Did Witchcraft Exist

Did witches truly exist? “Johann Weyer (1515-88) was the first critic to deny the existence of witches altogether, arguing that it was not the witches who were recruited by the devil to harm mankind, but that the very belief that witches existed at all was a harmful diabolical invention” (pg. 280). Weyer used a close examination of the study of language, terminology, and translation of scripture and documents to refute the existence of witches through logic and detailed argumentative analysis. Weyer took single words and phrases from multiple documents and religious scriptures pertaining to witchcraft and proceeded to demonstrate the illegitimacy and non-existence of witches. Individuals suspected of being witches were often referred to by