Existed Solely In The United States?

The views of witchcraft in North America have evolved through a complex history of cultural beliefs and interactions. Indigenous communities such as the Cherokee, Hopi, and Native Americans have diverse beliefs about witchcraft. American colonial conceptions of witchcraft led to drama and death, with accused individuals often ostracized, punished, and sometimes killed. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a prominent example of anti-witch persecutions, with the last charge brought to trial in 1878.

In line with English tradition, the American colonies did not burn suspected witches at the stake but instead executed them through hanging. In 1647, Hartford saw the first witch-related execution in colonial America when Alse Young was sent to the gallows. The Salem Witch Trials were far from the only persecutions over witchcraft in 17th-century colonial America, but they loomed the largest in parts of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 involved more than 200 people accused of practicing witchcraft, with twenty of those people executed, most by hanging. The witch-hunts were particularly severe in parts of the Holy Roman Empire, with prosecutions reaching a high point from 1560 to 1630.

Neopagan witchcraft practices such as Wicca emerged in the mid-20th century, and the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 are considered the largest persecutions over witchcraft in 17th-century colonial America. Witch-beliefs and witchcraft trials have evolved over time, with some states having laws against fortunetelling and other divinatory practices.

When were the Russian witch trials?

The Lukh witch trials, which took place between 1656 and 1660 in Lukh, Russia, constituted a significant event in the region’s history. The proceedings resulted from accusations made against 25 males, who were alleged to have cast a spell on 45 individuals. This alleged spell was purported to have caused fits in 33 women and two men, as well as impotence in ten men. Five of the accused were sentenced to death for practicing sorcery.

What countries had witch trials?

During the fourteenth century, there was no concept of demonic witchcraft, but later a unified concept combined ideas of noxious magic, a pact with the Devil, and an assembly of witches for Satanic worship into one category of crime. Witch trials were infrequent compared to later centuries, with a significant proportion held in France. Until 1330, trials were linked to prominent figures in the church or politics, as victims or accused suspects. More than half took place in France, where it was the usual way of explaining royal deaths in the direct Capetian line. The papacy of John XXII was another engine for witchcraft accusations.

The political dimension of witchcraft accusations disappeared after 1334, while the charges remained mild. The large majority of trials until 1375 were in France and Germany. The number of trials rose after 1375, when many municipal courts adopted inquisitorial procedure and penalties for false accusations were abolished. Prominent centers of witch prosecutions were France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

In Italy, accusations of diabolism gradually became more common and important in prosecutions, although they were still less common than trials for sorcery. Records of witch trials from this century also lacked extensive descriptions of meetings of witches.

Étienne-Léon de Lamothe-Langon’s 1829 book Histoire de l’inquisition en France described a sudden outburst of mass witch trials ending in hundreds of executions, and the accused were portrayed as the stereotypical demonic witch. His work established the view that witch hunts suddenly began in the late Middle Ages and implied a link with Catharism. However, Norman Cohn and Richard Kieckhefer showed independently in the 1970s that the alleged records in Histoire de l’inquisition were highly dubious and possible forgeries.

Were there witch trials in Italy?

Northern Italy experienced its first wave of witch trials earlier than most of Europe, peaking during the Italian Renaissance. Mass witch trials occurred in various locations, including Cuneo, Pavia, Valtellina, Canavese, Peveragno, and Carignano. The Italian witch trials reached their peak during the Italian Wars. After the 1530s, witchcraft executions decreased, and lesser punishments became common. A second wave of witchcraft executions occurred during the Counter-Reformation, reaching their peak between circa 1580 and 1660 before decreasing.

The Inquisition typically conducted witch trials on the request of local authorities and the public. Some of the biggest trials in Italy were the Val Camonica witch trials of 1518-1521 and the Sondrino witch trials of 1523. The Inquisition respected normal legal practices and the accused’s rights more than secular courts, and they were known to revoke sentences made by secular courts in witchcraft cases when the accused’s rights were violated in contemporary law.

Were there witch trials in the US other than Salem?

The Connecticut witch trials, also known as the Hartford witch trials, were the first large-scale witch trials in the American colonies, occurring from 1647 to 1663. The trials, which included 37 cases, 11 of which resulted in executions, began with the execution of Alse Young of Windsor in 1647. The witch panic in Connecticut continued until 1670 with the release of Katherine Harrison.

The history of witchcraft in Connecticut is difficult to trace due to the lack of documentation from the accusations, trials, and executions. However, there is enough evidence to gain insight into the culture of witchcraft trials at the time. Reverends Samuel Stone of Hartford, Joseph Haynes of Wethersfield, and Samuel Hooker of Farmington served on a “prosecutorial tribunal” during the trials, which contradicted the traditional idea that prosecutors should remain skeptical and immune to public pressure to convict. Thomas Welles was the Magistrate during the trials.

Alse Young was the first person executed for witchcraft in Connecticut and likely in the entire American colonies. Her execution was recorded in the journals of John Winthrop, the governor of Massachusetts Bay, and Matthew Grant, the second town clerk of Windsor. There are no further surviving records on Young’s trial or charges against her. An influenza epidemic in New England around the time of the trial may have influenced the accusations against her. Young was likely married or related to John Young of Windsor, making her an attractive target.

When did witchcraft start in England?

In the 16th and 17th centuries, England’s belief in witches spread across the country. Witchcraft was first made a capital offence in 1542 under Henry VIII’s statute, but was later repealed. Witch fever reached its peak when it was again classified as a felony in 1562 under Elizabeth I’s statute. This led to thousands of people, mostly women, being falsely accused, forced to confess under torture, and punished.

Matthew Hopkins, a self-proclaimed Witchfinder General, was the most notorious witch-hunter in the 1640s, jailing and interrogating women and men believed to be witches in the dark cells of Colchester Castle.

The market place in King’s Lynn was a scene of public executions of alleged witches, with Margaret Read being the most famous. In 1590, Margaret was found guilty and burned alive, with legend suggesting that her heart jumped from her body and hit the wall opposite, leaving a permanent burn on the brick.

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.

Were there witch trials in Germany?

The initial instances of witchcraft prosecutions in Germany commenced in the latter half of the fifteenth century, gradually disseminating from the southwestern regions to the northern and eastern areas. Two significant periods of witch-hunting affected a considerable portion of the county, occurring around 1590 and 1630.

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.

Where do witches originate in Europe?

Thessaly, a region known for witches, was a significant part of ancient Roman society. Legends of witches, drugs, poisons, and magical spells persisted throughout the Roman period. During the pagan era, laws against harmful magic were established, such as the 5th century BC laws of the Twelve Tables, which laid down penalties for uttering harmful incantations and stealing someone else’s crops by magic. The only recorded trial involving this law was that of Gaius Furius Chresimus in 191 BC.

The Classical Latin word veneficium meant both poisoning and causing harm by magic (such as magic potions), although ancient people would not have distinguished between the two. In 331 BC, a deadly epidemic hit Rome, with at least 170 women executed for causing it by veneficium. However, some individuals were tested and killed by being made to drink their own medical potions, indicating the charge was straightforward poisoning.

Under the Lex Cornelia de sicariis et veneficis (“Cornelian law against assassins and poisoners”) of 81 BC, killing by veneficium carried the death penalty. During the early Imperial era, the Lex Cornelia began to be used more broadly against other kinds of magic, including making love potions, enacting rites to enchant, bind or restrain, possession of books containing magical recipes, and the “arts of magic” in general.

Sacrifices made for evil purposes could be punished under the Lex Cornelia, as well as giving potions to induce an abortion or to induce love. Magicians were to be burnt at the stake.

Did Britain have witch trials?

Hundreds of people were executed in England for witchcraft, with the last recorded execution occurring in 1682. Jane Wenhamw was sentenced to hang in 1712 but was pardoned by Queen Anne. Fear of witchcraft persisted throughout the country, with mobs attacking suspected witches. Reverse witch trials emerged as those abused reported those who attacked them to legal proceedings. Spectre Ghost Tours offers spine-chilling stories of Oxford’s connections with the occult on Friday evenings throughout the year. Cookies are used on the website to provide a relevant experience, but controlled consent can be provided through “Cookie Settings”.

What were the European witch trials?

Large-scale witch hunts and accusations of witchcraft began in Europe in the early 15th century and lasted for around 300 years, primarily conducted in secular courts. In France, around 2, 000 witch trials occurred between 1550 and 1700, with the majority of people targeted being women. While some women admitted to their alleged powers, most vehemently denied the accusations. The accused were typically women without a male protector, such as spinsters or widows.

Many of the accused, while not convicted, were still subjected to a lifetime of suspicion and fear. Early handbooks on witch hunting, such as Heinrich Kramer’s The Witch Hammer, provide context for the European witch craze. The subject of identifying witches often overlaps with more general material on demonology, such as Jean Bodin’s Démonomanie des sorciers and Johann Weyer’s De praestigiis daemonum, which formed an unofficial trilogy discussing witchcraft and magic. The Library of Congress holds many editions and translations of these texts.