Witchcraft is one of the most feared and most misunderstood subjects in the world. Some people consider it a religion, some don’t. Some believe that it’s related to devil worship while others insist that it isn’t. Some believe that witches can curse people and some people claim the idea is ludicrous. When it comes to witchcraft, finding the truth can be difficult because so much false information has been perpetuated throughout the world.
- A Brief History of Witchcraft Persecutions before Salem
- Salem Witchcraft
- History of Witchcraft - Research Guide
- A Brief History of Witchcraft in Europe
- The Witch Hunts: Modern Europe
A lot of the assumptions about witchcraft and rituals stem from the beliefs that came out during the medieval period. At the end of the medieval period, the 1500s, a witch was believed to be someone who consorted with the devil. In the 500 years before that, there was no firm definition of a witch. Some saw witches as healers, others as mysterious sorceresses to be feared. At a time when religion was at its strongest, consorting with the devil was an instant death sentence and many rumored witches were killed because of the assumption that they were devil-worshippers.
- History of Witchcraft
- Catholic Encyclopedia: Witchcraft
- Witchcraft of Salem
- Women and Witchcraft Links
In most cases, those accused of witchcraft were women. At the time, the church was very male-oriented and women had few rights. They were largely seen to be unintelligent and prone to negative emotions like jealousy and rage. Most men believed that it wasn’t that far of a stretch to imagine a woman using her wiles to work with the devil and cast curses or spells on them. In time, men were accused as well and interestingly, nearly everyone accused of witchcraft was poor.
- History of Magic, Witchcraft, and Sorcery
- Witchcraft
- Witchcraft Bibliography Project
- Witchcraft in Rome
The most widely held false belief about witchcraft was that it was a form of devil worship. Yet, it was not. Witches did not even believe in the devil so they could not worship him. They do not practice black magic because they believe that magic is neutral and it’s the individual who determines if the magic is bad or not. There is also the modern depiction of witches as ugly, crooked, wrinkled women who ride on brooms and cast spells on people they don’t like. This is false as well. These are only some of the misconceptions.
- Witchcraft and Christianity
- Witchcraft In Early Europe
- Witchcraft Myths
- Witchcraft Misconceptions
- Common Myths
Another common myth is that of the Witches’ Sabbath, where witches supposedly trampled on crosses, rode on goats, and sacrificed babies. It was believed that Satan was present at the Sabbath and people were possessed by his demons. All of these things could not be proven because nobody knew what happened during a Witches’ Sabbath and outsiders were not allowed inside.
Witch hunts in Europe were quite common. All it took was one person claiming someone was a witch. Often, the accused would be interrogated, put on trial, and convicted on the flimsiest of evidence. This may be a bird feather or other simple things that weren’t incriminating until the accusation itself was made. They were then put to death by either burning at the stake or hanging with other practitioners of witchcraft, in mass executions. It’s believed that somewhere between 7 and 11 million people were killed in the witch hunts.