The Daylight Gate

The Pendle Hill witches, redux

The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson (Grove Press, $24)

Not that long ago, I was fortunate to be able to review an amazing production of Caryl Churchill’s play, Vinegar Tom. Like Jeanette Winterson’s most recent novel, The Daylight Gate, it’s about—sort of—the Pendle Hill witches.

Winterson comes to many of the same conclusions that Churchill does: The accusations of witchcraft are as much about the fear of the powerless and the subjugation of women as any supernatural events. But Winterson, with her sharp blows of narrative, allows us to feel in a quick loss of breath just a shadow of the terror, rage and frustration that the accused must have endured.

She also manages to historicize the story show more even further, with ties to the Gunpowder Plot and anti-Catholic sentiment—and an appearance by the Bard of Avon himself.

By abandoning the barely-known details of history, Winterson creates an Alice Nutter who is privileged, but that’s not enough on its own to protect the ones she loves. She must rely on whatever tools are available—and witchcraft is only one—to accomplish what she will.

Winterson has not retold history, but reinvented it in a novel that is deep, literary, and stuffed with romance and horrors all too real.

(Published on Lit/Rant on 2/22/14: http://litrant.tumblr.com/post/77472840346/the-pendle-hill-witches-redux-the-day... show less

As I've mentioned before, the phrase "strong stuff" always comes to mind when I read Jeanette Winterson's books. Powerful, and generally not for the faint of heart. Bourbon, not white wine.

In many respects this is a remarkable book, one that I could not put down even though from reading the actual circumstances of this case I knew the outcome. Of course, it IS historical fiction and Winterson invented an elaborate backstory for the central character, Agnes Nutter, with no basis in actual fact. But somehow I didn't think, as I read, that she would change the ending.

The book abounds with alchemy and witchery and religious conflict. The early 17th century was a particularly grim time for anyone in England to espouse the Catholic faith, and show more James I of England (aka James VI of Scotland) chose to direct the energies of his reign against demons - and witches, almost always women.

Generally, these were poor and helpless women, and Winterson's vivid descriptions of their plight is challenging reading, being accurately and acutely wrought. The visits to the Jacobean torture chambers are equally sad and harrowing.

Fortunately these grim realities are balanced with brilliant storytelling, especially as Agnes relays her history to a lover. I was swept up with the richness of the imagery as she described people and places and events in her past.

In Agnes, Winterson has created for us a woman of whom we can be in awe. One who has made a life for herself using her clear-headed intelligence, her love and her compassion.

“You are stubborn,’ said Roger Nowell. ‘I am not tame,’ said Alice Nutter.”

“He scarred her arm...but she did not care because she loved him and she knew that love leaves a wound that leaves a scar.”

“Are you like all other men after all? The poor should have no justice, just as they have no food, no decent shelter, no regular livelihood? Is that how your saviour Jesus treated the poor?”

The novella length of this book is ideal. Another author might have attempted to stretch out the story to a full length novel, but that would have done the story a disservice. Winterson has created something that can fit in a shotglass, not delicate stemware. show less

I had some serious difficulties to follow the plot in the beginning, but it still gripped me firmly and brutally with fangs made of short, precise sentences. Very homogenic, fascinating, strange, beautiful and fear-inspiring. Wild, mysterious and sharp, like a raven with a bloody beak. Just not quite as cheesy as I just said that.

Jeanette Winterson's prose is fierce and fearless, and her particular gift as a novelist is to render the strange and wildly unfamiliar (in this case the maelstrom of machinations surrounding the Lancashire Witch Trials of 1612) accessible without diminishing its power to shock and amaze. This can be an unsettling experience for a reader, but also wonderfully
stretching. Taken as a whole, Winterson's brilliantly diverse body of work seems meant to illustrate the assertion made in this novel by Alice Nutter (a woman of spirit and independence denounced as a witch) to John Dee (an alchemist and astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I): "I think we are worlds compressed into human form."

The Daylight Gate is a spellbinding book that brings to light the dark days leading up to The Trial of the Lancashire Witches of 1612. It should be noted, that while many of the characters and locations and events are based in historical fact, there are aspects that the author has put her own spin on and taken certain liberties with.

This book was haunting, beautiful, vicious, and tragic. It is the perfect combination of history and fiction. I'll keep this review spoiler free, but will touch on some of the broader aspects.

"This was Lancashire. This was Pendle. This was witch country."

Trigger Warning: This is a graphic, gruesome, dark and violent book at times. It touches on topics such as Rape, incest, pedophilia, satanism/witchcraft, show more and torture. It is not for the faint of heart. However, that being said, as difficult as these topics are to read, they are critical to this story. In the days of 1612 England, these were all very real aspects of life. It adds to the authenticity of the story, fully immersing the reader in all the sights, sounds, hysteria, and cruelty of the time.

I was pleasantly surprised by this dark little book. It clocks in at only 224 pages, and is such a fascinating, intense read. The characters are vividly drawn. From beautiful, mysterious Alice Nutter, frightening and haggard Old Demdike, to tragic and heartwrenching Christopher Southworth. For such a short book, you get a very real sense of who these people are. Winterson does an incredible job of painting them all so clearly, in all their flaws and beauty, and in their despair. I genuinly felt for these characters. There were moments that were sweet, light and delicate, and moments that were dark, brutal and ugly. I would never have guessed, that a book about Witchcraft, would evoke such a wide array of emotions within me. I felt happiness, excitment, terror and shock. I also found myself feeling sadness, pity, disgust and empathy. It was quite mesmerizing to feel so many emotions, so intensely.

I love the historical background.. and the locations that are key to the story. This is a book, in where the environment itself.... has a vibe all its own.

"Those who are born here are branded by Pendle. They share a common mark. There is still a tradition, or a superstition, that a girl-child born in Pendle Forest should be twice baptised; once in church and once in a black pool at the foot of the hill. The hill will know her then. She will be its trophy and its sacrifice. She must make peace with her birthright, whatever that means."

Pendle forest, Read Hall, the Rough Lee, Malkin Tower, and Whalley Abbey, all contribute to the atmosphere of the period. They help to bring forth the fear, the mystery, and the intrigue of this very dark time in history.

This is not simply a story about witches and religion. It is so much deeper than that. It is also a story about the human spirit, about life and death, pride, and fear of what we don't understand. All of these aspects coming into play, evoked all manner of emotions within me.. emotions I had no intention of feeling from such a dark, harsh book.

The majority of the writing is beautiful in its simplicity. Everything feels genuine, never forced. And there are so many wonderful examples of the most intricate descriptions, that feel incredibly profound....

"He scarred her arm where she had no glove but she did not care because she loved him, and she knew that love leaves a wound that leaves a scar."

"Love is as strong as death."

"Red against the white. If there is another life he will find her there."

Simple, yet, hauntingly beautiful at times.

Overall, this book was an enthralling, quick read that hits on all the aspects that I adore. Dark themes, romance, history, and the human spirit. Read this book, take the leap... and find yourself immersed... in The Daylight Gate.

"And if thou callest him, like unto an angel of the north wearing a dark costume, he will hear thee and come to thee.
Yet meet him where he may be met -------- at The Daylight Gate." show less

*Disclaimer- As always, any comments that have to do with religion and the like, will receive the punishment of bygone times. That is, condemned to be hung by the neck, until they are dead…(Translation for the uninformed- deleted and blocked)*

www.themountainguide.co.uk/england/pendle-hill-photos.htm

‘’Stand on the flat top of Pendle Hill and you can see everything of the county of Lancashire. Some say you can see other things too. This is a haunted place. The living and the dead come together on the hill.’’

Jeanette Winterson is one of those writers that can take a single, tiny word out of context and create fiction that transcends boundaries. In ‘’The Daylight Gate’’, she weaves her tale around the well-known trials of show more the Pendle Witches in 1612, the most significant witch trials on British soil and one of the most infamous in the course of the persecution of witchcraft around the world. I can tell you from the very start that this isn’t a book for everyone. There are many details and events that can make the most sensitive of readers feel uncomfortable. However, Historical Fiction and obscure facts linked to those troubled eras isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Speaking strictly for me, this had my name written all over it and I could see that 5 stars were on their way before I finished the 3rd chapter. But I am always attracted to the obscure, the weird, the sinister….

‘’The North is the dark place.’’

The northern parts of England are particularly steeped in darkness. The moorlands create a perfect scenery for all kinds of hauntings and mischievous deeds (and don’t we love those?) Winterson brings the story of the documented trials to a whole new level, as the hill, the forests and the Malkin tower come alive and lend their wild beauty to this tale of the women who defied the norms of their era, as ambiguous as they might have been. A dark land where the darkest deeds come from suspects that may or may not be justified in their wrong-doings. Lancashire is considered to be one of the most beautiful corners of Britain, its dramatic history and landscape makes it attractive and mysterious.

‘’Baptised twice- once for God and once for Satan.’’

Alice Nutter is a beautiful widow who has acquired a significant amount of fortune through her hard work that produced a special kind of magenta dye. She hasn’t inherited anything from a father or a husband. She created everything herself. This cannot be understood by the male authorities of the county that try to bring her to a trial on the basis of a pact with the Dark Gentleman. There is an abundance of want-to-be witches in the story, but are they as they want to appear? Has every single one of them sold her soul to Satan? If they had, well, allow me to say, much good it did to them, because frankly? Their power wasn’t as strong as they claimed to be. No, Winterson doesn’t create super women, ready to take down their enemies. She creates realistic characters that want to live their life, without being threatened by men that let them go free only to capture them again, as a twisted whim, depending on their purposes. So, some of them decide to follow the Left - Hand Path (or so they think, anyway) to gain freedom and the access to revenge. They are disillusioned, this much is clear, and they are more naive and desperate than dangerous.

‘’You have a god to forgive you your sins. I carry mine with me every day.’’

Alice is a wonderful character. Conflicted, brave, sensitive, compassionate, insecure. A gem. She loves with all her might and fights for it. She doesn’t shy away from her faults or her weaknesses, nor does she try to justify her mistakes. She is what she has chosen to be and that is why she comes across as a magnificent main character. Roger Nowell is also intriguing and fascinating. He is conflicted as well, perhaps more than Alice, since he is a man of power and influence, but with feelings that cannot come forth because of his position. The interactions between the two characters are electrifying, full of underlying emotions. And this is how a writer shows that you don’t need romance and the like to make a story interesting….

Winterson combines two key moments in the reign of James V, the Gunpowder Plot and the Witch Plot. Were the two ever linked? Possibly. It doesn’t matter, because the way in which she weaves the story around them is impeccable. John Dee and William Shakespeare are influential presences in the narrative, along with our well-known dark entity that is more felt than shown in the story. Furthermore, Winterson manages to focus on the absurd conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants that shaped the British history. The nature of her writing is brave, a knife in the marrow, even for the readers who are experienced in the subject and the era. There are quite a few bloody images as Winterson doesn’t shy away from the cruelty and vulgarity of the rera. Abused women and children, abused souls by the ones who pray endlessly, wishing to appear pious to God, although their table in Hell has already been reserved and laid, waiting for them. There is an excellent scene of a Good Friday dinner that is guaranteed to bring you chills.

The ending of the trials is well-known to us who find the particular subject fascinating. And yet, Winterson’s talent made me wish for Alice and the others to find some peace amidst the madness and the prejudices. Perhaps, they did. Who knows? In an era, where even fellow Christians were considered evil and servants of Satan because they attended Mass and prayed to the Holy Cross. I mean, they should have made up their minds, because the Cross and Satan don’t make for a compatible fellowship,obviously….

I cannot recommend this book enough and yet, I know that not many will choose to read it. If you are hesitant, I say give it a chance, but proceed with caution, as Winterson portrays the bloody era in all its disturbing, violent glory. It’s a book that gave me nightmares, but this is the best kind of reads, in my opinion. The ones that enter the soul and cause feelings we may not like, but to experience them means that we were touched in some way or another….

‘’Oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles to betray's in deepest consequence’’.
Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3

Yes, sweet Banquo, but what are the true instruments of darkness in this tale?

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ show less

Review from Sarah Hall http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/16/daylight-gate-jeanette-winterson-rev...

An Pendle: a place synonymous with witches and Britain's most notorious diabolism trials. The candle-passing parlour game says, if it dies in your hand, you've a forfeit to give. If you're going to write a book about famous witches, it had better fly.

Winterson's novella is set in 1612, during the feverishly paranoid reign of James I. It describes the plight of a group of paupers, mostly women, accused of evil practices and tried at the August assizes. In the previous decade, the gunpowder plot almost did away with the king. Heresy is his obsession. Author of the instructive Daemonologie, he is, as Pendle's local magistrate puts it, show more "a meddler". In this fraught climate disfigured elderly ladies aren't safe, alchemists can be arrested for creating mechanical beetles, and Catholics are thumb-screwed. "It suits the times to degrade the hoc est corpus of the Catholic mass into satanic hocus pocus," notes William Shakespeare, who features briefly, and not preposterously, in Winterson's book.

Outlawed beliefs have been dangerously elided. "Popery witchery, witchery popery," Thomas Potts, recording clerk for the prosecution and the crown, is fond of chanting. Potts arrives in Lancashire, one of the wildest corners of the country, desperate to preside over a trial as sensational as North Berwick, where the sorcerers responsible for the king's shipwreck were prosecuted. He stakes out Pendle Hill, a landscape of moors and mists, mossy baptismal pools and forests, ready to accost beldames on their broomsticks.

So it comes to pass. A coven of aggrieved relatives meets in a remote tower on Good Friday for a mutton supper and to orchestrate the escape from Lancaster prison of their grand-dam, Old Demdike, who is suspected of sinister crimes. They conduct blood rituals. Into the fray rides Alice Nutter, astride rather than sidesaddle. A noble widow who owns Malkin Tower, she's implicated in the proceedings after the group is confronted by the authorities. Alice is a different kettle of fish from the rabble. Having made her fortune with a magenta dye and a royal warrant from the previous monarch, she's fiercely independent, and prone to charitable acts and harbouring fugitives. She's also mysterious, a realm-crosser. Strangely youthful though old, crackling with erotic appeal and a lover to both sexes, Alice is the kind of woman who makes Potts "feel less important than he knew himself to be".

That the story is predetermined does little to dry up the narrative suspense. Winterson's version has all the grisly freshness of a newly exhumed graveyard corpse. Hangings and burnings are coming, but along the way there are revelations, plot twists, celebrities and trysts – all very bold inventions.

The narrative voice is irrefutable; this is old-fashioned storytelling, with a sermonic tone that commands and terrifies. It's also like courtroom reportage, sworn witness testimony. The sentences are short, truthful – and dreadful. "Tom Peeper raped Sarah Device. He was quick. He was in practice." Absolutism is Winterson's forte, and it's the perfect mode to verify supernatural events when they occur. You're not asked to believe in magic. Magic exists. A severed head talks. A man is transmogrified into a hare. The story is stretched as tight as a rack, so the reader's disbelief is ruptured rather than suspended. And if doubt remains, the text's sensuality persuades. Teeth raining from the sky into Alice's lap click and patter like pebbles. A mouth painted on to a door feels soft as a lip, because it is a lip, momentarily. There's a forensic quality to the paranormal manifestations – smells, lesions, blood – that convinces, horribly. Occasionally, the daylight gate as a descriptive phrase becomes repetitious. By virtue of titular importance it's the most potent incantation, and could perhaps have been used more sparingly.

The usual witchy tropes are present – warts, cauldrons, familiars – but they are upgraded, made suitable and sensible. If a toadstool features it's because Old Demdike knows which ones growing in prison are edible. Enchanted mirrors are by-products of mercury experimentation in laboratories. To avoid clichéd associations would be coy. Winterson would rather take these motifs on, activate and invigorate them.

And she knows where true horror lies. Not in fantastical dimensions, but in the terrestrial world. Most grotesque and curdling are the visceral depictions of early 17th-century Britain – the squalor, inequality and religious eugenics. The subjugation of women and prostituting of children. The degloving and castration of Catholics. Poverty. Sickness. Desperation.

As well as being a gripping gothic read, the book provides historical social commentary on the phenomenon of witchcraft and witchcraft persecution. Fear is a relative thing; its effects are relative to power. If you are king and have nearly drowned in a conjured storm, why not expunge the old practices from your sovereignty? If an ugly woman's pet has mauled your leg, duck her in the river to reveal her true identity. If you are destitute, starving, with nothing to lose but your soul, a deal with the Dark Gentleman may be a very attractive prospect. If you believe in such things. show less