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The History Of Witchcraft
(Europe)

(I have deliberately left this page free of too many graphics because of the content. I choose not to go into too much detail about the torture that was forced upon Witches as it was so horrific I will need to concentrate my efforts before making a page on it. The facts on this page were taken from various reference books and the Discovery channel. If you disagree with any points on this page please understand that history distorts everything and we have to use those facts that repeat these facts do not vary greatly in all the writings of the History of Witchcraft. ~White Witch~

In the play MacBeth by Shakespeare Witches are shown making potions killing Swine's raising winds and predicting the future. Fear of such actions over the years has lead to torture drowning and burning at the stake.

Over the years Witches have been seen as the instruments of Chaos and the workers of evil. Witchcraft has always been an area with a lot of Myth and exaggeration attached to it.

Witchcraft and Paganism have been so misrepresented by the Church and state for so long that many people don't understand what it is we do or believe in.

Witchcraft is an ancient set of beliefs that people have powers by magick or some other supernatural means to control and influence things. Whereas Paganism is a belief in other Gods (non-Christian Gods) which in its own way is totally different to Witchcraft. Not all Witches are Pagans not all Pagans are Witches. But in these definitions Wiccans are Pagans and can also be Witches.

The Law of Three is very prominent in the Old Religions. "The Maiden the Mother and the Crone" Who symbolize the beginning the middle and the end birth life and death. The moon phases Waxing Full and Waning.

There is also a strong belief throughout the Old Religions in the Law of Three. Whatever you give out comes back to you threefold. Whether it is good or bad.

In England Henry [VIII] decreed the first statute against Witchcraft in 1542. Elizabeth [I] was on the throne when the second statute occurred. This decreed that anyone found guilty of murder through sorcery would be punished with the death penalty.

James [I] who was convinced that Witches in Berwick had caused the storm that sunk his ship when he was raveling on it with his wife Queen Anne made the third statute.

During his reign he also authorized the first publications of the bible in English. At first it contained the words "thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live". These words were altered to "thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live" James [I] also wrote his own book on Witches entitled "Demonology".

During this time mainland Europe carried out endless Witch trials. The Inquisitor often appointed by the local town or church officials tortured the accused for a confession using physical force. Hundreds were burned alive at the stake. The possibility of being accused of Witchcraft was terrifying. The majority of the accused were women and it is recorded that in some towns in Germany the female population was almost completely wiped out.

Perhaps the most renowned Witchfinder in England was Matthew Hopkins. During the time of the civil war Hopkins became the self appointed Witchfinder General. He was thought to perhaps have been the son of a Suffolk Clergyman. Hopkins came into prominence in 1645 when he began a mission to root out and destroy Witches in East Anglia. Over the next few years he is responsible for many deaths in Suffolk Essex and the Eastern counties of England.

Before a Witch went to trial Hopkins tried to get a confession. Hopkins would keep his Witch in solitary confinement strip her and deprive her of sleep by walking her day and night. Not surprisingly after a few days a confession was often given.

Nobody knows for sure what was driving Matthew Hopkins whether it was money notoriety or if he genuinely believed he was doing Gods work.

There is a mystery surrounding Hopkins. When the people finally had had enough of him and drove him out it is not known where he went. There have over the years been rumor's that he fled to America. It has also been suggested among some authors that Hopkins resumed his activities in America. It is ironic that the Salem Witch Trials although happened 50 years after East Anglian Witch craze would have happened in Hopkins lifetime. It is an interesting possibility one that the truth may never be known.

Perhaps the perfect example of persecution of a so-called Witch for political aims is Joan of Arc. It is said that she became a threat to the church and state. Witchcraft accusations and the voices she admitted to hearing in her head were used as a legitimate reason to dispose of her. In 1431 Joan was burned at the stake by the church for suspected Witchcraft and heresy. 500 years later Joan of Arc was canonized by the same church that put her to death.

There is a legend that Joan of Arc was a Witch. She followed the Old Religion. Her town of birth Donremy was renown for Witches and had a fairy well and fairy tree. It was under this fairy tree that Joan claimed she first heard the voices in her head. So there is a strong suggestion that even if Joan was not a Witch she was influenced by the old religion.

Paganism is a religion that honours nature. There are various festivals throughout the year to celebrate the sun and moons effects upon the earth.

It is thought that as the last ice age advanced south European man believed in two images that explained their existence. The Goddess of the earth "she who created all life in all forms" and the Horned man "he that experienced both life and death as the hunter and the hunted".

The common seam of the Earth Mother and the Horned God also runs through other early religions such as early Greek religions.
It was the arrival of the early Christian Church that the seeds of the coming persecutions were sown.

Roman Emperor Constantine [I] who had been converted to Christianity tried to bring together the different strands of organized religions.

At first there was harmony between the Christians and the Heathens it made sense to place the major festivals like Easter and Christmas with Spring Equinox and Winter Solstice which were already established as a time of celebration and ritual. Images from the early faith had even been incorporated into Christianity. During advent Christ is compared to the Sun as the light of the world and the image of green man can found still in many Christian churches today.

But as Christianity reached out across rural Europe the people could not see much difference in Jesus and his Mother Mary to their own version of the Earth Mother and child. They saw no harm in believing and worshipping both. So the old way continued.
Eventually followers of the old religion were known by the Anglo Saxons as "Wicce" roughly translated as "the shape bender of the unknown". This would also become the definition for Witch.
The harmony of the two religions living side by side was short lived and the persecutions began.

The Church condemned the Earth Mother by declaring that as the Goddess of the Earth she was the creator of the pleasures and delights which the bible declared as a sin. They also claimed that the horned man was a personification of the devil an angel that had been cast out of heaven for his sins to create and reside in hell.
The battle lines were drawn.

In the 10th Century the Church tried to dismiss the existence of Witchcraft and a Church law was passed to declare that the belief in magic and Witchcraft was heretical. Still Witches continued to pursue their craft.

The 12th and 13th Century saw the revival of Goddess worship. It was during the 13th Century that the Church reversed its policy in the denial of Witchcraft. In 1320 Pope John XXII formalized the persecution of Witches by authorizing the inquisition to persecute sorcery.

In 1484 Pope Innocent VII issued two members of the inquisition Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger to legitimately persecute Witches. This resulted in the writing of the tome Malleus Maleficarum. This bizarre book apparently explained the devil worship carried out by supposed Witches.

Witches were no longer seen as healers teachers or follower of the old religion. They were seen as the slaves of satan. It was seen by the church that Witches were women as they would more easily succumb to the lust and evil of satan.

But we are still here and we are still strong and we are still living with accusations of evil doing blood sacrifice even murder by sorcery.

In my dealing with other Witches I have never met a true Witch that is involved with anything other than herbology candle rituals protection spells incense meditations healing and the list goes one. I say "True Witch" as there are many who have used the old ways to create some kind of evil by hiding behind the names Witch Pagan or Wicca. Contrary to what the Christian faith has stated to believe Witches do have rules and Laws. And one of the common being "harm none".

The pages on this site "the Rede" "the Laws of the Power" and "the 13 Principles" outline many of our rules and Laws.

The rising of Witches is strong again only now it is a time where few countries are governed by the clergy there is freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Now is the time for Witches everywhere to put an end to common misconceptions of WHO WE ARE. We are the same as we have ever been no more no less. Not satan worshipping not evil. Many Witches will tell you they do not believe in evil only evil human action.

White Witch claiming back what was taken.