Did Germans Employ Witchcraft In Antiquity?

The term “witch” originates from the Anglo-Saxon term “wicce”, meaning knowledge. The female version is “wicce”. The belief in witches, the publication of the 15th-century witchcraft treatise Malleus Maleficarum, and the witch trials in German-speaking lands are significant aspects of early modern Europe. Factors such as war, famine, religion, and the publication of the handbook by Heinrich Kramer on witchcraft were influenced by witch panic.

Germany was once the witch-burning capital of the world, and protection against Satan and his witch-y minions was a hot commodity in early modern Europe. In Pennsylvania, a German brotherhood used witchcraft to connect with nature, celebrating solstices and honoring fertility deities. Their practices included trances and astral travel, evolving into a belief. The practice of magic and the belief in supernatural beings were integral to Germanic paganism, with various rituals and spells performed to ensure good harvests, protect against evil spirits, and heal the sick.

In Germany, witches are mostly portraid as evil or at odds with other religious groups. The intense witch-hunting in Germany, especially between 1580-1630, has led its leading historian to assert that “witchcraft is as ‘German’ as…”

The history of witchcraft in Germany is gruesome, with the largest amount of witches convicted in Würzburg during 1625-1631. The German witch craze in early modern Europe is based on rich archival records of trials and laws, as well as the chronology, climate, dynamics, and causes of the witch craze.

Who is the goddess of the German witches?

Frau Perchta, also known as Berchta, Bertha, or “Spinnstubenfrau”, is a Christmas-time goddess and witch from the Alpine regions of southern Germany and Austria. She is a resemblance to the Scandinavian goddess Frigga and shares a common obsession with spinning and domestic neatness. Frau Perchta is known for her judgmental nature and punishment for lazy ladies who haven’t finished their weaving. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, there have been numerous tales of Frau Perchta trampling and even setting fire to half-spun fibers.

If you irritate her, such as not spinning your flax or leaving out a traditional bowl of porridge, she will steal into your bedroom, disembowel you, and replace your guts with rocks and straw. Frau Perchta is a staple in the Alpine regions of southern Germany and Austria, but is relatively under-the-radar in North America.

What did Vikings call witches?

The Vikings, known as “Volva”, were magic workers who carried staff-like wands and were mostly seeresses. They also cast spells for love, healing, and victory. Although respected, they existed outside normal Viking society and were considered “other”. The Vikings believed in magic, using their runic alphabet to work spells, seeing the future through certain rituals, and singing magical songs called Galdr. They also trusted in magic potions.

Rune magic was primarily the domain of men, including hero runemasters like Egill Skallagrimsson. However, women practiced magic known as Seidr, which translates to “bind” or “cord/rope”. The Volva practitioners were known for their unique skills and abilities. The Vikings’ belief in magic and the use of their runic alphabet and magical songs contributed to their unique and complex worldview.

What country had the worst witch trials?

The Würzburg witch trials of 1625-1631 were one of the largest mass trials and executions in Europe, and one of the largest witch trials in history. The trials took place in the self-governing Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg, present-day Germany, during the Thirty Years War between Protestants and Catholics. The trials resulted in the execution of hundreds of people, including women, children, and men, who were burned at the stake, sometimes after being beheaded or alive.

The trials were conducted by a Catholic Prince Bishop who aimed to introduce the Counter-Reformation in his territory. The trials were one of the four largest witch trials in Germany, along with the Trier witch trials, Fulda witch trials, and Bamberg witch trials.

What European country had the most witch trials?

Witch hunting in Early Modern Europe was a frenzy that occurred in two waves: the first in the 15th and early 16th centuries and the second in the 17th century. The most significant area of witch hunting was southwestern Germany, where the highest concentration of trials occurred between 1561 and 1670. The 1692-1693 Salem Witch Trials were a brief outburst of witch hysteria in the New World, occurring when the practice was already waning in Europe.

In February 1692, a girl became ill and her playmates exhibited unusual behavior. A supernatural cause was suggested, leading to suspicions of witchcraft. Three townswomen were accused of witchcraft: Tituba, a slave, Sarah Good, a poor beggar, and Sarah Osborne, a quarrelsome woman. During the trial, Tituba declared herself a witch and flew through the air on poles, silenced skeptics, and witch hunting began in earnest.

What country in Europe had witchcraft?

Witch-hunts were prevalent in early modern Europe, with central and southern Germany being the most significant area. Germany was a late starter in witch trials, with the peak years occurring from 1561 to 1670. The first major persecution of witches occurred in Wiesensteig, southwestern Germany, in 1563. These witch-hunts spread across Europe, with learned European ideas about witchcraft and demonological ideas strongly influencing the North. Economic pressure also played a significant role in these witch-hunts, as seen in regions like Bavaria and Scotland.

In Denmark, the burning of witches increased following the reformation of 1536, with Christian IV of Denmark encouraging this practice. In Finnmark, northern Norway, severe witchcraft trials took place between 1600-1692. The Witchcraft Act 1541 in England regulated penalties for witchcraft. In Scotland, over 70 people were accused of witchcraft due to bad weather when James VI of Scotland visited Denmark in 1590.

James VI personally presided over the torture and execution of Doctor Fian, and published a witch-hunting manual, Daemonologie, which contained the famous dictum: “Experience daily proves how loath they are to confess without torture”.

The Pendle witch trials of 1612 became the most famous witch trials in English history. In England, witch-hunting reached its apex in 1644 to 1647 due to Puritan Matthew Hopkins’ efforts. Hopkins charged towns hefty fees during the English Civil War and had 300 convictions and deaths attributed to his work. His book, The Discovery of Witches, became an influential legal text, and it was used in the American colonies as early as May 1647, when Margaret Jones was executed for witchcraft in Massachusetts.

Is germanic pagan?

The Germanic paganism was a nature-based faith, with the festivals dedicated to nature deities such as Ostara, the goddess of spring. Additionally, the early Germanic tribes are known to have possessed a corpus of songs pertaining to an Earth god named Tuisto, who is identified as the grandfather of the Germanic people.

How old is German paganism?

Germanic religion refers to the religious traditions of speakers of Germanic languages, which are not a unified or codified set of beliefs or practices. It has strong regional variations and is often referred to as “Germanic religions”. In many contact areas, such as Rhineland and eastern and northern Scandinavia, Germanic paganism was similar to neighboring religions such as the Slavs, Celts, or Finnic peoples. The term “Germanic religion” is sometimes applied to practices dating back to the Stone Age or Bronze Age, but its use is more generally restricted to the early Iron Age period.

Controversy exists over the degree of continuity of beliefs and practices between the earliest attestations in Tacitus and the later attestations of Norse paganism from the high Middle Ages. Many scholars argue for continuity, seeing evidence of commonalities between the Roman, early medieval, and Norse attestations, while others are skeptical. The majority of Germanic gods attested by name during the Roman period cannot be related to a later Norse god, and many names attested in Nordic sources are similarly without any known non-Nordic equivalents.

Most scholars accept some form of continuity between Indo-European and Germanic religion, but the degree of continuity is a subject of controversy. Jens Peter Schjødt writes that while many scholars view comparisons of Germanic religion with other attested Indo-European religions positively, “just as many, perhaps even more, have been sceptical”.

Bernhard Maier argues that similarities with other Indo-European religions do not necessarily result from a common origin but can also be the result of convergence.

What is the old German word for witch?

The term “Hexe” was not always the most common German term for witches, but it derives from the Old High German term “hagazussa”, which was used to describe the female spirit in Nordic mythology who straddled the boundary between gods and men. The term hagazussa and its derivatives had distinct connotations, including a female comedian, a slovenly woman, and a cannibalistic, night-flying female spirit. These concepts were rarely associated with sorcery.

The term “Hexereye” was first used in the fifteenth century in connection with witch hunts in Switzerland. By the late fifteenth century, variations on the term Hexe were used to denote the modern witch in Switzerland and neighboring German-speaking regions. However, outside of southwestern Germany, the term Hexe seldom appears in witch trial records. More common terms include Unhulde and Zauberin, or regional terms such as Kunstfrauw and Töwersche (northern Germany), Trutte (Bavaria), and Weidlerin (eastern Germany).

Unhulde, also known as Unhold, was in constant use from the Middle Ages on. It was initially used for a malevolent spirit in Nordic mythology, but with the spread of Christianity, it became associated with pagan gods and the Christian devil. From the eleventh century, it was used to describe night-flying spirits of folk belief, both good and evil.

Zauberin, also known as Zauberer, was used to refer to a sorceress in both Old High German and Middle High High German forms. Witchcraft and sorcery share elements, but sorcery was not associated with other practices of witchcraft until the fifteenth century when the term “Zimmerin” and its variations (including Zaubrerin, Zeuberin, and Zwebrynne) came to signify the modern witch. Only the female form of the term was permanently linked to the modern witch.

Where did witchcraft originate?

Witchcraft in Europe dates back to classical antiquity, with accused witches often women who were believed to have used black magic or maleficium against their community. These accusations were often made by neighbors and social tensions, and were believed to be thwarted by protective magic or counter-magic. Suspected witches were often intimidated, banished, attacked, or killed, and were often formally prosecuted and punished. European witch-hunts and witch trials led to tens of thousands of executions.

Although magical healers and midwives were sometimes accused of witchcraft themselves, they made up a minority of those accused. European belief in witchcraft gradually dwindled during and after the Age of Enlightenment.

Indigenous belief systems also define witches as malevolent and seek healers and medicine people for protection against witchcraft. Some African and Melanesian peoples believe witches are driven by an evil spirit or substance. Modern witch-hunting takes place in parts of Africa and Asia. Today, followers of certain types of modern paganism self-identify as witches and use the term witchcraft for their beliefs and practices.

How did witchcraft begin in Europe?

The origins of European witchcraft can be traced back to classical antiquity, when magic and religion were closely related. In Ancient Rome, laws against harmful magic were in place, and accusations of heresy and devil worship grew more prevalent. By the early modern period, major witch hunts began to occur, partly fueled by religious tensions, societal anxieties, and economic upheaval. Witches were often viewed as dangerous sorceresses or sorcerers in a pact with the Devil, capable of causing harm through black magic. A feminist interpretation suggests that misogynist views of women led to the association of women with malevolent witchcraft.

The Malleus Maleficarum, a 1486 treatise, provided a framework for identifying, prosecuting, and punishing witches. The burgeoning influence of the Catholic Church led to a wave of witch trials across Europe, targeting marginalized individuals, including women, the elderly, and those who did not conform to societal norms. The witch-craze reached its peak between the 16th and 17th centuries, resulting in the execution of tens of thousands of people.

The Tsardom of Russia also experienced witchcraft trials during the 17th century, accusing witches of practicing sorcery and engaging in supernatural activities, leading to their excommunication and execution. The fear of witches shifted from mere superstition to a tool for political manipulation, targeting individuals who posed threats to the ruling elite.

What are Germanic witches called?

In Germanic paganism, a seeress is a woman believed to have the ability to predict future events and perform sorcery. They are also known as witches or priestesses, and are often referred to as völva or vala in Norse mythology. Seeresses were an expression of pre-Christian shamanic traditions in Europe and held an authoritative position in Germanic society. They were mentioned as early as the Roman era, leading armed resistance against Roman rule and acting as envoys to Rome.

After the Roman Era, seeresses appeared in records among the North Germanic people, where they form a recurring motif in Norse mythology. Ancient Roman and Greek literature records several Germanic seeresses, including Albruna, Veleda, Ganna, and Waluburg. Norse mythology mentions several seeresses, some by name, including Heimlaug völva, Þorbjörg lítilvölva, Þordís spákona, and Þuríðr Sundafyllir.

In North Germanic religion, the goddess Freyja has a particular association with seeresses, with Viking princess Olga of Kiev serving as a “priestess of Freyja” among the Scandinavian elite before they converted to Christianity.