

The test that fits the collection the least is the chapter on Marian Wawrzeniecki, an archaeologist, painter and admirer of the Slavic region, who lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Wijaczka analyzes here the question of the credibility of historical and literary works about witches. This case is interesting for several reasons. First of all, it evokes the figure of a forgotten artist who seems quite fascinating, maybe even a bit disturbing character. Secondly, it touches upon the issue of contemporary lovers of pagan, Slavic climates – how far is it allowed to process sources, writing (as if it were not) a fiction? Thirdly… well, google Wawrzeniecki’s paintings and tell them for yourself, are they not crazy? And somehow… disturbingly intriguing?

The witch hunt constantly ignites the imagination, luckily today it is mainly artistic. It is not a topic often raised by historians, and as Wijaczek points out – it would be useful. Because it may happen that we base the promotion of the commune on a distortion. Because enlightenment wasn’t that rational at all. Because the last witch did not burn down as recently as we might think after reading other books.

You will not allow witches to live is a highly scientific book addressed to specialists, full of detailed analyzes and quotations. Focused not only on the title witches, but also on the generally understood figure of an alien who threatens the community, for which he deserves death. Baranowski’s books are easier and faster to read, they contain a lot of emotions, Wijaczek’s works are coldly analyzed, and the author’s feelings or judgments rarely appear. It is a reliable text, perhaps too researching for a reader of popular science.