The 16th Century Exorcist: John Darrell and the Nottingham Boy

In Nottingham, England, 1597, a young man named William Somers was believed to be possessed by demons. John Darrell, a renowned exorcist, was called upon and performed an exorcism involving prayer and fasting. Darrell's fame grew after successfully handling similar cases, but his methods remained controversial. Eventually, Somers confessed the events were faked, leading to Darrell's arrest and imprisonment for fraud, and the Church's subsequent banning of exorcisms. This historical account reveals societal superstition regarding supernatural phenomena and the clash between religious and social forces.