A Witch was considered to be any individual (not necessarily a woman, though they were the biggest target) who could mysteriously injure other people. Common maladies attributed to witchcraft included impotence, miscarriage and blindness. Witches were also blamed for animal defects, such as cows not producing milk. According to Chief Justice Edward Coke of England (1552-1634) a witch was“…a person who hath conference with the devil to consult with him or some act.” This illustrates that even the best educated, highest legal body in the land firmly believed in witchcraft. It was no longer a superstition of the peasant classes.
History of Witches in Europe
Belief in witchcraft goes back to ancient days of Europe. The most common tales of witches included those about old women, usually between the ages of 50 and 70, crippled or bent over. The women were typically married or widowed and often practiced as a midwife or other folk medicine. Sharp-tongued women were often suspected of witchcraft. Popular beliefs about witches included them flying around on broomsticks, attending orgies and eating the flesh of infants.
Witch Hunts During the Protestant Reformation
With all the upheaval during the Protestant Reformation during the 16th Century, renewed beliefs in witchcraft blossomed all across Europe. At this time the idea developed that witches made pacts with the devil, in return for the power to cause harm to their enemies. And since making a pact with the devil was considered a renunciation of God, and that translated into heresy, many of those accused of witchcraft were persecuted.
Witch Hunts Throughout Europe
The increase in accusations of witchcraft was seen all over Europe. In Bavaria, 3,229 witches were executed between 1561 and 1670, most of them by burning at the stake. The Swiss Confederation (a prelude to Switzerland) tried over 8,000 people for witchcraft between 1470-1700, executing 5,400 of them. In England, before 1500, witches were blamed for 3 deaths, a broken leg, and several severe storms. From 1559-1736 they were blamed for thousands of deaths, with 1,000 people executed as witches.
Explanations for the Witch Hunts in Europe
The most obvious reason for the European Witch Hunts is that they offered handy scapegoats for just about anything a person could think up. After all, the English blamed military failures on Joan of Arc’s sorcery, so why shouldn’t a peasant blame his neighbor if his cow dried up or if he had problems performing his marital duties? Women in particular, where kept in their place, by threats of witchcraft. Tens of thousands of women were executed during the European Witch Hunt, all done on legal grounds.
Sources:
Mckay, Hill, Buckler. A History of World Societies: Volume II Since 1500. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1992.
Lorri Brown - I am a published freelance writer living in the beautiful foothills of Western Maine. Mom to four wonderful children, my passion for ...
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