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A review by jennifer_mangieri
Royal Witches: Witchcraft and the Nobility in Fifteenth-Century England by Gemma Hollman
4.0
This was kind of fun! I'm mildly obsessed with 15th century English history and it's not often I read something I don't already know about.
That said - this isn't really a book that's focused on "witchcraft and the nobility". It's really a quadruple biography of:
Joan of Navarre (who married Henry IV of England)
Eleanor Cobham (wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who was Henry V's brother)
Jacquetta of Luxembourg who married 1) John, Duke of Bedford, another brother of Henry V; and 2) Richard Woodville, a humble knight
and
Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Jacquetta and Richard, who married 1) John Grey, a knight and 2) Edward IV of England.
I didn't know much about Joan or Eleanor at all, and only a little about Jacquetta.
All of these women were accused at various times of witchcraft, and the book discusses how that accusation was used against them, mostly for political reasons. The 15th century wasn't yet a time of great shake-ups in religious factions in western Europe - and witchcraft was still considered more connected to folklore, herbs, and astrology (which was thought of as a burgeoning science), none of which were considered a big deal - unless they were used against someone in a position of power.
The book covers how and why the accusations were made against each of these women, in the context of 15th century political and court machinations, The Hundred Years War, the English Wars of the Roses, etc. It succeeds best by giving us a good look at the lives of Joan and Eleanor in particular, and I felt the story of Eleanor and Humphrey was quite tragic. (Though their story is part of the "tragic ends of the rich and powerful, too bad, so sad" tradition!)
Maybe it's my own bias as I'm a pro-Richard III person, but I felt the stories of Jacquetta and Elizabeth Woodville were less nuanced than those of Joan and Eleanor, and that the writer has a distinctly pro-Woodville bias. Throughout, Jacquetta is kind, nice to everyone, and loyal to her family; Elizabeth is shrewd within her 15th century confines, does her job (having babies!), and in love with her husband. I'm not one to think any of these 15th century higher-ups were perfect, and I don't think any of them were evil either. In this book, I felt like Joan and Eleanor were described with more nuance, and I wish that had continued for Jacquetta and Elizabeth.
Is it an eye-roller that Richard III accused Elizabeth of witchcraft - because he did - yep. But he didn't persecute her for it. That seems to be the thrust of much of this book - witchcraft was just an extra accusation, that could be part of the general mud being thrown around, and or a way to seize lands and positions away from troublesome women! Elizabeth had that in common with her own mother, and with Joan and Eleanor.
The great thing about reading 15th century history for me is I can get completely lost in it. I've been interested in the period for so long that it's like an alternate reality for me, and when I read it, I'm there!
That said - this isn't really a book that's focused on "witchcraft and the nobility". It's really a quadruple biography of:
Joan of Navarre (who married Henry IV of England)
Eleanor Cobham (wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who was Henry V's brother)
Jacquetta of Luxembourg who married 1) John, Duke of Bedford, another brother of Henry V; and 2) Richard Woodville, a humble knight
and
Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Jacquetta and Richard, who married 1) John Grey, a knight and 2) Edward IV of England.
I didn't know much about Joan or Eleanor at all, and only a little about Jacquetta.
All of these women were accused at various times of witchcraft, and the book discusses how that accusation was used against them, mostly for political reasons. The 15th century wasn't yet a time of great shake-ups in religious factions in western Europe - and witchcraft was still considered more connected to folklore, herbs, and astrology (which was thought of as a burgeoning science), none of which were considered a big deal - unless they were used against someone in a position of power.
The book covers how and why the accusations were made against each of these women, in the context of 15th century political and court machinations, The Hundred Years War, the English Wars of the Roses, etc. It succeeds best by giving us a good look at the lives of Joan and Eleanor in particular, and I felt the story of Eleanor and Humphrey was quite tragic. (Though their story is part of the "tragic ends of the rich and powerful, too bad, so sad" tradition!)
Maybe it's my own bias as I'm a pro-Richard III person, but I felt the stories of Jacquetta and Elizabeth Woodville were less nuanced than those of Joan and Eleanor, and that the writer has a distinctly pro-Woodville bias. Throughout, Jacquetta is kind, nice to everyone, and loyal to her family; Elizabeth is shrewd within her 15th century confines, does her job (having babies!), and in love with her husband. I'm not one to think any of these 15th century higher-ups were perfect, and I don't think any of them were evil either. In this book, I felt like Joan and Eleanor were described with more nuance, and I wish that had continued for Jacquetta and Elizabeth.
Is it an eye-roller that Richard III accused Elizabeth of witchcraft - because he did - yep. But he didn't persecute her for it. That seems to be the thrust of much of this book - witchcraft was just an extra accusation, that could be part of the general mud being thrown around, and or a way to seize lands and positions away from troublesome women! Elizabeth had that in common with her own mother, and with Joan and Eleanor.
The great thing about reading 15th century history for me is I can get completely lost in it. I've been interested in the period for so long that it's like an alternate reality for me, and when I read it, I'm there!