The Amber Witch

In the 1840s, the Reverend Johann Wilhelm Meinhold claimed to have discovered the manuscript of another minister, Abraham Schweidler, among the rubbish in the choir in the old Coserow Church. This was the story of "Mary Schweidler: The Amber Witch" described as "the most interesting trial for witchcraft ever known".

Origin

Mary Schweidler was the daughter of the Reverend Schweidler. Schweidler was purported to be a 17th century pastor of Coserow, in the Island of Usedom, famous for his fire and brimstone sermons. Meinhold was urged by his church leaders to publish The Amber Witch as an instructional tool.

When it first appeared almost all of the German criticswho believed it to have been an authentic historical document. It is only in a later edition that the author admitted it to be entirely a work of imagination.

Author's intent

The author's intention was "as a trap for the disciples of David Strauss and his school who pronounced the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, to be a collection of legends from historical research assisted by "internal evidence".

In a direct challenge to the "modern documentary critics" he writes:

"This I have done with much trouble, and after many ineffectual attempts; but I refrain from pointing out the particular passages which I have supplied, so as not to disturb the historical interest of the greater part of my readers. For modern criticism, which has now attained to a degree of acuteness never before equalled, such a confession would be entirely superfluous, as critics will easily distinguish the passages where Pastor Schweidler speaks from those written by Pastor Meinhold." (From the Introduction to "The Amber Witch")

Reception

The work met with the most complete success, the book was received with high commendation as a medieval document happily brought to light. It soon attracted critical interest; a sharp argument soon arose as to the extent of Pastor Meinhold's "editorial additions" and which passages were original and which only good imitations. The discussion soon became a literary tempest in a teapot.

Meinhold observed a strict silence for months; then he abruptly announced that "Maria Scweidler, the Amber-Witch" was a total fabrication and that he had written the whole story. It is interesting to note that Meinhold's confession was at first rejected although he soon proved the story to be indeed a result of his scholarship and quaint imagination.

He had desired to prove to the learned Biblical critics of the date (it was the time of the attacks of Strauss and Baur on the authenticity of certain books of the Scriptures) how untrustworthy was their reasoning, from purely internal evidence, as to the sources of the Canon.

Meinhold did not spare them when they fell into his snare and made merry with the historical knowledge and critical acumen that could not detect the contemporary romancer under the mask of two centuries ago, while they decide so positively as to the authorities of the most ancient writings in the world.

The book was originally written and printed in German. It was translated into English by Lady Duff-Gordon and republished in 1861. In fact, the translation was so well done that she was credited with authorship of the story and the existence of the German original denied. Thus resulting in a double deception.

It is often listed among historical writings on the occult. "The Amber Witch" continues as a prime example of a literary hoax.

The story

The story is set during the Thirty Years' War. The writer, the Rev. Abraham Schweidler, a good and simple minded man, almost loses his only child Maria to a plot by a rejected suitor (the Sheriff) accusing her of witchcraft aided by an evil and jealous woman of the neighborhood. After a formal trial and under the threat of the most dire torture Maria, wholly innocent of the preposterous crime, confesses. While on the way to the pyre she is rescued by a courageous young nobleman who loved her who reveals the evil plot against her.

The forgery is done with great skill and detail using the language and expressions that would be common to the period it is set in.

References

Wilhelm Meinhold The Amber Witch ISBN 978-1-4068-2707-1 The Echo Library 2007

External links

* [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/8ambw10.txt Gutenberg edition of The Amber Witch]
* [http://books.google.com/books?vid=0KjDpzz9-rnh1Prllj&id=kSwSAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA419&lpg=PA419&dq=amber+witch Article describing the motive of the author in writing the book]
* [http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35746.asp Review of the book]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=1nsAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA145&dq=amber+witch| Some more info]
* [http://books.google.com/books?vid=0z80u19fVJ-0oiOoO8p4mKn&id=rj0OAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA9855&lpg=PA9855&dq=amber+witch#PPA9854,M1 Library of World's best Literature] Charles Dudley Warner - Complete description of the book