Superstitions affected the everyday lives of those living in the Elizabethan Era. Many people were afraid to leave their homes or go anywhere in fear of coming into contact with something dark or evil. One reason people were so afraid of so much was because many people were not very educated and did not have any way to understand what was going on during those times meaning they could not explain why farmers would have bad crop years, or what the cause of the bubonic plague was. These superstitions were not just recognized and thought about by peasants and the poorer classes, it was said that even the Queen believed in superstitions, as well as some scientists, astronomers, and doctors. Many of these superstitions did not originate during the …show more content…
Elizabethan Era but dated back to hundreds of thousands years earlier when people believed in magic and mystical objects and traits. Witchcraft was one of the greatest superstitions in the Elizabethan Era. During the Elizabethan Era around 270 people were accused of witchcraft but mainly women were accused of this, of the 270 that were accused only 23 were men and the other 247 were women. Everything that the people didn’t have knowledge of or a did not have a full understanding of was associated with witchcraft. For example they placed the horrible “black death” or otherwise known as the bubonic plague on witches, bad crop years, death, and illness were all associated and the fault of witches. The people of the Elizabethan Era had certain beliefs or superstitions about these so called witches. Some of these superstitions included that witches could fly, this was how witches were able to do all of their horrible deeds and not be seen. People thought of witches as old hags. One reason women were so closely associated with witchcraft was because these “hags” did not have men to take care of them or protect them from the accusations of witchcraft, along with that was the belief that witches lived alone. The belief was also that witches kept animals.
Animals from frogs, cats, pigs, ravens, wolves, bats, and even mice. Closely associated with today’s beliefs the belief back then was that witches had cauldrons that they brewed their potions in.
Aside from the belief and superstitions in witches, the people of the Elizabethan era had many other superstitions. One would be “God Bless You” when someone sneezes. They did this because they thought when one opened the mouth to sneeze the devil had the opportunity to enter someone’s body and by saying “bless you” it warded off the devil. During this time period black was associated with evil and darkness. Because of this when a black cat crossed someone's path it was thought of as evil and it was a very bad omen. A black cat was also closely associated to witchcraft. The saying “knock on wood” also came from the Elizabethan era. Touching wood could guard someone from having bad luck and keep them safe from bad omens. Salt and pepper were very expensive during the Elizabethan Era and so to spill salt or pepper was thought of as a very bad omen and was very bad luck to do so. Walking under a ladder was thought to be very bad luck and was negatively associated with death because ladders were often used in executions. Another superstition was that one should not keep a peacock feather. Looking at a
peacock feather one would say that it may resemble an eye, because of this many people referred to this so called eye as the evil eye and by keeping a peacock feather one was keeping an evil eye. If one was to put there shoes on the table during this time period it was thought of as a very bad and evil omen and the only thing that could become of the person that did this was death. A more uncommon superstition was that the seventh son of a seventh son would possess supernatural powers. This was just more uncommon because seventh sons of seventh sons was not super common and did not happen too often. Many things were seen as evil omens, it was almost as everything unnatural to these people was an evil omen. An eclipse was thought of as an evil omen because it was something these people could not control and they did not understand what exactly it was and where it was coming from. Good luck omens were not as common but one good luck omen in the Elizabethan era was on the night of St. Valentine a women could pin bay leaves on the corners of her pillow as well as in the middle of it and then one would dream of her husband to be. The reason today things are counted today is because the people of the Elizabethan Era were terrified of the number thirteen and so they avoided it at all costs. Plants had a lot of effect on the people of this time as well. Because some plants had the ability to heal many plants were thought of as good omens and “saving” items because in many cases they did help to save people. Another interesting omen was that those who stirred a pot counterclockwise would make all of those who partook of it sick and give them bad luck as well as spoil all the contents. Some interesting good omens were that if one was to touch a man that was about to executed it would result in good luck, as well as if a cow breath on someone, or if one was to spit in a fire. It doesn’t exactly make sense how these good and bad omens were justified which is why many of the superstitions died off and are no longer talked about or believed in. Something that would mean most men these days would be unlucky was hair loss. Hair loss was thought of as very unlucky and they associated it with illness.
During the course of the Plague common beliefs and/or concerns underwent a dramatic change. During the early years of the Plague outbreak the prevalent belief was of fear of the Plague and its uncertainty of the cause. Most people during this time were concerned that the Plague would affect their economy and their own work/business. People were also concerned of their lives and their family's well being. Then as time went on beliefs changed from this to fear to a religious superstition.
Witchcraft had always fascinated many people and been a very controversial topic in North America during (seventeenth) 17th century. Many People believe that witchcraft implies the ability to injure or using supernatural power to harm others. People believed that a witch represents dark side of female present and were more likely to embrace witchcraft than men. There are still real witches among us in the Utah whom believe that witchcraft is the oldest religion dealing with the occult. However the popular conception of a witch has not changed at least since the seventeenth century; they still caused panic, fear and variety of other emotions in people…………………….
Witchcraft started in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Superstition started when women were accused of acting strangely. These superstitions turned into trials, and later lead to mounds of hanged people. Most of the people accused were innocent, but the harsh judge rulings left them with nothing to live for. The only options for the tried, no matter if guilty or not, were to claim guilty, living the rest of their life in prison, or to plead not guilty and hang. Due to both consequences being equally as punishable, many people isolated themselves from society. Unfortunately, some people caused the uprising of the salem witch trials more than others did. In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams single handedly attributed to the
The medicinal practices and problems of the Elizabethan Era were very important to the people, although they are very different from those of today. There were many different beliefs and diseases, like the Plague. Medicine was not an exact science and was related to Alchemy (Chemistry). Here, some of the many practices and beliefs of the Elizabethan Era will be discussed.
Religious influence, the manipulation of fear, and the frightening aspects of witchcraft all are very influential to the popular belief of witchcraft during this time period. The popularity of witchcraft in this time period is important because it has shown how in the past when there is no logical explanation they would automatically blame Satan and say it was Satan’s doing. It also shows that history repeats itself because during the Cold War many individuals were accused of being communist even though there was no hard evidence proving this accusation; however, out of fear people will still be convicted, just like during the witch trials. Moreover, witch trials were not only influenced by many things but they have been influential; therefore, showing that they influenced things in our time
Superstition has been around almost since people first inhabited the earth. For this reason, it has played a main role in many classical pieces of literature. One of Shakespeare’s tragedies, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, is full of superstition and the supernatural. It contained so much superstition in order to foreshadow key events in the plot, to further develop characters, and to thrill and relate to the Elizabethan audience for whom the play was written.
In the early years of America, people were mostly unaware of certain things. Sickness, for instance, was an important issue for people didn't know how to manage or cure such complex illnesses. The Puritans, during the colonial times, didn't have much information about certain things. They came to believe that certain unexplainable events were done by a powerful source of evil thus brought about superstitions. The infamous Witch Trials done at Salem, Massachusetts, which spread across the continent, was an example of people's injustice acts in response to superstitions. One of the major cause of the Salem Witchcraft trials was superstition, an "irrational belief or practice resulting from ignorance or fear of the unknown" (www.encyclopedia.com). A lack of scientific knowledge led many people to be convinced that, witches were responsible to the death of an animal or a livestock: John Rogger "testified that upon the threatening words " of Martha Carrier " his cattle would be strangely bewitched."(Mather, p55) John Roger believed on superstitions; thus he proposed that Martha was a witch who was killing his cows. It is easy to see how the people of Salem were so vulnerable to the notion of witches taking over their town. Furthermore Tituba, Reverend Parris's slave, practiced ritual dance and "black magic" in her early years in Africa. She influenced most of the girls in town through her stories. The girls believed on superstitions which overall started the Salem Witch Trials and made it possible for the witch trials to occur for a long duration.
Witchcraft is said to be the most widespread cultural phenomenon in existence today and throughout history. Even those who shun the ideas of witchcraft cannot discount the similarities in stories from all corners of the globe. Witchcraft and its ideas have spread across racial, religious, and language barriers from Asia to Africa to America. Primitive people from different areas in the world have shockingly similar accounts of witchcraft occurrences. In most cases the strange parallels cannot be explained and one is only left to assume that the tales hold some truth. Anthropologists say that many common elements about witchcraft are shared by different cultures in the world. Among these common elements are the physical characteristics and the activities of supposed witches. I will go on to highlight some of the witch characteristic parallels found in printed accounts from different parts of the world and their comparisons to some famous fairytales.
There has been a belief of witches for thousands of years. Europeans were very superstitious between the 1300s and 1700s. Tens of thousands of people were executed for being convicted of witchcraft, therefore, the colonists of modern day Danvers, Massachusetts, exposure to the beliefs caused them to brutally execute each other. (Blumberg and Linder).
vulnerable to the Devil’s blandishments. A lurid picture of the activities of witches emerged in the popular mind, including covens, or gatherings over which Satan presided; pacts with the Devil; flying broomsticks; and animal accomplices, or familiars. Although a few of these elements may represent leftovers of pre-Christian religion, the old religion probably did not persist in any organized form beyond the 14th century. The popular image of witchcraft, perhaps inspired by features of occultism or ceremonial magic as well as by theology concerning the Devil and his works of darkness, was given shape by the inflamed imagination of inquisitors and was confirmed by statements obtained under torture. The late medieval and early modern picture of diabolical witchcraft can be attributed to several causes. First, the church’s experience with such dissident religious movements as the Albigenses and Cathari, who believed in a radical dualism of good and evil, led to the belief that certain people had allied themselves with Satan.
Every old woman with a wrinkled face, a furr’d brow, a hairy lip, a gobber tooth, a squint eye, a squeaky voice, or a scolding tongue… a dog or cat by her side, is not only suspected but pronounced for a witch. John Gaule 1646
For many centuries to the present day, Christians have lived in fear of witches. They were known as to be the devils child who only practiced black magic and thought of as the Christians “persecution”. Witches have been known to mankind since the 1200’s. Throughout the 1400’s, the examination of witches was more focus and moved from the Jews. In the church’s law, it was stated that the belief of existence and practices of witchcraft was “heresy”. Because of what the Christians believed, churches would then torture and hunt down anyone who they thought were witches and killed the many women and only a few of the men. They even made them make the confession of flying through the midnight sky, being in love with the devil himself, practicing black magic and even turning into animals.
“If anyone, deceived by the Devil, shall believe, as is customary among pagans, that any man or woman is a night-witch, and eats men, and on that account burn that person to death... he shall be executed” (Charlemagne) When the words witchcraft or magic are spoken, most people think of the Salem Witch trials or the popular television characters that we have today. But do we really know what happened centuries ago that caused the creation of these ideals and these characters we have grown to adore? Witchcraft still has a tight hold on the mind of many and continues to influence the gap between the popular and elite cultures of today.
Humans have evolved to be superstitious, for the reason of self preservation; if there was a rustling in a bush, it is safer to always assume a predator is there and run, than to assume one is not there and stay. While this behavior was unquestionably an advantage for our ancestors, it has done a great disservice to humans in modern society. An example of superstition doing a disservice to society is the Salem witch trials, where innocent people were accused of being witches, and hung. Arthur Miller wrote a play, The Crucible, about this time. In The Crucible, John Proctor blazons courage, which lead to his untimely death.
Psychological susceptibility to various faiths in the fact that human life is exposed to supernatural forces that affect a person's fate, and often prejudge its outcome, always existed in all human societies and cultures. One of the major determinants of this psychological susceptibility is superstitions that appear as the main engines of believe in the intervention of supernatural forces in human’s life. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica (2010) ‘superstition’ could be defined as ‘belief, half-belief or practice’, which does not have any rational explanation or basis. Despite this fact, according to Behringer (2004) the amount of believers in witchcraft and superstitions are significantly higher than in XVII century.