Abstract:

The article discusses the possession and exorcism of sixteen-year-old Nicole Obry (1565-1566). It offers a three-layer interpretation of the case and argues that a combination of psychological, political, and gender issues brought about the woman's possession. I first suggest that possession by either good or evil spirits was a culturally recognized syndrome that allowed laypeople, mostly women, to express religious concern in a society that did not permit laywomen to address spiritual issues in more normative ways. Indeed, in her own perception prior to the clerical intervention, Nicole regarded herself as a visionary and not as a demoniac. The complexity of spirit possession as a psychological and psychopathological behavior also necessitates a personal (sub)conscious motivation, and I suggest that metaphors of penetration and possessions were directly related to Nicole's personal experiences and anxieties as a young woman. The social/cultural and the personal contexts are then conn

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