Why Is Witch Hunting Important In Europe
Witch Hunting in Europe
“A witch hunting is a searching out for persecution of persons accused of witchcraft” [Merriam- Webster]. Back in the 15th century, tons of people were executed for witchcraft across parts of Europe. Despite all the cultures that existed, almost all of them would believe that supernatural is real, and that it would be used to make animals and humans more fertile. It was also used to heal the sick. At that time, individuals wouldn’t understand how diseases and other naturals phenomenas would exist and would tend to assume it was caused by something supernatural. However if the “witches” used their magic for good, then some presumed they could use their magic for bad and harm their rivals. During the 16th and 17th century, people wouldn’t stop believing that God had an enemy called the Devil, and that those witches made a pact with the Devil to serve him. Witchcraft was usually blamed on female, even though there were also some male. They were identified in different ways, the most common way was “dunking”. It consisted on putting a rope around their waist, and throw the presumed to be witch into a river. If she floated, she was a witch, but if she was drowning she would be pulled out and saved. …show more content…
People would be accused of witchcraft and tortured to confess. Torture wasn’t used in England and wasn’t used anymore in Holland after 1594. Unfortunately, some women would ‘confess’ anything just to stop the torture they were enduring, that wouldn’t mean they were guilty. Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger wrote and published the most famous book about the prosecution of witches in 1487, named “The Malleus Maleficarum” that is Latin for “The Hammer of Witches”. It would explain everything about witchcraft, however not everyone believed in witches, but those who did, would think witches held nocturnal meetings
“A witch hunting is a searching out for persecution of persons accused of witchcraft” [Merriam- Webster]. Back in the 15th century, tons of people were executed for witchcraft across parts of Europe. Despite all the cultures that existed, almost all of them would believe that supernatural is real, and that it would be used to make animals and humans more fertile. It was also used to heal the sick. At that time, individuals wouldn’t understand how diseases and other naturals phenomenas would exist and would tend to assume it was caused by something supernatural. However if the “witches” used their magic for good, then some presumed they could use their magic for bad and harm their rivals. During the 16th and 17th century, people wouldn’t stop believing that God had an enemy called the Devil, and that those witches made a pact with the Devil to serve him. Witchcraft was usually blamed on female, even though there were also some male. They were identified in different ways, the most common way was “dunking”. It consisted on putting a rope around their waist, and throw the presumed to be witch into a river. If she floated, she was a witch, but if she was drowning she would be pulled out and saved. …show more content…
People would be accused of witchcraft and tortured to confess. Torture wasn’t used in England and wasn’t used anymore in Holland after 1594. Unfortunately, some women would ‘confess’ anything just to stop the torture they were enduring, that wouldn’t mean they were guilty. Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger wrote and published the most famous book about the prosecution of witches in 1487, named “The Malleus Maleficarum” that is Latin for “The Hammer of Witches”. It would explain everything about witchcraft, however not everyone believed in witches, but those who did, would think witches held nocturnal meetings