How Do Witchcraft And Magic Connect To The Black Death?

The plague originated in Central Asia and spread through the Silk Road and troop movements throughout the Near East. The first recorded outbreak of bubonic plague was the Plague of Justinian (541-542 CE), which struck Constantinople in 541 CE and killed an estimated 50 million people. This article argues that the plague of 1348 was a factor in the intensity of the Early Modern witch-hunts from 1550 to 1650, as it traumatized, destabilized, and influenced the interrogation and trial. Scholars such as Aberth, Kieckhefer, Jenkins, Brian Levak, and others have demonstrated a relationship between a rise in magic and the Black Death in Europe. Necromancy is a form of black magic that involves contacting the spirits of the deceased to gain knowledge or power.

Surprising illnesses or sudden deaths of seemingly healthy adults prompted people to blame witches, as well as events such as cardiac arrest or brain aneurysm. Physicians often used the Black Death as a scapegoat for witches and werewolves. The Black Death in Europe wrought devastation and religious wars, making people believe in malevolent unnatural forces such as witches and werewolves.

In medieval Europe, the Black Death was a turning point in people’s views of witches. Witchcraft or sorcery gradually changed and adapted. Christian Europe was steeply entrenched in belief in witches, witchcraft, demons, and evil spirits, believing that evil powers could be brought into magic and sorcery. In 1542, Parliament passed the Witchcraft Act, which defined witchcraft as a crime punishable by death. Witch-hunts were particularly severe in parts of the Holy Roman Empire, with prosecutions reaching a high point from 1560 to 1630.

Were witches blamed for the plague?

In the early 1540s, Geneva, Switzerland, faced a famine and a resurgence of the Bubonic Plague, particularly affecting local witches. City officials suspected sorcery was responsible for the bad fortune, leading to a campaign to identify and arrest sorcerers and witches. Protestant reformer John Calvin described a three-year “conspiracy” to spread the plague through sorcery, with 34 people executed over three months. Women were burned at the stake, while men were punished more severely.

This post-plague witch hunt in Geneva was not unique, as authorities had a history of convicting people, particularly women, for witchcraft. After the Geneva plague, the city gained a tough reputation against witches, leading Swiss lawmen to seek advice on identifying witches in their own cities.

What is the difference between magic and witchcraft?

Magic is the practice of using charms, spells, and rituals to control events or govern supernatural forces. It can be positive, such as love magic or canoe magic, or malevolent, like witchcraft or sorcery. Sorcery involves intentionally using powers for harmful purposes, often using artificial means. Witchcraft involves possessing supernatural power through a pact with evil spirits, which can be involuntarily exerted.

These practices operate at the individual level and often oppose organized entities. Access to full content on Oxford Reference requires a subscription or purchase, while public users can search the site and view abstracts and keywords.

How many people were killed for witchcraft?

The Salem witchcraft crisis, originating from European religious upheaval, warfare, political tensions, and economic dislocation from 1400 to 1775, saw around 100, 000 people tried for witchcraft and 50, 000 executed. The belief was that witches posed a threat to Christian society by exploiting Satan’s power to spread sickness, misery, and death. English colonial settlers arrived in 1626 at Naumkeag, a Native American fishing site, to establish a Massachusetts Bay Colony outpost.

Most Puritans sought to “purify” the Church of England from Roman Catholic practices. Salem, covering 70 square miles, included Salem Village, now Danvers, and was named after Jerusalem, meaning “city of peace”.

Does witchcraft exist in Europe?

European witchcraft and magic have their origins in ancient Near Eastern cultures, as well as in Celtic, Nordic, and Germanic traditions. For two millennia, European folklore and ritual have been imbued with a plethora of supernatural beliefs, resulting in a vast repository of histories and imagery.

Where did magic come from?

In the first century CE, early Christian authors incorporated the Greco-Roman concept of magic into their Christian theology, incorporating negative stereotypes and borrowing from Jewish thought. They believed that magic was a product of Babylonians, Persians, or Egyptians and was distinct from proper religion. Early Christian writers like Augustine of Hippo saw magic as the opposite of religion, relying on cooperation from demons, Satan’s henchmen. This view was closely linked to the Christian category of paganism, which was regarded as belonging under the broader category of superstitio (superstition).

Christian theologians believed in multiple different forms of magic, most of which were types of divination. Isidore of Seville produced a catalogue of things he considered magic, listing divination by the four elements i. e. geomancy, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, as well as by observation of natural phenomena. He also mentioned enchantment and ligatures as magical. Medieval Europe also saw magic associated with the Old Testament figure of Solomon, with various grimoires outlining magical practices written by him, most notably the Key of Solomon.

In summary, early Christian authors incorporated the Greco-Roman concept of magic into their developing Christian theology, retaining negative stereotypes and incorporating Jewish thought patterns. They believed that magic was a product of Babylonians, Persians, or Egyptians and was seen as conflicting with good religion. The model of the magician in Christian thought was provided by Simon Magus, who opposed Saint Peter in both the Acts of the Apostles and the Acts of Peter.

What is the Black Death connected to?

Bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, is an infectious disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium that primarily affects humans and animals. It killed millions of Europeans during the Middle Ages, and prevention involves reducing exposure to infected animals like mice, rats, and squirrels. Bubonic plague is named after the swollen lymph nodes (buboes) caused by the disease, which can become as large as eggs and ooze pus. During the fourteenth century, bubonic plague deaths exceeded 25 million people, accounting for two-thirds of Europe’s population.

Rats traveled on ships carrying fleas and plague, and most people died due to the disease. The Black Death was named after the disease, as many people often had blackened tissue due to gangrene. A cure for bubonic plague was not available at the time.

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.

What were the witches in the Dark Ages?

In medieval and early modern Europe, witches were believed to be women who used black magic against their community and often communed with demons or the Devil. The roots of European witchcraft can be traced back to classical antiquity, when concepts of magic and religion were closely related. In the Middle Ages, accusations of heresy and devil worship grew more prevalent. By the early modern period, major witch hunts began to take place, 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 and 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, often accusing witches of practicing sorcery and engaging in supernatural activities, leading to their excommunication and execution. As the 17th century progressed, the fear of witches shifted from mere superstition to a tool for political manipulation, targeting individuals who posed threats to the ruling elite.

Does the Black Plague still exist?

Bubonic plague, a disease found in scattered locations worldwide, is now rare in the US and Europe due to lifestyle changes that prevent it from spreading to humans from infected fleas. However, cases still do occur, with one man in Oregon in February 2024 catching the disease from his pet cat. The following month, health officials in Lincoln County, New Mexico, announced a man had died of the disease. Despite the ease of treatment with antibiotics, the disease may still have left its mark on humankind.

Evolutionary geneticist Paul Norman, who studies bubonic plague at the University of Colorado, Anschutz, is not surprised by the recent cases. The disease’s presence in the world is a testament to the importance of understanding and treating diseases like bubonic plague.

Who was killed for being a witch?

This list of people executed for witchcraft includes those executed during organized witch-hunts, particularly during the 15th-18th centuries. Witchcraft prosecutions in Europe centered on maleficium, the concept of using supernatural powers to harm others. Cases came about from accusations of the use of ritual magic to damage rivals. Until the early 15th century, there was little association of witchcraft with Satan. However, organized witch-hunts increased and individual accusations of sorcery changed as more cases were linked to diabolism.

Throughout the century, several treatises helped establish a stereotype of the witch, particularly the Satanic connection. Witchcraft prosecutions stabilized and even declined in the 16th century, but increased again in the 17th century. Witch-hunts were also common in the American colonies, particularly in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Haven. The myth of the witch had a strong cultural presence in 17th century New England, and witchcraft was strongly associated with devil-worship.

About eighty people were accused of practicing witchcraft in a witch-hunt that lasted throughout New England from 1647 to 1663. The Salem witch trials followed in 1692-93, culminating in the executions of 20 people and five others dying in jail.

What is Black Death based on?

The Black Death, caused by the bacterium Y. pestis, was the first wave of the second plague pandemic, which was one of the largest infectious disease catastrophes in human history. Estimated to have claimed the lives of up to 60 of the western Eurasian population over its eight-year course, the Black Death had a profound demographic and socioeconomic impact in all affected areas.

Despite extensive multidisciplinary research, the geographical source of the second plague pandemic remains unclear. Hypotheses based on historical records and modern genomic data suggest several potential source locations ranging from western Eurasia to eastern Asia. Recent comparisons between ancient and modern Y. pestis genomes have shown the Black Death to be associated with a star-like emergence of four major lineages, descendants of which are dispersed among rodent foci in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas.

As of now, analyses of the historical record and ancient Y. pestis data have largely focused on the pandemic’s progression in western Eurasia. However, efforts to expand historical investigations and provide a wider spatiotemporal perspective are under way.

To explore possible evidence associated with the early history of the second plague pandemic, researchers investigated the cemeteries of Kara-Djigach and Burana, located in the Chüy Valley near Lake Issyk-Kul of modern-day Kyrgyzstan. Excavations between 1885 and 1892 revealed a unique archaeological assemblage potentially associated with an epidemic that affected the region during the fourteenth century.

Early interpretations considered these characteristics as indicative of a plague epidemic, leading to a long-lasting debate about the epidemic’s association with the onset of the second plague pandemic.