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Historically, the label "witch" has been used to oppress individuals, usually those who were misfits from society, or whom had made enemies within power elites (typically the clergy or nobility). People were thus thought to be witches because certain powerful influences named them as such; reasons given by the accusers for calling someone a witch were an ex post factolist of manufactured cultural taboos; that is, you accused someone of being a witch (as a ploy for power), then cooked up a list of bogus reasons that they were one afterwards.
Much of what is associated with witches (and witchcraft) come from pre-Christian pagan ritualism; in particular, from native (i.e. aboriginal) religious practices. Thus, Christians tended to label such practices as "witchcraft". This included certain types of animal sacrifices and blood rituals, the use of non-Christian pagan symbols, and belief in non-divine supernatural effects (such as the power of potions and spells to affect the physical world).
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Are witches inoccent?
witches don't exist but the people killed because people thought they were witches are Innocent in movies and films they are evil
What happened to people who thought to be witches?
They always ended up dying!
What happens to people who were thought to be witches?
They always ended up dying!
How were witches treated?
Witches were to be believed evil in the old days. They would usually burn a witch to the stake or just hang them.The accused "witches" were treated terrible. The people of Salem thought that if someone was a witch, the witch would do horrible things. The people also thought that they should get rid of the witches, so they would drown people who they thought was a witch and if you were you would be able to undrown yourself with your powers and it you weren't you were just led there to drown!
What did the people think the reason for the black plague was?
the people thought the cause of the black plague was a witches curse.
Why were women killed for being a witch?
Because back then they thought that witches were really bad people so the people who they thought were witches actually weren't it was just a disease that people were getting from eating really moldy bread.
Why were so many people executed even if they weren't witches?
People back during the Salem Witch Trials became so paranoid that they thought anyone acting strangely were witches.
What kind of people were thought to be witches?
Witches were commonly thought to be old women, poor and usually unprotected. They were often single women or widows. Also witches were closely associated with living alone (in a house in the woods). Common pets for a witch to have were frogs, ravens, goats and mice.
Witches burned in France at the stake?
yes. people accused of being witches were burned at stake, sometimes, people thought that witches could take the form of cats, so if you saw a cat more then three times, and it was the same, the cat would be found and burned at stake.
Why were witches accused?
"Witches" did not really exist, but people were frightened by the thought of them. They would burn or hang witches. Citezens that nobody liked were usually accused of being witches in order do get rid of them. Others were accused because they did not fit in or were very strange, so they were suspects of practicing witchcraft.
What are the three supernatural powers that people thought witches had?
Three supernatural powers attributed to witches were the ability to fly, the power to shape-shift into animals, and the practice of casting spells or curses on others.
When did witches hunts begin?
it began when people would accuse others that they really hated and thought that they were acting evil and witch.
