Spirit Possession in Yiddish Literature

Catalog description

The narrative of possession appears with astonishing regularity in Eastern European Jewish culture from the 17th century in eyewitness accounts and in folk tales. By the 20th century the Dybbuk becomes a powerful figure for the haunted nation, a figure possessing the keys to Jewish modernity. We will investigate the rich history of narratives of possession, dybbuks, and demons in the Jewish tradition.