WITCH HUNTS OF MEDIEVAL PERIOD.   Term Paper ID:29929 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discusses theories to explain witchcraft and its persecutions in Medieval Europe.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Discusses theories to explain witchdraft and its persecutions in Medieval Europe. Political & religioius factors. Social conditions of the time. Role of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Church's replacement of witch hunts for the Crusades as a means of creating a common enemy. Contends main purpose of witch hunts was social control. How the witch hunts operated & specific examples. Methods of the Inquisitors. Paper Introduction: In the Medieval period witchcraft emerged from relative obscurity into the forefront of the European social consciousness. The witch-hunts of the Medieval period had the dual effect of demonstrating the power of the Catholic church and the removal of many marginal groups within European society. While the persecution of witches began in the Medieval period, it extended well beyond that, and the period of the greatest persecution was between 1500-1700 A.D. In that period, men and women suspected of being witches were executed by the thousands, but whether they were witches, or even if witches existed, is something that is still the subject of much debate. There are several theories to explain medieval witchcraft and its persecution, four of which are identified by Jeffrey Russell: Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. WORKS CITEDBarstow, Anne Llewellyn. In that period, men and women suspected of beingwitches were executed by the thousands, but whether they were witches, oreven if witches existed, is something that is still the subject of muchdebate. More recently, the red scare in the U.S.operated on the same principle; instill fear in the populace, and blamethe unpopular minorities for the problems. "Treatment of the Mentally Ill in Medieval and EarlyModern England: A Reappraisal." Journal of Historical Behavioral Science.14:158169, 1978.Russell, Jeffrey B. 73) Reading these six theories, there is no reason why any of them must bemutually exclusive, and in fact it seems most likely that rather than onetidy explanation, that all of them are true and contributed to varyingdegrees to the witch-hunts and to explaining them. At thebeginning, the witch-hunter would post a notice in the church calling forall people of the village or town to report all witchcraft or suspicioushappenings within a specified amount of time or face excommunication. Thus each town cleansed further proved the widespreadexistence of witches, and every confession brought new horror at theircrimes. While the persecution of witches began in the Medieval period, itextended well beyond that, and the period of the greatest persecution wasbetween 15 -17 A.D. The main societal function of the witch-hunts was as a means of socialcontrol. Garland Publishing.Scot, Reginald. Of course, the witch-hunts eventually faded away, and their fervordisappeared, though they flashed back up again a few times, as was the casein Salem, Massachusetts. The vast majority of those accused werewomen. When he did notknow the names of enough people, they set him back to torture until he hadnamed enough to satisfy them. Even more recently than that wehave seen similar tactics on a smaller scale in the "War on Drugs" and itsextreme propaganda in the 6 s, 7 s, and 8 s. Using legal records, diaries,sermons, and literary works, historians have been able to describe thetypes of people most likely to have been accused of witchcraft. After he admitted to enough crimes andtestified against his friends and townspeople, he was allowed to beexecuted (Monter p.86). Alan Kors and EdwardPeters argue that there are four critical elements required before witchpersecution could occur. It eliminated those who did not fit into the societal norms ofthe village or town, and kept in line anyone who might have the urge to bedifferent. In England, accusations often assuaged guilt over unneighborliness(like refusing to help a neighbor in need and then blaming her for ill luckafterwards). William. "On Studying Witchcraft as Women's History."Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion vol.4(Fall 1988), 7-19.Kors, Alan and Edward Peters. Third was tohave a permanent ecclesiastical judicial and investigative apparatus withthe power to seek out and eliminate theological error (which did not existbefore 13 ). Such behavior is not anything alien to Western society;we saw the same thing in the Nazi Holocaust when Hitler was able to gainimmense popularity by blaming Germany's woes on the minority Jews and themtargeting them for destruction. In the Medieval period witchcraft emerged from relative obscurityinto the forefront of the European social consciousness. The other effect was to remove all of those who were in oppositionto the witch-hunts. In addition to the increased attention from the common people, thechurch gained significant power throughout Europe from the people'sjustified fear of the witch-hunters, whom had the power to arrest, torture,and execute high government officials and petty nobility. In a letter smuggled to his daughter beforehis execution, a man named Johannes Junius described the process of hisquestioning once accused. Other documents however indicate that these guidelines did notprovide as much of a safeguard as a reader might guess. The reason for the original initiation of the witch-hunts is unknown,but it was very likely begun by the Catholic church hierarchy rather thanstarted at a grass-roots level. Once the witch-hunts were begun, they were self-perpetuating. There are several theories to explain medieval witchcraft and itspersecution, four of which are identified by Jeffrey Russell: 1. The liberal tradition, which argues that there really were no witches, and that the concept of witchcraft was the result of overactive ecclesiastical fears. The Crusades proved a failure and were agreat sap on both the resources and the military manpower of the Europeannations. (Barstow) And a sixth is suggested by G. Witch Hunting in Southwestern Germany 1562-1684.Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1972.Monter, E. TheMaleficarum does not say that all midwives are witches, but its accusationsagainst those in that craft were severe enough to bring suspicion upon allmidwives. Atthis point the Malleus Maleficarum delineates a very specific process to beaccorded throughout the trial in order to ensure both actual and apparentpropriety. Midelfort noted that the large-scale witch hysterias wereusually escalations of local accusations in which all patterns andstereotypes broke down, creating a situation in which anyone from any classcould be accused (Midelfort p.185). The fact that witches were so often blamedfor driving men to mad lust and turning them into wild beasts suggests ananger at the strength of the effect that women can sometimes have upon men. E. The social history view which looks to the social pattern of witch accusations as more important than the actual study of witches, if they existed. Each timean inquisition found a coven of witches it justified its own existence.Then word presumably went out through the neighboring towns and villagesthat there were witches hiding where none thought to find them, whichcauses the people from the next village to look at their neighbors witheven more suspicion. The Malleus Maleficarum goes to great lengths to point out why anyonedisagreeing with the witch-hunts is a heretic, and that it is in factpunishable heresy to disbelieve in witches, the harm that they can cause,or their punishment as such (Kramer & Sprenger pp.1-2 , 73-79). For when they do not kill children, thenas if for some other purpose, they take them out of the room and, raisingthem up in the air, offer them to devils." (Kramer & Spenger p.66). Second was a system in which both witches and demons had alogically consistent place (which did not exist before 12 ). This would go on until twas felt that the community was sufficiently purged of witches. Once an inquisition began, eachwitness would be compelled to provide more suspects, who would be tortureduntil they admitted their guilt and named enough conspirators to satisfythe judge, at which point they would be executed. Zilboorg: 6. Oncereports were made, the hunter would make inquiries for the purpose ofmaking a case against the suspected witches (Kramer & Sprenger p.2 6). The witch-hunts could have attacked any group in the populace, but itmostly targeted women, why? Moreover, my experience leads to the conviction that, of those availing themselves of the Edict of Grace, three-quarters and more have accused themselves and their accomplices falsely (Kors & Peters p.34 ). Midwives were one of the groups most singled out; theMalleus Maleficarum going so far as to state that "No one does more harm tothe Catholic faith than midwives. Such variances in the patterns of thewitch-hunt make it impossible to attribute the persecutions to any singlecause. According to that book, witches could be responsiblefor illegitimate children (through incubi) any kind of sickness or disease,infertility, stillborn babies, infant deaths, bad behavior of men(possession), tempests, damage to livestock animals, castration, bad luck,and the adultery and lustful ways of married men (Kramer & Sprenger pp. After being taken and swearing to his innocence,he was immediately tortured for his confession, and all that day heresisted, after which one of his jailers explained to him: Sir, I beg you, for God's sake confess something, for you cannot endure the torture which you will be put to; and even if you bear it all, yet you will not escape, not even if you were an earl, but one torture will follow after another until you say you are a witch (Monter p.85).Following the advice of the jailer (who also smuggled this letter out tohis daughter) he confessed to being a witch and was then questioned as towho his accomplices were, and was then ordered to name several people oneach street in the town, and any in the castle as well. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. Witchcraft in Europe, 11 -17 : ADocumentary History. The history of ideas school in which witchcraft is thought of as a composite of concepts gradually developed over the centuries. Jeroms toombe (Scot p.45).The text later makes note that "Maides having yellow haire are mostmolested with this spirit."(Scot p.45). Witches and Incubi were even able to be blamed forcrimes witnessed by many people, such as the following case reported in atext from 1584 where it appears that the Bishop Sylvanus got away with somefoul play: You shall read in the legend, how in the night time Incubus came to a ladies [sic] bedside, and made hot loove unto hir: whereat she being offended, cried out so lowd, that companie came and found him under hir bed in the likenesse of the holie bishop Sylvanus, which holie man was much defamed therebie, untill at the length of his infamie was purged by the confession of a divell made at S. Perhaps the church learned from the Crusades how much happier andcontent a populace is when they have an outside enemy to fear and hate.The last Crusade was in 127 , leaving no great enemy or quest for thefollowers of the church to rally around. In each of those situationsThe government or church has identified an unpopular of feared minority,attached a severe stigma to them that blamed them for the society's illsand showed them as a dangerous threat to the society, and then followed thepublic enthusiasm to persecute the group so identified. Though Junius' case was unique because of his high station and theextent of that particular inquisition, it appears to be typical in regardto the information-gathering methods used. Lastly and most importantly is a populace that is governedby centralized and consistent laws, and is vulnerable to widespread socialstrain and fear (which did not exist before 14 )(Kors & Peters). The witch-trials also demonstrated veryclearly to any would-be scientists what the church could do to a heretic. The targeting could have reflected a generalmisogyny during that period of time, possibly resulting from the degree ofsexual repression at the time. 2. This enlightenment has greatly strengthened my former suspicions that the evidence of accomplices without external proof from other parties, is insufficient to justify even arrest. The witch-hunts cost the churchalmost nothing compared to the Crusades, but they nonetheless gave thepopulace a common enemy to hate and fear, so that they would look straightto the church for their salvation. The marginalized, unpopular, and odd members of the societywere blamed for all the society's ills, thus providing a scapegoat indifficult times. To understand the degree to which witches could be blamed for people'sproblems, we can look at the harmful acts that the Malleus Maleficarumascribes to witches. The Psychopathological interpretation in which it is contended that demonology overwhelmed psychology in the late Medieval period, with the result that many of the mentally ill were executed as witches. First of all it is necessary to understand the general socialconditions that allowed the witch-hunts to occur. New York: John Wiley &Sons, 1969.Neugebauer, Roger. "Erotic Magic in Medieval Europe." in Sex in the MiddleAges. In thisway, any who would argue against the policy is forewarned that they will beguilty of heresy for the mere expression of that view. The late Medieval period and the early Renaissance were a period ofsignificant social change in European society, and by the law of culturalinertia every revolution has a backlash; perhaps the witch-hunts were aconservative backlash at the changing society of Europe, or perhaps theywere simply the product of a church induced hysteria. It is likely that theconcept of witchcraft was developed over many years, and likely much ofthat concept involved remnants of paganism in Europe such as worship ofsome of the old fertility gods. The church had reasons to worry about theirpower; Copernicus's heliocentric theory in the 15 s was in directopposition to the writing of the scripture, and Galileo's telescope latergave credence to the theory. The mostimportant single factor was sex. "Law, Medicine, and the Acceptance of Witchcraft, 156 -158 ." in European Witchcraft Ed. The witch-hunts ofthe Medieval period had the dual effect of demonstrating the power of theCatholic church and the removal of many marginal groups within Europeansociety. It seems that even some of the Inquisitors lostfaith in what they were doing, as evidenced by the letter written by theInquisitor Salazar: I have not found even indications from which to infer that a single act of witchcraft has really occurred, whether as to going to aquelarres, being present at them, inflicting injuries, or other of the asserted facts. In France and Switzerland, the unneighborly one was morelikely to be accused (Neugebauer p.45). It is also likely that the hunts wereinfluenced by both ecclesiastical fears and misogyny, and also that many ofthe victims were mentally ill. (Zilboorg p. The study of witchcraft and its persecution is part of the study of women's history, specifically the history of social and sexual violence against women. University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, 1972.Midelfort, Erik H. In Germany, social isolation andmelancholy were the greatest factors in whether a woman would be accused(Midelfort p.185). Regardless, they areover now, but the human and societal tendencies that caused them have neverleft. Reading that list, it is hard to imagine anykind of ill that could befall a Medieval village person that could not beattributed to witches. 4. (Russell) A fifth was elucidated by Anne Barstow: 5. 3. In the early Medieval period the Catholicchurch focused the attention of the people on the holy land with theCrusades into the middle-east. Beyond that, thechurch likely benefited from the elimination of so many members of themarginalized groups that were not so directly within their power such asthe Jews and remaining pagans. In fact, theguidelines listed are only in the case of when there are sufficientvoluntary witnesses, and no guidelines are written for an inquisition,which is what occurs when there is nothing but a general report that theremight be witches in the area. Witchcraft in the Middle Ages. (Neugebauer pp.1 -12, 29, 3 ,32). First is a detailed Christian cosmography whichwas a common frame of reference throughout Europe (did not exist before11 ). Thus wesee that it was not long after the last element was in place that thewidespread witch-persecution in Europe began. William Monter. London: Dover Publications,1584.Zilboorg, Gregory. The Margaret Murray tradition, which suggests that European witchcraft was actually an ancient fertility religion based on worship of the horned god Dianus. The Medical Man and the Witch During the Renaissance.Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1935. Old age, being unmarried, poverty were additional factors thatincreased a woman's chances of being accused. In this way, anywho would be noble enough to speak up against the whole process are keptfrom speaking against or questioning the methods or philosophy of theInquisitor. Apparently gentlemen aren't theonly ones who prefer blondes. Ithaca, NY: CornellUniversity Press, 1976.Salisbury, Joyce E. 21-28, 48-66, 96-99, 114-15 ). There was no one group that absorbed the entirety of the witch-hunts,though women caught the brunt of it. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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