Most religions, throughout the Ancient world, were dedicated to Goddess worship. From early times, Goddess and God magick was called upon for the safety of animals and crops, as well as blessing the fertility of the Earth. The Goddess was the One Who provided the nourishment and nurturing that man needed to survive, the priestess would act as Her channel. A priest would act as the priestess' consort and another channel of power, reflecting the female/male balance of nature. The priest represented the fervor and masculine heat of the Sun, the priestess, the feminine, dark mysteries of the moon.
The priestess was revered, she was the sacred representation of the Mother Earth and the Sister moon, she was a mystical teacher, nurturer and provider. While the men hunted and completed manual labor, women were the ones who grew and harvested plants and herbs, discovering how the potency of plants responded to the phases of the moon, the season of the year, and even the time of day or night. Enter the Christin Church . Women were able to create highly effective and powerful perfumes, poisons, spells and potions. These could be used to manipulate, defeat, fascinate, destroy, entice, challenge and confuse, at least, that is how it was viewed by men. Because of this knowledge that women possessed, they began to be regarded as a threat to male dominance.
Essentially regarded as feminine magic and aligned with lunar energy, Pope Alexander IV (1258) issued the first letter to empower the Inquisition to deal with Witchcraft. The persecution of any woman who dared to step out of line, those who knew healing or had scientific knowledge, was laid at this time. The Church was intolerant of self educated women, or even those who thought for themselves, and embracing another religious belief, such as Paganism or Witchcraft was a big no no.
In the 1400s, Pope Eugenius IV placed more pressure on the Inquisition to root out diviners (fortune-tellers) and magicians.
The 1520s saw the heat turned up on witches. It is believed that around 100 witches were being burned in Como (Italy) each year. When the Protestant Church was created, the Catholics were enraged by Henry VIII's bold move at placing himself as head of his own Church. Obsessed with control and power, men on both sides began accusing each other as being servants of the Devil, and witches, unfortunately, became their scapegoat. What followed has been labelled by some as mass genocide, such was the ferocity of the witch-hunts carried out by the Catholic Church. In parts of Germany, hardly any old woman was safe, children of those condemned were punished, horrifically so, being stripped and beaten around the fire that was burning their parent alive. Jews and Protestants were also targeted at this time.
The English themselves, did not suffer such persecution, mostly because of the use of torture to obtain confessions of Witchcraft was outlawed. Witches were not burned at the stake, they were beaten and hanged. Witchcraft was associated with sorcery in Protestant England, and was therefore regarded as a civil crime, not a crime of heresy against the Catholic Church as it was in many other countries.
The most notorious witch-hunter was Matthew Hopkins, he searched the land in the 1640s, hanging over sixty people in Essex alone in just one year! But public support turned against him and in 1647 he was tried by his own methods, thrown into the river, bound hand and foot, floated and denounced a wizard.
In Ireland, witch-hunts never really took hold, mostly due to the Protestant and Catholic Churches were far too busy fighting each other. Witchcraft had been present in Ireland since the twelfth century however.
Immigrants from Europe brought their beliefs with them when they went to America, and eleven hanging between 1647 and 1662 occured in Connecticut. The most famous witch-hunt was of course held in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Nineteen men and women were hanged, and one other member was pressed to death for refusing to plead. The majority of the people did not appreciate the atrocity, and only four years later, the jurors of the trial signed a Confession of Error, stating that they had been misled by the Devil.
It is thought that around one million Witches were killed throughout Europe during those years of persecution, as late as 1775 in Germany. However it has been claimed that over nine million were slaughtered over a period of just 300 years.
Most of these victims were simply misunderstood healers, midwives, wise women and herbalists, or people of different religious persuasions. Witch-hunting declined not because the Craft was abolished, but because public opinion made the Church reconsider its actions and finally cease their hunts for fear of loosing the support of masses of followers.
[HOME | Sabbats | Esbats | Colours | Candles | Elements | Incense | Ritual Tools | Spells | Glossary | Updates | Resources | Links]
Sapphyre does not claim ownership of any software, pictures or scripts used within these pages (unless otherwise stated).
All work remains the property of the owner, and can not be used, reproduced or copied,
in accordance with
the international Copyright Laws, without the express permission from the owner.
Contact Sapphyre
This page designed by Sapphyre
© 2002 Sapphyre. All rights reserved.
Last updated 29/08/2002