When Did Beliefs About Witchcraft Change?

The Renaissance period saw a shift in attitudes towards witchcraft, with scholars and intellectuals questioning the validity of accusations and promoting scientific explanations. By the 9th century, the middle classes had come to disown belief in witchcraft, ghosts, and other superstitions. By the early 7th century, ordinary people and the governing elite shared a conviction that harmful magic intimated traffic with the devil and participation in an evil conspiracy.

The term “witch” has not been inherently feminist, but it is seen and talked about in large parts of Africa. Traditional explanations for witchcraft based on sociological, anthropological, and gender-based models would appear to offer little help in this respect. In the 19th century, such attitudes shaped the approach of a new generation of historians of witchcraft, whose faith in progress and science led them to adopt empowering terms for witches.

In the early modern period, witchcraft was a concern for people at all levels of society. News about sensational witchcraft trials spread quickly through the new media. The English Reformation brought about a shift in attitudes towards witchcraft and magic in England, leading to the development of Wicca, a modern Pagan religion that incorporates witch-like practices.

The idea of black and witch witches can be traced back to Roman times. This shift was engineered to promote a stable social order beneficial to elites, producing a sharp decline in belief in witches. The law on witchcraft was short and cited Biblical sources for its authority.

What is the sin of witchcraft in the Bible?

Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 19:26, Leviticus 20:27, and Deuteronomy 18:10-11 all prohibit the practice of necromancy, divination, and soothsaying. These laws are portrayed as foreign and are the only part of the Hebrew Bible to mention such practices. The presence of laws forbidding necromancy proves that it was practiced throughout Israel’s history.

The exact difference between the three forbidden forms of necromancy mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:11 is uncertain, as yidde’oni (“wizard”) is always used together with ob (“consulter with familiar spirits”) and its semantic similarity to doresh el ha-metim (“necromancer” or “one who directs inquiries to the dead”) raises the question of why all three are mentioned in the same verse. The Jewish tractate Sanhedrin distinguishes between a doresh el ha-metim, a person who would sleep in a cemetery after starving himself, to become possessed, and a yidde’oni, a wizard.

In summary, the prohibition of necromancy in the Hebrew Bible is a significant aspect of Jewish history.

When did the worst witch start?

The Worst Witch is an ITV original television series that aired from 1998 to 2001, focusing on a group of young witches at Cackles Academy. The series, based on Jill Murphy’s 1974 book series, aired for 40 episodes spread over three series. The series was followed by Weirdsister College and The New Worst Witch, which chronicled the experiences of Mildred’s younger cousin Hettie.

A new adaptation, titled The Worst Witch, premiered in January 2017 and ran for four seasons, concluding in 2020. The series stars Georgina Sherrington and Felicity Jones as Mildred Hubble and Ethel Hallow, and was broadcast from 1998 to 2001 on ITV and later on HBO. The series also featured new characters, such as Frank Blossom, the school’s caretaker, and Miss Crotchet, the music teacher in the third series.

Recurring characters include Merlin Langstaff, a wizard apprentice who befriends Mildred, his mean-spirited acquaintances Barry “Baz” Dragonsbane and Gary “Gaz” Grailquest, Charlie, Mrs. Cosie, and Mistress Hecketty Broomhead. Egbert Hellibore, chief wizard and headmaster of Camelot Castle, also appears multiple times. The first series dramatized The Worst Witch and The Worst Witch Strikes Again, while the second series dramatized A Bad Spell For The Worst Witch and The Worst Witch All At Sea. The third and final series continued with purely original material.

When did people stop being accused of witchcraft?

In the late 18th century, the practice of witchcraft was no longer considered a criminal offense in Europe. However, several trials, including the execution of Anna Göldi in 1782 in Glarus, Switzerland, and Barbara Zdunk in 1811 in Prussia, were suspected to involve a belief in witches. In Poland, the Doruchów witch trials occurred in 1783, and two additional women were executed for sorcery. Despite the official ending of witchcraft trials, there were occasional and unofficial witch-hunts and killings of those accused of practicing witchcraft in parts of Europe. In France, there was sporadic violence and even murder in the 1830s.

In the 1830s, a prosecution for witchcraft was commenced against a man in Fentress County, Tennessee, either named Joseph or William Stout, based on his alleged influence over a young woman’s health. The case against the supposed witch was dismissed due to the victim’s failure to appear for the trial. However, some of his other accusers were convicted on criminal charges and various libel actions were brought.

How was witchcraft viewed in the 19th century?

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, educated Europeans believed that there was no genuine cult of witches and that those persecuted and executed were innocent. However, scholars suggested that there had been a real cult with pre-Christian origins, with Karl Ernst Jarcke of the University of Berlin being the first to advance this theory in 1828. Franz Josef Mone later picked up Jarcke’s ideas, but argued that the cult’s origins were Greek.

Jules Michelet in 1862 proposed that the witches were following a pagan religion, and Egyptologist Margaret Murray in her works The Witch-Cult in Western Europe and The God of the Witches further developed this theory. Murray claimed that the witches were following a pre-Christian religion, “the witch-cult” and “ritual witchcraft”, devoted to a pagan Horned God and celebrating four Witches’ Sabbaths each year: Halloween, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh.

However, Murray’s work was largely critical, and her books never received support from experts in the Early Modern witch trials. Many of her ideas were challenged by those who highlighted her “factual errors and methodological failings”.

When did witchcraft start?

In Christianity, sorcery was associated with heresy and apostasy, leading to fears of witchcraft and large-scale witch-hunts in late medieval/early modern Europe. The fifteenth century saw a dramatic rise in awareness and terror of witchcraft, with tens of thousands of people executed, imprisoned, tortured, banished, and lands confiscated. The majority of accused were women, though in some regions, the majority were men. The word warlock was used as the male equivalent of witch, predominantly for females.

The Malleus Maleficarum, a witch-hunting manual written in 1486 by German monks, was used by both Catholics and Protestants for several hundred years. It outlined how to identify a witch, what makes a woman more likely than a man to be a witch, how to put a witch on trial, and how to punish a witch. It was the most sold book in Europe for over 100 years, after the Bible.

Islamic perspectives on magic encompass a wide range of practices, with belief in black magic and the evil eye coexisting alongside strict prohibitions against its practice. The Quran acknowledges the existence of magic and seeks protection from its harm, but Islam’s stance is against the practice and emphasizes divine miracles rather than magic or witchcraft. The historical continuity of witchcraft in the Middle East highlights the complex interaction between spiritual beliefs and societal norms across different cultures and epochs.

When did people stop believing in witchcraft?

Witch persecution in England reached its peak in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, but by the 18th century, witch trials and belief had significantly declined, particularly in elite circles. The traditional explanation for this shift is that the rise of rationality, scientific reasoning, and secular humanism was incompatible with “superstitious” witch belief. However, this explanation is flawed and contains several flawed assumptions. Firstly, enlightenment and post-enlightenment thinkers were more rational than previous periods.

Secondly, scientific discoveries led to disbelief in magic and witches. Thirdly, thinkers who sought to disprove witch existence used secular means. The author argues that elite English disbelief in witches was caused by a new mode of Anglican religious thought, which was engineered to promote a stable social order beneficial to elites.

How were witches viewed in the 16th century?

Witchcraft was once seen as a healing art, performed by cunning folk. However, it was later believed to be Satanic in origin, leading to the passing of laws and trials. Witchcraft was considered a capital offense in 1542, and the Witchcraft Act 1735 reversed this law, making it illegal to practice witchcraft but to claim magical powers or accuse someone of being a witch in Great Britain. Witch trials and accusations were high during the early modern period in Britain, spanning from the 16th century to the end of the 18th century. Witchcraft was no longer seen as a healer or helper, but as the cause of many natural and man-made disasters.

Where does the Bible talk about witchcraft?

Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 19:26, Leviticus 20:27, and Deuteronomy 18:10-11 all prohibit the practice of necromancy, divination, and soothsaying. These laws are portrayed as foreign and are the only part of the Hebrew Bible to mention such practices. The presence of laws forbidding necromancy proves that it was practiced throughout Israel’s history.

The exact difference between the three forbidden forms of necromancy mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:11 is uncertain, as yidde’oni (“wizard”) is always used together with ob (“consulter with familiar spirits”) and its semantic similarity to doresh el ha-metim (“necromancer” or “one who directs inquiries to the dead”) raises the question of why all three are mentioned in the same verse. The Jewish tractate Sanhedrin distinguishes between a doresh el ha-metim, a person who would sleep in a cemetery after starving himself, to become possessed, and a yidde’oni, a wizard.

In summary, the prohibition of necromancy in the Hebrew Bible is a significant aspect of Jewish history.

When was the first law against witchcraft?

In 1542, the first English Witchcraft Act defined witchcraft as a crime punishable by death and within the jurisdiction of civil courts. It was repealed in 1547 but restored by an Act against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcrafts in 1562. Witchcraft was once considered a single instance of misuse of magic and was administered by the church courts. In Tudor times, witchcraft prosecutions shifted from church courts to secular or royal courts.

Henry VIII’s Act against Conjurations, Witchcrafts, Sorcery and Inchantments was revived by his protestant daughter in 1563, imposing a one-year sentence for anyone found guilty of causing injury by witchcraft. Statutes of the Realm is an excellent source for early legislation, and Baker’s Introduction to English Legal History provides a first introduction to criminal procedure and law.

When did the witch panic start?

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.

What were the attitudes towards witchcraft in the 17th century?

Witchcraft was a criminal offense until 1735, punishable by death during the Tudor and Stuart periods. People believed witches were the devil’s helpers, leading to misconceptions about bad things. King James I wrote a book on witchcraft to identify and catch them. Religious laws were enforced by monarchs, causing concern for Catholics and Protestants. In 200 years, up to 1, 000 people, mostly women, were executed for witchcraft. The 1640s saw a significant witchhunt in Essex led by Matthew Hopkins. A 17th-century witchcraft trial involved lowering a suspected witch into water to determine her survival.