The History of Wicca

The history of Wicca is often debated by different people. It technically started in 1954, but was based on a mix of ancient religions. We will briefly cover the history of Wicca from caveman days all the way up to modern times in the following paragraphs.

In 1908, a statue known as the Venus of Willendorf was found in a cave near what is now Vienna, Austria. Archaeologists believe that the figure comes from 24,000 and 22,000 B.C. Similar statues have been found in a large area of Europe. The Venus of Willendorf has become a symbol of prehistoric art. Paleolithic Wo/Man believed in a multitude of gods and honored the spirit of each thing. Today, this is called Animism. As Wo/Man matured and traveled across Europe, he took his religion with him and the gods acquired different names. Wo/Man had also developed a belief in a life after death. Burial customs of the Gravettians (22000-18000 BC) showed burials with personal possessions. In some areas of Europe these ritual leaders, or priests and priestesses, became known as the Wicca, which means the “Wise Ones”. During the time of the Anglo-Saxon kings in England, the king would never think of acting on any important matter without consulting the Witan. In 2000 B.C. Babylon's Code of Hammurabi instructs people, "If a man has laid a charge of witchcraft and has not justified it, he upon whom the witchcraft is laid shall go to the holy river; he shall plunge into the holy river and if the holy river overcome him, he who accused him shall take to himself his house." By 350 B.C., the Celts had developed a priestly class called the Druids. Around the third century, AD in the pre-Christian Roman Empire, punishment by the State against witches who brought about another per...

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...urt of Appeals ruled that Wicca is a religion deserving First Amendment protection. The Internal Revenue Service has recognized Wicca as a legal religion, and given a tax-exempt status. Laurie Cabot founded the Witches’ League for Public Awareness. The American Civil Liberties Union came to the legal aid of witches arguing in court in 1999 that a Wiccan high school student should be allowed to wear the symbol of her faith to school.

Wicca has gone down through the history with its many trials and tribulations. It has a very colorful history, that can’t be covered all in one research paper.

E-Books:

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft by Denise Zimmermann and Katherine A. Gleason pages 17-27.

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland pages 1-8.

Websites:

http://www.religionfacts.com/neopaganism/timeline.htm