Historians as Demonologists: The Myth of theMidwife-witchBy DAVID HARLEY

Abstract

The belief that midwives were commonly persecuted as witches is widespread

in the history of witchcraft and the history of medicine. Although the midwifewitch

can be found in the writings of some demonologists, influenced by the Malleus

Maleficarum, in few of the vast numbers of trials were midwives accused. The practice

of midwifery required them to be respectable and trustworthy. Those who dabbled in

medicine were occasionally accused but midwives were generally immune from witchcraft

prosecution unless they fell foul of a zealous magistrate or there was some special

local belief. Historians have been led astray by a tradition that derives from the

discredited work of Margaret Murray. A few spectacular cases have been mistaken for

a general pattern and midwife-witches have been seen where none exist. The history

of witchcraft has been distorted but the history of midwifery has been completely

unbalanced by this modern stereotype, which has served either to justify the rise of the

men-midwives or to create a multitude of imaginary martyrs for the modern women's

health movement. The myth of the midwife-witch is an obstacle to serious study of

the history of midwives, women's health and the relationship between popular medicine

and religion.