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Medieval Witch Hunts
The period of classical witch hunts between the 14th and 18th centuries, incorporating the Scottish North Berwick witch trials, Swedish Torsåker witch trials and the American Salem witch trials.
500 Questions
Why were there witch hunts in Europe?
Asked by Wiki User
In the early Middle Ages, laws for much of Europe made it clear that belief in witches was a matter of superstition. The laws of the Carolingian Empire and the Kingdom of Lombardy both made killing people as witches a capital crime. Nevertheless, in other parts of Europe, the practice of prosecuting people accused as witches continued, and there were a number of executions.
In the Late Middle Ages, episcopal inquisitions were formed to investigate accusations of practice of witchcraft. But there was no systematic approach to prosecution or punishment, and there appears to have been no effort to eradicate witches proactively. Interestingly, prosecutions increased coincidentally with the beginnings of the Renaissance.
With the invention of the printing press, materials written on witchcraft began to circulate. A papal bull authorizing a systematic prosecution of witches appeared in 1484, and the result was first major book promoting witch hunts, Malleus Maleficarum, which was published in 1487 and was widely circulated.
As the interest in witch hunts increased, secular authorities, such as King James I of England and Christian IV of Denmark, began to get involved. King James I actually wrote his own book on identifying witches. Offers of bounties were made. People became expert in finding, prosecuting, and executing witches for pay. This continued through the 16th and 17th centuries, especially in Northern Europe.
The last witch trials in Europe took place in the 18th century. In 1735, the laws of England were modified to make practice of witchcraft a type of fraud, and the law was enforced as a way to harass Gypsies and spiritualists into the 20th century.
What were witches accused of in Medieval Times?
Asked by Wiki User
Medieval witches were not accused of much.
Witches were accused of all sorts of mischief, but that was during the Renaissance, not in medieval times. In medieval times, there were laws against witchcraft in some places, but the laws of the Carolingian Empire and the Kingdom of the Lombards both made it clear that belief in witchcraft was unacceptably superstitious and so prosecuting people as witches was illegal. And under the laws of King Athelstan, in Anglo Saxon England, it was a capital crime to execute a person for witchcraft.
There is a link below to an article on witch hunts.
What caused the witch hunts of England?
Asked by Wiki User
The really intense witch hunts in England were the result of the intense feeling on the subject by King James I of England, who was also King James VI of Scotland. These began in North Berwick, Scotland in 1590, after King James had been hit by a storm while at sea on the way to Denmark, where he was to marry. The storm was blamed on witches. King James I published a book called Daemonologie on the subject of witches, and it was influential in later trials in Britain, North America, and elsewhere.
It should be noted that this was not during the Middle Ages, but rather a thing of the Renaissance.
Please see the links below.
Why were witches floated?
Asked by Wiki User
cause they believed that if a witch floated she was a true witch. if the person sank, they weren't a witch, and also dead to prove it.
Where did witches get caught?
Asked by Wiki User
Well, they didn't really get caught. People saw them doing witch craft and reported them, then they would have a trial and if the person was found guilty of witchcraft and they didn't admit it, then they would have a hanging day made and be thrown in prison until that day came, then they would die.
How many witches has Matthew Hopkins accused?
Asked by Wiki User
1,678900 were accused and only 2,67840 were found "guilty"
Are there any evil true stories of evil witches?
Asked by Wiki User
No. Witches are not real, thus a story about them (evil or not) cannot be true.
How could witches be identified?
Asked by Wiki User
Witches Would ...
· Have familiars (pets) such as cats, toads and birds.
· Have a mark or lump from where they have fed their familiar their own blood
· Can hurt people by just looking at them
· Make curses that work
· Can't say the lord's prayer without making a mistake
· Have hair that can't be cut
· Mumble curses
What did people in medieval times reacted to witches?
Asked by Wiki User
they loved witches. Just accepted them for who the areee they loved witches. Just accepted them for who the areee
How did medieval people react to witches?
Asked by Wiki User
Ignorant people were afraid of witches. Clearly there were people who had occult practices that were regarded as witchcraft, and what these were is a matter of debate. But the reaction of populations of people to witches varied with time and place.
In such places as the Carolingian Empire and the Kingdom of the Lombards, the official, legal, belief was that witchcraft was a superstition. There were laws saying anyone who burned a person accused of witchcraft was guilty of murder and had committed a capital crime.
Other countries had laws against witchcraft, and these varied in how they handled those accused.
The common people of some areas of Europe asked the Church to do something on the subject, and the result was papal bulls providing for inquisitions. This happened at the end of the Middle Ages. The actual witch hunts began about 100 years after the Middle Ages ended.
There is a link to an article on witch hunts below, where more information can be found.
What did witches do in the 1500-1600?
Asked by Wiki User
Witches were said to be able to speak with the devi, and with his help they could communicate with the dead.
Some could see into the future.
They could make people ill using spells and potions or even kill people.
They could fly and make themselves invisible at will.
They used animal such as cats or birds (familiars) as disguises for the evil spirits who served them.
They could bring bad weather, such as storms or lightning, to affect ships and ruin crops.
Basically, people blamed witches for anything that went wrong!
Fact: In Scotland between 1590 and 1680, it is estimated that4400 'witches' were executed.
Witch hunters (like Matthew Hopkins) used to look for signs showing if people were witches or not (if they saw an old woman with a pet cat or a familiar they may have accused them of being a witch). Many witch hunters didn't even believe in witches and just did the job for the money. Also, many people who were accused of witchcraft only admitted to being a witch to stop the torture.
How were witches treated in 17th century?
Asked by Wiki User
in the 17th century Witches where treated very poorly , they where normally accused of being a old lady in the woods with either a black cat.
they would be hanged , burnt alive or they would be 'dunked' this is where they would tie them up and place them into a lake or river , if they floated they where classed a witch , but if they didn't they wouldn't be a witch , but either way , they would a die . 'Duh' .
what where named 'witches' where treated Very badly and didn't deserve to be treated that way.
Hope that covers a bit about witches !!
