Who
is a Witch? Over the centuries, hundreds of witches have been persecuted and
cruelly killed.
Did
these Witches deserve such gruesome fates? Did they actually ride on broomsticks
and brew foul potions? Or were they just the innocent victims of human ignorance
and blind terror?
During
the witch-hunting mania, witch finders tested suspects of evidence of
witchcraft. They were paid for their conviction.
The most common test was that all witches were supposed to have a mark
made by the Devil on their body. This mark was insensitive to any kind of pain.
Nearly all those who were suspected of witchcraft were women. Witches
were blamed for everything that went wrong, and people lived in fear of them.
The most feared weapon that people dreaded was, a little image of a
person in wax or clay. It was used to inflict pain, sickness or even death. This
was known as an effigy. If the clay figure was buried to disintegrate slowly or
a wax figure was allowed to melt. This meant the victim would die a slow,
wasting disease.
Each one belonged to a group of twelve witches called a coven. Every
Friday night they would call a meeting, this meeting was known as a sabbat. In
charge of the sabbat was the Devil the witches called him master.
At Halloween the entire coven would meet with their master and talk about
their evil doings.
On this night people would take special measures to protect themselves
against the witches. Strings of garlic, mistletoe, and iron horseshoes were hung
on doorways. The people would stay inside.
When people passed a witch in the street, they would spit. This was to
keep away bad luck the witch might bring.
However not all witches were bad. The white witches were regarded highly
and people would go to them for help and advice. Most of all people went to them
for protection against any evil magic or bad spells cast on them by black
witches. White witches were believed to have the power to make a person
completely immobile.
The mandrake plant was once thought to have highly magical properties.
When pulled from the ground, it gave a horrifying shriek. Any man hearing this
would die. In order to uproot the plant a hungry dog would be tied to it and
some meat placed nearby.
Welcome to the mysterious world of witches!
Come up closer to your computer!
But
first lock your door behind you.
Just in case………
