In 1981, in his introduction to Unclean Spirits, Daniel Walker wrote of taking a step into a largely unexplored field, that of demonic possession and exorcism in early modern France and England. Over twenty years later, it remains still largely unexplored. This book is intended to continue the work then begun. It hopes to open up further territories then merely glanced at, and to provide new maps of terrains thus far merely sketched. It is my hope that the modernised versions of nine of the most significant contemporary stories of demonic possession and exorcism offered below will encourage others to search further.

The introduction proceeds from the assumption that the meaning of demonic possession and exorcism is to be found within the context of the social, political, and religious life of early modern England. More specifically, it argues that possession and deliverance is a cultural drama played out by all the participants within the confines of a cultural script known to all of them. And it suggests that the experiences of demonic possession had by demoniacs, exorcists, and audiences are shaped and configured by their cultural setting. Thus I hope that we come closer to a comprehension of how this aspect of popular religious belief and practice was lived out and experienced in the context of early modern English life and thought.

But this book aims too to bring its readers closer to the events it describes.