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Witches are inextricably linked to Halloween. Witches and sorcery play
integral parts in almost all of the world's traditions. For thousands of
years, shaman and witch doctors have called on the aid of spirits through
incantations and offerings to protect and heal fellow tribe members, crops
and livestock. Psychologically, witchcraft provided our early ancestors a
means of establishing a sense of control over the elements and helped
eased anxiety associated with disease, uncertain weather and natural
disasters. The trouble arose when the preventative measures failed to keep
the maladies at bay. Many natural occurrences were ultimately blamed on
malicious witches.
In the early Christian era, the church was tolerant of the local sages
and wise women who used charms, herbs and incants to influence the quality
of life. They were regarded as harmless relics of the old religion and
were found throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. Hebrews, Greeks and
Romans all believed in their abilities. But in the late 13th century, a
growing opposition to the old ways began to dominate the mindset. These
women came to be considered in league with the devil, stemming from a
precept that magic was the manifestation of evil. People who fell under
suspicion of practicing witchcraft were hunted by decree of the
Inquisition and from 1450 to 1700, thousands of people, mostly women, were
executed on the basis of bogus confessions obtained by means of torture.
They are often portrayed as the villains in many of our children's
stories.
Professional witch hunters were paid a fee for each conviction. In
1486, the Malleus Maleficarum was published by two Dominican inquisitors
and translated into several languages. It was sent to both Protestant and
Catholic countries and its description of grotesque, demonic practices
provided the impetus for widespread hysteria. It outsold all other books
except the Bible.
One of the last outbreaks of witch-hunting took place in colonial
Massachusetts in 1692, when belief in diabolical witchcraft was declining
in Europe. Twenty people lost their lives amidst the madness that ensued
after two little girls claimed they had been bewitched. In the second half
of the 20th century, an interest in practicing pre-Christian paganism
resurfaced. The word pagan simply means country dweller. The neo-Pagan and
Wiccan revivals typically foster a love of nature, emphasize a sacred
interpretation of nature's cycles, promote equality among males and
females and shave a renewed sense of wonder and belief in magic.
About The Author
Wendy Brinker is an artist and writer in Columbia, SC.
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