Why Does The Witchcraft Community Fear Women Of Color?

The author has researched and written about numerous witch trials in the U.S., focusing on women who deviated from societal expectations, such as being independent, outspoken, or having unusual behavior. Witches in literature and pop-culture have been predominantly depicted as female-identifying, as most witches in the Wiccan religion are women. Mistrust of women became firmly placed within the culture of the time, as seen in colonial North America.

The main medieval chronicle, the Tale of Bygone Years, explains women’s affinity for witchcraft in the way that “in the beginning the devil deceived”. This chapter discusses why (from a particular male cultural perspective) witches were conceived to be women. For witches and highly deviant women, culturally, they were culturally viewed as witches.

Women of color and the many layers of trauma within Black and Brown communities were more likely to be accused of being witches during medieval times. Witchcraft comes with many societal risks and is used as an underlying form of control over women and their behavior. Many white second wave feminists, including witches like Budapest, insisted that the struggle against gender oppression had to come before witchcraft.

Witchcraft accusations centered on perceived diabolical activity or harmful magic, maleficium. The accused usually denied such charges, though sometimes, the inquisitors linked the use of ointments with witches’ supposed capacity for flying.

Which type of person was most likely to be considered a witch?

Witches were often considered women who enjoyed independence, as they were considered worrying elements of the established social order. The spectrum of witches varied, including women alone, single, widows, poor, old, foreign, melancholic, and healing women. Many witches were women who acted with independence and were prepared to defend themselves. In England, women who knew how to swim were considered witches, as the water rejected them.

Witches were often women of peasant extraction and poor, working for the community and working classes. Healing women were often from comfortable social situations, and midwives were another sector that suffered persecution during the witch-hunt. Midwives were accused of witchcraft due to the belief that birth had magical qualities, and they had special powers due to their knowledge of birth mysteries.

The institutionalization of medicine in universities meant that obstetrics remained the only area related to medicine and health reserved for women. However, this was snatched from them in the nineteenth century. Women were excluded from the practice of medicine until the figure of the nurse appeared at the end of the nineteenth century, especially with Florence Nightingale. The nurse appears linked to the role of women as carers, completely subordinated to doctors.

What types of people were accused of being a witch?

In the early modern period, from 1400 to 1775, around 100, 000 people were prosecuted for witchcraft in Europe and British America. Between 40, 000 and 60, 000 were executed, mostly in Europe. Witch-hunts were particularly severe in parts of the Holy Roman Empire. Prosecutions for witchcraft reached a high point from 1560 to 1630, during the Counter-Reformation and European wars of religion.

Throughout the medieval era, mainstream Christian doctrine denied the belief in witches and witchcraft, condemning it as a pagan superstition. Some argue that the work of Dominican Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century helped lay the groundwork for a shift in Christian doctrine, where certain theologians began to accept the possibility of collaboration with devil(s) and obtaining supernatural powers.

Christians were not of the belief that magic in its entirety is demonic, as members of the clergy practiced crafts such as necromancy. However, witchcraft was still assumed as inherently demonic, leading to backlash to witches due to the collective negative image.

A branch of the inquisition in southern France was involved in investigating witchcraft.

Why are witches always portrayed as women?

Witches are often portrayed as women due to the stereotype that around 80 percent of witches in Europe were old, widows, and marginalized, making them easy targets. The 15th century in Europe defined a witch as someone who did magic, even if they believed they were doing good magic like healing. The second part of the definition was someone who was a heretic and had forsworn Christianity. Muslims and Jews were not considered witches, as they had to be an apostate to have given up on Christianity.

However, in the Americas, natives were seen as witches doing bad magic, regardless of their conversion status. This change in perception of witches has led to a shift in the portrayal of witches, focusing on women and their vulnerability to being accused of witchcraft.

How were women targeted in the crucible?

The Crucible, a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller, explores the relationship between men and women, focusing on the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthyism era. The play portrays women as the embodiment of sexual desire, open to demonic command, and beneath the common beggar’s name. Miller’s play critiques the Communist hunt and the hysteria and madness of the trials, highlighting how history repeats itself. The play also highlights the power of gender roles in society, with women often being seen and heard with little respect.

The Salem Witchcraft was strongly believed due to the powerful gender roles in Puritan societies, where women were treated with kindness and consideration but were rarely seen or heard. The play highlights the societal expectations of women and the power of gender roles in shaping their experiences.

What is a male witch called?

The term “witch” is primarily used in colloquial English, with women being the male equivalent. Modern dictionaries distinguish four meanings of the term: a person with supernatural powers, a practitioner of neo-pagan religion, a mean or ugly old woman, or a charming or alluring girl or woman. The term “witch” was first used to refer to a bewitching young girl in the 18th century, and “witch” as a contemptuous term for an old woman is attested since the 15th century.

Why were women targeted in the Salem witch trials?

The Salem witch trials were a period of intense scrutiny and accusations against women, often based on factors such as gender, religion, economic status, age, and societal influence. Teenage girls were the most common target, but 4-year-old Dorothy Good was also accused of witchcraft. Not all witchcraft accusations occurred during trials, as Anne Hutchinson, who started Bible study groups with women in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was accused of engaging in the devil’s work for helping deliver a stillborn child. Other girls, like Tituba, an enslaved woman, were accused without clear reasons, with race being considered a factor in her accusations.

Why did the girls start accusing people of witchcraft?

The reasons behind the witchcraft accusations among young girls in Puritan society are unclear, but Elizabeth Hubbard was one of the original girls to begin the accusations. She continued to be a leading accuser throughout the summer and fall of 1692. Elizabeth, like most of the other afflicted girls, was detached from her parents and family of birth and lived with her great-aunt Rachel Hubbard Griggs and her husband, town physician Dr. William Griggs.

In 1692, Elizabeth was around 17 years old, making her one of the oldest of the original set of afflicted girls. Along with Elizabeth Parris, Abby Williams, and Anne Putnam, Elizabeth started the accusations with claims of being tortured by specters of certain community members. Carol Karlsen’s research suggests that many of the accusing girls may have behaved as they did due to the uncertainty of their future as orphans. Most of the girls had no monetary or emotional support from direct family members, and the frontier wars had left their father’s estates considerably diminished.

Elizabeth Hubbard, like most of the other accusing girls, was a servant with very dismal prospects for the future. Karlsen suggests that the afflicted used their dramatic possession performances to focus the communities’ concern on their difficulties, which allowed them to gain the respect and attention of the community.

While the exact reasons behind the witchcraft accusations remain unknown, the documents we can read provide insights into the kind of girl Elizabeth Hubbard was.

What was the misogyny in the witch trials?

Misogyny was a significant aspect of witchcraft investigations and trials during this time, as women were believed to lack the willpower of men and were easily tempted by the Devil. Male-dominated authorities often conducted intimate, violent methods of detecting suspected witches. Janet Cornfoot, a woman who escaped from Pittenweem, was one of the few women who was released after paying a fine. Cornfoot remained in the Pittenweem Tolbooth, where a guard placed her in a cell with a low window for her escape.

Why are people accused of witchcraft?

Witchcraft in early modern England was a complex phenomenon that caused fear and became a normal part of life. Newcomers to a community might be accused of witchcraft due to suspicion from their neighbors, or it could be a way to make money. The harvest failed, leading to increased suspicion. Witchcraft trials became a platform for grievances and disputes to be discussed, and people could testify for or against their neighbors.

Understanding the history of witchcraft provides insights into the realities of everyday life for ordinary people in early modern England, rather than the supernatural. Dr. Jessica Nelson, Head of Collections at The National Archives, delivered a 30-minute talk on the topic.

Why were women called witches?

In the 1400s, 1500s, and 1600s, witches were defined as individuals who practiced witchcraft, using spells to call upon the spirits and universe for change. Many were widows and made a living as midwives or herbalists, and were perceived as witches due to their appearance and niche knowledge. Most witches were women and were thought to be pagans in alliance with the Devil. However, they were healers with unique abilities that rebelled against patriarchal standards set by society.

European and New England witch trials spread worldwide, leading to a worldwide hunt for women who didn’t comply with societal standards. Witchcraft became a secular offense punishable by execution and torture, leading to institutionalized femicide, killing over 60, 000 across Europe and the Iberian Peninsula alone.

Famous figures rumored to be witches include Hypatia of Alexandria, a mathematician, philosopher, and scientist, who was accused of enchanting politicians with witchcraft. This was not uncommon in the past, as officials did not want women to have power and influence. Queen Anne Boleyn was accused of using witchcraft on King Henry VIII of France, and Catherine de Medici was believed to have usurped power that belonged to them, further contributing to her reputation as a witch.

What women were targeted as witches?

Before the Scientific Revolution, people sought explanations for the mysteries of the earthly world, often blaming witches for causing fearful events. In France, around 2, 000 witch trials occurred between 1550 and 1700, with women often denouncing their accusations. The Church often used torture to elicit confessions, targeting marginalized women like spinsters, widows, or those without a male protector. Women in healing occupations, such as laying-in-nurses, were vulnerable targets due to their power to help and harm.

In 1486, German churchman Heinreich Kramer published The Witch Hammer, a handbook for conducting torture, which became the standard medieval text on witchcraft. Johann Weyer’s De praestigiis daemonum and Jean Bodin’s Démonomanie des sorciers also contributed to the discussion of witchcraft and magic.

The idea of demonic possession was deeply connected to witchcraft, particularly in the region of Normandy in northern France. Both women and men were involved in these dramas, driven by fear of malevolent and mysterious forces. Many instances of women claiming possession occurred, with the first recorded case in the mid-16th century with Martha Brossier.

The case of Louis Gaufridi, who allegedly possessed Madeleine de Demandolx de la Palud, is an example of the ambiguous nature of these cases. Father Gaufridi burned Madeleine after gruesome torture, but she was later accused of witchcraft and spent her last years in prison. Lines between villain and victim blurred as scholars and communities grappled with supernatural notions.

A compelling case later involved Jeanne des Anges (Belcier), a nun from the early 17th century who became consumed by her feelings for a parish priest, Father Urbain Grandier. After complaints and hysterical outbursts, Cardinal Richelieu ordered a trial for witchcraft, leading to Grandier’s death at the stake.