Fear, Panic, & Confusion in Europe OR How to Make a Neighbor A Witch
When viewing something like the history of accusations of witchcraft and the trials that took place in Europe through a modern lense, it can be very hard to understand how such horrible events could occur. However, once the events are put into more modern context of persecution and fear it is easier to understand. It could be argued that every element that lead to widespread accusations of witchcraft and heresy still exist today, and have been a continuous part of society since the end of this period of history up to the modern day. Terrorism is a prime example used in the video lecture to show just how easy it can be for a society in panic to seek out and focus on a singular target. In today’s world superstition and a lack of understanding have created an environment of persecution just as they did in Europe during the time of the Witchcraze.
In hindsight it's easy to see that fear was the primary reason accusations of witchcraft ran rampant for a time. It's also easy to see that a break within Christianity lead to countless individuals being accused of heresy. In Protestant areas, those who held steadfast to the Roman Catholic tradition could easily be seen as heretics since protestants viewed the old church as evil and having drifted from the true message of Christ. The reverse is also true, in areas heavily populated by Catholics the protestant adherents were seen as having broken away from the true teachings of Christ by denouncing the Holy Sea. In modern times a wide variety of ideas and various religions have spread globally and the difference between Catholicism and the Protestant tradition seem to be relatively minor. However, in an environment as religious and contentious as Europe was during this period of time it's hard to imagine that such accusations could not arise.
To be a heretic can be seen as unrelated to witchcraft but at the time the two seemed to go hand in hand since witches were seen as in cahoots with the devil himself. To become a witch an individual was believed to have made a pact with the devil himself, or a proxy that had already sold their soul, and to have sold their soul to him in order to obtain their powers. In exchange for this pact the devil would provide for your greatest desires until your soul was eventually remitted to an eternity in Hell. During your remaining time on Earth you are committed to doing evil biddings. Once the pact is made you will be given a mark of the devil, often birthmarks or defects were used as evidence that an individual was committed to satan. Finally, one must accept the devil as their ultimate lord and master; they must do this by casting away all things that would connect them to God and denounce Christ.
Not only did one need to make a deal with the devil there were also many ritualistic elements that individuals believed took place. Baptism, although a distorted version, was seen as a crucial cerimonial step. Individuals would have their name inscribed in the Devil’s Book and then they could begin to worship the devil in a proper way. Witches had to partake in rituals like child sacrifice. This is part of the reason that so many of the accused were midwives. During this period of time infant mortality was extremely high, making midwives an easy scapegoat for the tragic loss of young life. Woman were particularly targeted by witch hunters. The Witch’s Hammer was a book written by Christian inquisitors that lead to a great many individuals being accused of and tried for witchcraft. This work of literature was highly misogynistic. It painted women as weak and easily seduced by the devil. The proliferation of this piece of work goes a long way to identify why the majority of the victims during this time were women.
Additionally, just as today, the poor were easy targets for these accusations as they were the disposable section of society and had little recourse for defense. Superstition is a powerful thing. When there is an entire climate of superstition it can be a very hard thing for any individual to overcome but particularly those of low means. Individuals in villages were prime targets for these accusations as differences in social classes began to develop. The rituals and beliefs held in regards to witches during this time were constructed and disseminated by individuals that used these fears as a way to keep their own sense of order.
The ultimate downfall and end of this witchcraze is the rise of secularization. While secularization may have ended things like witch trials it did not erase and eradicate fear or hysteria. Religion, to this very day, has elements of superstition and the mystical. Blaming an unseen evil and attributing it to a group of individuals who are outsiders continues across the pages of history and will likely never entirely end. The legacy of these events has also been carried into the 21st century and will likely remain, yet we rarely seem to glean any meaningful lesson from these terrible events. The names, faces, and accusations have all changed but human nature has not.
Resources:
The Terror of History, The Witch Hunt in Early Modern Europe, UCLA