Ebook: The Possession of Barbe Hallay: Diabolical Arts and Daily Life in Early Canada

A microhistory of bewitchment that sheds light on the social and religious history of New France.

When strange signs appeared in the sky over Québec in 1660, people grew worried about the arrival of evil forces. Barbe Hallay, a teenaged servant, started to act as if possessed, and a miller accused of using dark arts to torment her was executed. Mairi Cowan explores this case of demonic infestation to understand the everyday experiences and deep anxieties of people in New France.