Podcast Summary: Le Cours de l'histoire – "Sorcières, sorciers, une histoire sans philtre"

Episode 2/4: Possédées au couvent, procès de sorcières mal-aimées

Date: June 3, 2025
Host: Xavier Mauduit (France Culture)
Guest: Marie-Anne Closson (Professeure de littérature française, spécialiste de l’imaginaire démoniaque)

Overview of the Episode

This episode delves into the intertwined histories of convent possessions and witch trials in 17th-century France. Through a detailed exploration of famous possession cases—such as those at Louviers, Aix-en-Provence, and Loudun—the host and guest analyze their religious, social, and literary implications. They examine the narrative structures behind these stories, discuss the gendered nature of witchcraft accusations, and show the transition from local phenomena to public scandals via media of the time. The episode highlights how these events generated a literary and erotic imagination that continues to influence Western culture.

Key Themes and Insights

1. The Surge in Convent Possessions in the 17th Century

• Contextualization: Historically, cases of possession in convents date back to the 16th century but were localized and less publicized. The 17th century marks a shift due to greater media coverage and public fascination ([01:23]–[03:18]).
  • "Les cas de possession dans les couvents sont déjà connus au XVIe siècle… Mais le changement au XVIIe siècle, c’est qu’ils sont largement médiatisés par des libelles, des livres, des débats qui pénètrent toute la société."
    — Marie-Anne Closson, [01:38]
  • The phenomenon becomes a “theater of possession” as described by Michel de Certeau: people traveled just to witness the possessed ([01:38]).

2. Famous Cases: Gouffridi, Loudun, and Louviers

• Case Study - Madeleine Bavant (Louviers):

  • The focus on Bavant’s unique autobiographical account, which offers a rare perspective—from a “possessed” woman's own words ([03:40]).
  • “C’est l’autobiographie d’une possédée, parue en 1652 à Paris, qui connaît trois éditions pendant la Fronde et suscite un grand scandale, vu les révélations abominables.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [03:40]

• Case Study - Affaire Gaufridi (Aix, 1611):

  • Detailed contemporary accounts and subsequent skepticism: many regarded the exuberant tales as "romans des diables frénétiques" ([11:26]).
  • The narratives were shaped by exorcists (e.g., Père Michaelis): “Le jeudi c’est sodomie au sabbat, le vendredi c’est par voie naturelle. Le samedi, les diables prennent des formes animales…” — Marie-Anne Closson, [12:35]

3. Witchcraft, Possession, and Media

• Merging Roles & Accusations: The shift from seeing possession as an individual moral or spiritual failure to blaming external agents, usually a male confessor—the only man with access to convents ([05:02], [06:34]).

  • "On va désigner un responsable, généralement le confesseur des religieuses." — Marie-Anne Closson, [05:50]

• Spectacle & Print Culture: The public nature of exorcisms and executions coupled with the rise of “canards” (early news pamphlets) spread lurid tales, adding to the social and cultural significance ([53:57]).

  • “Au XVIe, XVIIe siècle, on commence à avoir ce qu'on appelle des canards… Elles sont toutes extraordinaires… plus c’est extraordinaire, plus c’est fascinant.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [53:57]

4. Gender, Power, and Sexuality

• Narrative Structures and Misogyny: Witchcraft literature focuses overwhelmingly on women, even though about 20% of the accused were men ([22:13]).
  • "Le féminin... il y a peu de foi. Donc, la femme est par essence la proie du diable." — Marie-Anne Closson, [22:49]
• Sexual Subtext: Possession narratives are consistently sexualized—abuse by male confessors is reframed as demonic influence. The “consent” of very young girls is presumed, masking systematic power abuses ([15:58]).
  • “Le sous-texte de ces possessions démoniaques, c’est peut-être… les abus sexuels dans l’église... la femme est toujours consentante […] même une gamine de 9-10 ans.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [15:58]
• Erotic/Pornographic Literary Heritage: Such stories underpin the emergence of an erotic imagination centered on convent life ([18:12]):
  • “Ces affaires de possession ont permis la naissance d’une littérature érotique, si ce n’est pornographique… Ça va donner peut-être à long terme Sade.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [18:12]

5. The Role of the Sabbath and Collective Imagination

• Consistent, Dramatic Motifs: By the mid-17th century, the image of the Sabbath becomes grotesquely defined—child murder, cannibalism—it reflects and magnifies deep societal anxieties ([32:08]).

  • “Quand elle écrit en 1643... l’imaginaire du sabbat est entièrement constitué... Le motif des enfants crucifiés, rôtis, mangés, etc. On trouve ça désormais dans tous les procès en sorcellerie.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [32:08]

• Collective & "Contagious" Possessions: Possession in convents often became collective, sometimes carrying a status of ‘victimhood-as-election’ ([35:27]).

  • “Être possédé est une forme d’élection… il y a même une possibilité de défoulement extraordinaire, parce que c’est le diable qui parle à la place de la possédée.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [35:27]

6. Justice Systems: Religious vs. Secular Power

• Transition from Ecclesiastical to Secular Justice: Many possession cases began within the Church but could, due to scandal or politics, shift to secular courts—often resulting in public executions ([43:03]).
  • “Quand c’est des membres de l’Église… l’Église s’efforce que ça reste interne. Mais ça peut sortir… dans la justice laïque… qui ordonne la condamnation et le bûcher.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [43:03]
  • Burnings were public spectacles and ‘purifications’—not just physically destructive but also symbolically meant to ‘cleanse’ society ([47:06]).

7. From Historical Scandal to Cultural Myth

• Persistence and Transformation: The guest and host trace how stories of convent possession and witchcraft morphed into enduring literary and cinematic tropes ([55:12]).
  • “Il reste la littérature érotique et la littérature fantastique. Une grande partie de la littérature fantastique… repose sur l’idée du pacte diabolique.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [55:12]
• The Lasting Legacy: Rather than simply reflecting a superstitious past, these stories expose ongoing questions about gender, authority, religion, and collective imagination.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On the Spectacle of Possession:

  • “On vient voir les possédés et le spectacle qu’elles offrent.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [01:38]

• On Shift to Public Scandal:

  • “La possession va être un outil de propagande des catholiques pour montrer par rapport aux protestants que l’hostie a la capacité de chasser le démon.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [01:55]

• On Sexual Violence Covered by Narrative:

  • “Dans le sous-texte de ces possessions démoniaques, c’est peut-être… les abus sexuels dans l’église.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [15:58]

• On Literary Echoes:

  • “La chasse aux sorcières est un phénomène du XVIIe siècle, bien plus que du Moyen-Âge.” — Marie-Anne Closson, [27:16]
  • “L’église comprend qu'il faut vraiment rester discret… si ça cesse sur le champ public, ça va être l'objet de moqueries… de satires de l'Église…” — Marie-Anne Closson, [52:38]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:23] – Introduction to convent possessions: the surge and societal resonance in the 17th century.
• [03:40] – Overview of Madeleine Bavant’s autobiography and the scandal it spurred.
• [05:02] – The evolving narrative: from personal failure to external accusations.
• [09:11] – Ambiguity between the possessed and the witch; interplay of agency and victimhood.
• [11:26] – Sources and literary diffusion of witch trial narratives.
• [15:58] – Sexual violence and the problematic notion of consent in trial narratives.
• [18:12] – How convent possession stories fed literature and cultural fantasy.
• [22:13] – Witchcraft's gendered image in demonological treatises.
• [27:16] – Misconceptions about the Middle Ages and witch hunts.
• [35:27] – Collective possessions, psychological and social interpretations.
• [43:03] – How ecclesiastical cases became public legal scandals.
• [53:36] – The role of media and literature in spreading and sustaining these stories.
• [55:12] – Enduring influence: from 17th-century scandal to modern popular culture.

Additional Cultural and Literary References

• Historical Texts: Readings from the Marteau des sorcières (Malleus Maleficarum), literary and legal treatises, and dramatizations of historic narratives.
• Literature and Drama: References to Macbeth, Sade, fantastique literature (Hoffmann, Dictionnaire Infernal), and modern reinterpretations (Benedetta).
• Analytical Voices: Inclusion of classic commentary from historians Jeanne Favret, Robert Mandrou, Michel de Certeau, and others.

Conclusion

This episode provides a nuanced exploration of 17th-century convent possessions and witchcraft trials, peeling back layers of social, sexual, religious, and literary significance. It demonstrates how the mediated spectacle and scandal of these cases not only reflected contemporary anxieties but seeded a long-lasting cultural mythology—one that persists in Western literary and cinematic imagination.

Recommended Reading from the Episode:
Madeleine Bavon, religieuse au couvent de Louvier, procès en sorcellerie et autobiographie, by Marie-Anne Closson & Nicole Jacques Lefebvre, éd. Jérôme Millon.

Summary prepared for those seeking a comprehensive understanding of the episode's depth, offering insights into history, literature, and the complexities of collective imagination around witchcraft and possession.