The use of witch hunts
There have been many different reasons for the witch-hunts, several times it has been for political interest or even pushed by the clergy.
Witchcraft cases increased slowly but steadily from the 14th-15th century. The first mass trials appeared in the 15th century. Around 1550, the persecution skyrocketed. What we think of as "the Burning Times", the crazes, panics, and mass hysteria, largely occurred in one century, from 1550-1650. In the 17th century, the Great Hunt passed nearly as suddenly as it had arisen. Trials decreased after 1650 and disappeared completely by the end of the 18th century.
The time of prosecution (1550-1650). During the religious quarrel and confrontation between Catholics and Protestants the parties accused each other of being involved in magic and led by the devil. This led to a hunt, anxiously eliminating any people with a suspicious behaviour to ensure that Catholic or Protestant believers were not tainted.
After the hunts the attitude of the people changed (1700-1800). Both sides accused each other of killing many good innocent Christians. Protestants used the argument that the number of victims in Catholic communities was bigger by absolute number. In this way they intended to prove that their concept on society is better.
When the abuse of this topic decreased in the churches it was picked up by politics (1850-1945). Politicians accused the church of being involved in suspicious magic. This was a way of changing people’s beliefs, instead of depending on the church, people were supposed to depend on their government. Files were collected to denounce religion in general.
From the 1970’s onward the history related to witches has been completely ignored and used to the benefit of whomever it may benefit. This topic has proved itself useful for practical aims. A group of American feminist activists used the idea of their abused past to get sinecures within their society and state. The story of witches, (women) being hunted down and tortured also was useful for journalism and mass media, as they interpreted the history with pornographic aspects.
The mass trials
The uprising of mass tribunals against magic was supported by the idea that the world was going to come to an end, like the Apocalypse that the Bible refers to. The bible describes how the devil will send his disciples over the earth and destroy it. The person being prosecuted could be one of the devil’s servants and no one would know it. They tortured the victims so they would give up the names of the other people in the cult.
Witches had become the answer to all the problems that the society suffered. If children were not perfect at birth, had a handicap or some sort of deficiency, a devil’s disciple was blamed. Even quarrels between neighbours could be seen as suspicious behaviour. If there was crop failure, diseases or death among the people or cattle someone had to be blamed, and for this they found an alleged witch. The people, scared by all kind of catastrophes, could not find any other explanation for the misery of their time. The majority of people who witnessed the trials were convinced that the person before them was a witch. Up to the time when, even them had been accused.
Many historical documents tell us that a lot of the prosecutions were due to irresponsible gossip, showing off and stupid superstitions. The tragic death of many citizens has been put down to negligent blabbing women. The authorities were as much to blame as these women, as a rumour was considered evidence. This neurotic women that wanted attention were the main engine of prosecution.
Confusion of the time
The mass prosecutions occurred between the 16th and 17th century. They occurred as a means to explain the negative things that could not be explained in the society those days.
Looking back on the time there have been some factors that have been identified as an explanation to the behaviour of the people in this time period.
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From the beginning of the 15th century up to the beginning of the 19th there has been a noticeable climate change. The results have been a tendency of cold and wet weather. This explains the failed crops of the time.
- The thirty years war. The hygiene standards decreased during times of poverty and misery. The movement of soldiers all over Europe promoted the upcoming of epidemics. The number of deaths by epidemics was similar to the one of the number of hunger and war victims.
- Added to the above, between 1500 and 1650 there were unusual amounts of comets, wolf packs and other abnormalities that were confusing. All this led people to believe that the Apocalypses was coming, so fear reigned over Europe and the authorities were determined to find the culprits.
During such a time of changes, wars and diseases, historical documents show an increase of brutality in the society. The political confrontations are portrayed in the citizen’s confrontations. The insult of magic was an effective weapon against every enemy.
Popular belief
The popular belief of the time was that the devil’s servants on earth met every Thursday night on a meeting called Convent. At the meeting they preformed orgies, worshiped the devil and planned the next weeks catastrophes. Satan whipped who had not completed the assignment for the week.
Today’s witch-hunts
The last trial of Modern times, using the 17th century law was in London in 1944. The last official trial was in 1979 in Nairobi, Kenya. In spite of this the fear of the occult, magic and the supernatural is still very much alive in our world today. People are still prosecuted for their beliefs in the occult, witches or practising witchcraft.
Here is a list of the victims of “witch-hunts” that have been accounted for in the 21st century:
- Lopez Kathleen: stabbed 60 times and beheaded, at Santa Fe, Mexico, October 2000
- Dalesu: beaten to death, Ramarayi, India, November, 2000
- Tikambai Sahu: killed by a mob, Nagpur, India. 27 June 2000
- Uppala Pochaiah: 70 years old, beaten to death in Kothpalli village, India, November 8 2000
- Smith, tempest: 12 years old: committed suicide at Lincoln Park, Michigan, 20 February 2001
- Jongolo, Sola: beaten to death in Maili Tano village, Tanzania, 9 April 2001
- Unknown woman: hacked to pieces by a mob in Segima, Chimbu province, - - Papua New Guinea, 12 April 2001
- Fandey, Mona: executed in Malaysia, 2 November 2001
- Rahman, Mohamed Affandi Abdul: executed in Malaysia, 2 November 2001
- Hussin, Juraimi: executed in Malaysia, 2 November 2001
- Lopez, Diego Hernandez: and three others shot in San Cristobal do Las Casas , Mexico, 15 September, 2002
- Shilon, Domingo Shilon: stoned to death and hacked with machetes, San Juan Chamula, Mexico, 2003.
Here is the news paper article of the murder of Domingo Shilon Shilon:
Man stoned by witch-hunt mob
A man accused of practising witchcraft has been attacked with machetes and stoned to death by a mob in Mexico.
After killing the man in San Juan Chamula, south-east of Mexico City, the crowd burnt the body of Domingo Shilon Shilon, 50.
Witchcraft is often blamed for illness or the deaths of children in the area, where many people practice faith healing and residents engage in white magic.
Mr Shilon, like most of his alleged attackers, was a native Tzotzil Indian, a branch of the Maya.
Police say it is often difficult to prosecute such cases as witnesses are frequently unwilling to testify.
In 1996, residents of another San Juan Chamula neighbourhood beat and then hanged a man suspected of causing illness and bad luck through witchcraft.
The villagers killed the man after they found bottles and objects he allegedly used in casting spells on people.
Story filed: 17:28 Monday 14th April 2003
Conclusion
Studying and analysing the attitude of people towards witches we can deduce that witches, as people said to perceive them, were not real. The name witch has been given to a non existent illusion for the purpose of understanding the unknown.
Uneducated people are easily swayed and made to believe things that are not real. Due to this authorities have used the witches and witch-hunts to satisfy a demand from the public. Killing innocent people gave the community a sense of hope, ironic as it seems. The people felt protected from disaster if the people they thought were to blame were killed.
In more modern days the stories of witches and magic have been an opportunity to benefit companies. These tragic events have been used in the interest of people in modern times distorting and hiding the truth of the facts.
Bibliography
www. Illusions .com
The History Channel
The Crucible
