Book contents
- Romanticism Bewitched
- Cambridge Studies in Romanticism
- Romanticism Bewitched
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Romanticism Bewitched
- Part II Walter Scott Bewitched
- Chapter 5 The Waverley Novels, Demonology and “The Wizard of the North”
- Chapter 6 Guy Mannering:
- Chapter 7 Specimens of Female Enthusiasm and Witchcraft:
- Chapter 8 The Demonization of Domesticity:
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Cambridge Studies in Romanticism
Chapter 6 - Guy Mannering:
Gender, Magic and Translation
from Part II - Walter Scott Bewitched
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 April 2026
Book contents
- Romanticism Bewitched
- Cambridge Studies in Romanticism
- Romanticism Bewitched
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Romanticism Bewitched
- Part II Walter Scott Bewitched
- Chapter 5 The Waverley Novels, Demonology and “The Wizard of the North”
- Chapter 6 Guy Mannering:
- Chapter 7 Specimens of Female Enthusiasm and Witchcraft:
- Chapter 8 The Demonization of Domesticity:
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Cambridge Studies in Romanticism
Summary
Scott’s sympathy for the figure of the witch is put to the test in Guy Mannering with the introduction of Meg Merrilies, the Roma prophetess and witch. Merrilies’s status as a local sibyl and matriarchal leader within the Romany community is deliberately contrasted with Guy Mannering’s academic magic as an educated English astrologer, and, later, his social standing as a colonel and beloved father/patriarch. In addition, Merrilies’s powers as a storyteller or story-shaper are also in tension with Scott’s authorial control. It is not surprising, therefore, that the climactic resolution in Guy Mannering hinges on the death of Merrilies. Yet Scott’s effort to suppress and contain the disruptive presence of Merrilies by disposing of her is not entirely successful. This chapter concludes with a brief overview of the afterlife of Meg Merrilies in theatrical productions, Keats’s famous poem, and her influence on the aged Sarah Siddons.
Information
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- Romanticism BewitchedWitchcraft, Revolution and the Female Demonic, pp. 185 - 207Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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