What Led To The Rise Of Witchcraft
Ivy Zheng
Ms. Adams
Western Civilization
22 March 2016
The Rise of Witchcraft
The world of witchcraft is infused with mystery, fear and gloomy facts and myths. Throughout the centuries, witchcraft has been associated with magic, pagan worship, sorcery, and religion. The rise of witchcraft persecution grew because of unstable governments, influence of the church, and the idea of women being smarter or more knowledgeable than men which led to the ideas of witches. Human history manipulated witchcraft for its own purposes, often laying the blame of society's perceived ills on the phenomenon of witchcraft. The belief that witchcraft is predominantly evil provokes fear in societies, which in turn made the general public more suspicious of what …show more content…
Most people in the Middle Ages were illiterate and depended on the word of the Church. Therefore, the teachings of the Church were paramount, and "Ecclesiastical and secular officials were often convinced that wise women were just as dangerous as practitioners of maleficent magic" (Horsley). Women were seen as the weaker sex and not to be trusted. Women who were gathering herbs for medicinal treatments were distrusted by the Church because their ideas might go against Church teachings at the time. Moreover, by condemning women simply on their gender convinced male-dominated societies of the power of male control, and was a way for the Church to keep control of its communities. The Church in fact, "...had certain demonological theories that believed wise women and healers had potential supernatural powers... of being witches" (CITATION??). By accusing women of witchcraft, the Church could convince the male population that women were the weaker and more dangerous sex, which began with Eve being evicted from the Garden of Eden. In this way, the Church maintained male dominance and authority over women. In fact, the Church believed that "Any supposed supernatural cures or effects not sanctioned by the Church were viewed as resulting from the Devil's help" (CITATION) As the Church had control of the people during the Middle Ages, it was easy for men to be convinced by this argument. Yet, the Church which was not secular and open to new ideas, also believed this to be true and perpetrated the belief. This belief held women back and ensured they would be the scapegoats for the wrong in society. The influence of the Church was a powerful factor in the rise of witchcraft in the Middle
Ms. Adams
Western Civilization
22 March 2016
The Rise of Witchcraft
The world of witchcraft is infused with mystery, fear and gloomy facts and myths. Throughout the centuries, witchcraft has been associated with magic, pagan worship, sorcery, and religion. The rise of witchcraft persecution grew because of unstable governments, influence of the church, and the idea of women being smarter or more knowledgeable than men which led to the ideas of witches. Human history manipulated witchcraft for its own purposes, often laying the blame of society's perceived ills on the phenomenon of witchcraft. The belief that witchcraft is predominantly evil provokes fear in societies, which in turn made the general public more suspicious of what …show more content…
Most people in the Middle Ages were illiterate and depended on the word of the Church. Therefore, the teachings of the Church were paramount, and "Ecclesiastical and secular officials were often convinced that wise women were just as dangerous as practitioners of maleficent magic" (Horsley). Women were seen as the weaker sex and not to be trusted. Women who were gathering herbs for medicinal treatments were distrusted by the Church because their ideas might go against Church teachings at the time. Moreover, by condemning women simply on their gender convinced male-dominated societies of the power of male control, and was a way for the Church to keep control of its communities. The Church in fact, "...had certain demonological theories that believed wise women and healers had potential supernatural powers... of being witches" (CITATION??). By accusing women of witchcraft, the Church could convince the male population that women were the weaker and more dangerous sex, which began with Eve being evicted from the Garden of Eden. In this way, the Church maintained male dominance and authority over women. In fact, the Church believed that "Any supposed supernatural cures or effects not sanctioned by the Church were viewed as resulting from the Devil's help" (CITATION) As the Church had control of the people during the Middle Ages, it was easy for men to be convinced by this argument. Yet, the Church which was not secular and open to new ideas, also believed this to be true and perpetrated the belief. This belief held women back and ensured they would be the scapegoats for the wrong in society. The influence of the Church was a powerful factor in the rise of witchcraft in the Middle