Discourse of Magic and Female Violence in Swedish Provincial Laws Before 1350
Keywords:
discourse of magic, feminine violence, swedish provincial lawsAbstract
This article explores the construction of the discourse of magic in Swedish legal texts in the thirteenth- and fourteenth centuries. In medieval societies, magic manifested as different complex thoughts, attitudes, actions, and experiences. In addition, harmful acts and violence have always been an essential part of magic. In this article, the construction of the discourse of magic is examined by looking at examples of violence. The aim of the article is to explore how the discourse of magic is linked with female violence. In addition, the article aims to consider how magic and violence were contextualized in Nordic perceptions of gender.
Instead of a strictly defined category, magic is examined as a socially constructed discourse according to Kimberly Stratton’s theory. Following the concept of lived religion, magic is also understood as an active social process, rather than a passively received ideology. Swedish legal material contains both wider European stereotypes of the connection between magic and femininity and also reveals local variation in accordance with the discourse theory.
Studying cases of violence in Swedish legal material reveal that the notions of feminine violence were linked with the lawmakers’ aims: the discourse of magic produced and maintained ideas of gender roles and gendered actions. The discourse produced a concept of femininity that was partly based on long-standing stereotypes and associated magic strongly with women. On the other hand, violent magic associated with women was seen as a very dangerous and frightening phenomenon in society. By using destructive magic, women challenged their social roles as the weaker gender and operated as active agents on the negatively charged edge of the feminine gender category. Consistent with previous research, it becomes clear that normative gender roles were not entirely stationary. The discourse of magic exemplifies a socially produced and maintained process in which women, as active agents, challenged their assumed gendered behavior.
