Supernatural Forces In Medieval Europe

Lantern in the Wind

Medieval Europe is characterized by a series of unfortunate and tragically nonsensical events. Due to the unexplainable nature of these tragedies, it became commonplace to assign unnatural explanations to seemingly supernatural events. Medieval Europe is a prime example of an era drowning in constant hysteria; disease, prejudice, and misconceptions dominated the mindsets of the general public. In most occasions, the most rational explanations became the supernatural. ?Supernatural? is a very broad term to describe a constantly shifting subject throughout history; however, the theme pertaining to the perception of supernatural forces remains a relevant and constant ideology. Whether it be through religion, or medicine, or science, supernatural themes are prevalent in many aspects of history. Throughout Medieval Europe, supernatural perceptions influenced the way people viewed the natural world, and also affected the way people behaved and how history developed.

The extent to which the perceptions of supernatural forces

influenced the way people act is expansive and omnipresent. Christianity in particular and the concept of miracles greatly affected the way people acted, and this was intentional in many cases. It curbed the desire people had to misbehave. These "miracles" would have undeniably affected the way people acted, encourage them to join the church, and would foster a superstitious and supernatural belief system among common people (Bartlett 28). St. Augustine represents what the church unintentionally did to influence the spread of supernatural perceptions, as he was a common example of the power of miracles in medieval Europe (Bartlett 32). The performance of miracles was a widely accepted church belief, and people were said to perform these miracles through the intervention of a divine power, or god; however, the church worked furiously to prevent these miracles from being perceived as magic or a human manipulation of the natural world. Ironically, the church would only facilitate the spread of supernatural ideologies, such as those concerning human manipulation of the natural world, by continuously encouraging the belief of these miracles and "not natural, but not supernatural" events.
To understand why religion was such a prominent theme in supernatural perceptions and studies, it is important to explore the context of the era in which these ideas were accepted and encouraged. Due to the fact that people were quite literally only trying to survive in the medieval ages, superstition and faith became essential aspects of lives ruled by misery and suffering (Boeree). This explains why the belief in the supernatural was so prominent and so easily took hold in medieval European society. The many cases of suffering that are associated with these so-called ?Dark Ages? would affect the way people viewed religion and the natural world. The black plague, for example, greatly influenced the culture and society of medieval Europe (Cultural Effects). People would turn to religion, and people would blame religion. Some thought the church was to blame, that it was some sort of divine punishment; therefore, many sought to be the best Christians they could be in order to appease the wrath of God (Cultural Effects). This also would have led many to turn to supernatural forces as a source of explanation and as a salve for the harsh realities of their suffering. The reason that many who turned to supernatural explanations also turned to Christianity is because it was something they already believed in; the idea of miracles and other supernatural forces served only to support the ideas that were already in place.
Aside from the fact that supernatural perceptions and Christianity were closely intertwined, the supernatural was also associated with many other aspects of life. Witchcraft was a closely related sensation that was largely affected by the propagation of supernatural ideations (Bartlett 22). In fact, witchcraft, which was a widespread practice in medieval Europe, is said by many scholars to have derived from Christian ideas and applications; although, the church would come to persecute those who believed themselves to possess supernatural abilities or any authority other than that of the Christian God (Mastin). The idea of witchcraft was originally intended to give people hope, and also to attract them to the church; however, it spun out of control and the church began condemning the practice (Mastin). This represents a branch of supernatural ideologies that would derive from Christian and Pagan beliefs and would further influence the way people were affected by perceptions of the supernatural, and more specifically, how Christianity influenced the supernatural in a way that would later have an important impact on history. The irony lies in the church-issued statements that witchcraft was not only impossible but also sinful, all the while propagating the reality of miracles and unearthly interventions. Witchcraft is one supernaturally derived practice that changed the way people viewed the natural world.
Witchcraft would become a practice designed to give people the illusion that they could bend the natural world to their will?that they could control it. This idea, along with Christianity in the idea of miracles and divine intervention, created a following of people who believed that humans were enhanced by supernatural forces in order to make the natural world malleable (Boeree). People would take advantage of the belief that the natural world belonged to the humans (Supernatural). They did this through the use of Christianity on many occasions, and people in power would take advantage of this in order to control the public and create an era fueled by malice and bigotry (Newman). However, when people took it upon themselves to try and control the natural world, they were persecuted by the church because they wanted to be in power, not the common people. This resulted in a significant historical development led by the church.
Medicine was also greatly influenced by superstitious and supernatural themes. The treatment and diagnosis of diseases and other ailments were heavily dictated by religious methods that were not only detrimental, but also extremely superstitious (Snell). These superstitious and non-conventional practices led to a stunted advancement of medicinal and scientific developments and also showed how greatly and deeply these supernatural and superstitious ideas influenced the way people behaved and how history developed as a result. For example, astrological observations, such as determining how a patient should be treated based on the most visible constellation, became commonplace in diagnosing and treating patients (Trueman). This superstitious way of interpreting the natural world would lead to an even more mystical use of supernatural perceptions, most commonly observed through witchcraft. It was not enough for people to understand the natural world, they wanted to control it and bend it to their will, and this is where supernatural perceptions take effect in societies.
Science was another highly affected field. Those who believed that the natural world was basically subjective sought to develop ways to take control of it in a rational and scientific manner. Alchemy is a prime example of this proliferation of supernatural perceptions in the manipulation and malleability of the natural world, impacting science through the existing idea that people could utilize supernatural forces to alter the natural world (Snell). The idea that people could control the natural world in the way that alchemists believed they could derived from these supernatural perceptions that changed the way people viewed the natural world. Witchcraft is another example of this influence. Many believe that the supernatural beliefs held by the inhabitants of the medieval ages greatly restricted the potential advancements of practical medicine and science, and these ideas were further expounded upon by Renaissance scholars. This shows the extent to which supernatural perceptions influenced not only how people viewed the natural world, as something they could manipulate and control, but also how it would impact history by making people believe they could utilize mystical methods in order to achieve scientific and medicinal advancements, limiting the potential emergence of modern applications and implementations of practical science and medicine. Though, this is not entirely true in the case of alchemy. Spurred by the increasing perceptions of the supernatural and how they influenced history, alchemists actually paved the way to many modern scientific advancements, such as chemistry, through the use of supernatural ideology and seemingly unscientific methodology (Snell). It is notable that they were persecuted by the church, who would attack them and their practice as unholy and heretical. This influenced people into despising anything that was fundamentally opposed to church teachings, further displaying the church?s hold on society, a prominent development of historical events driven by supernaturally inspired forces.
To further understand the mindset of the people of the medieval ages, all contexts must be evaluated thoroughly. Morose ideas took hold of the common European amid the paranoia of the medieval era. Alcuin, a scholar highly revered by Charlemagne himself, would exemplify this idea excellently, ?What is man? The slave of death, a passing wayfarer. How is man placed? Like a lantern in the wind? (Boeree). This quote expresses the idea that humans are merely victims of the natural world?that their existence is the equivalent of a speck of dust in the vast presence of the universe. This mindset shows exactly why people took to the idea of the supernatural in order to enhance their standings in the natural world through the use of supernatural perceptions; although, the natural world is another definition entirely.
Supernatural ideas were generally formed around myths that derived from the unknown or unexplored aspects of the world. The ideas were created then "placed" in a certain location so that they would seem logical, but when these areas or ideas were explored or expounded upon, they ceased to contain any rational standings (Trueman). In some perspectives, the supernatural was merely an unexplored extension of the natural world (Boeree). It was not exactly irrational to believe in supernatural perceptions because many medieval scholars and scientists and prominent figures would present seemingly supernatural ideas as mere unexplored extensions of the natural world (Bartlett 73). The church would be one of the primary persecutors of this idea that the manipulation of the natural world was supernatural and inherently heretical and malicious, although the promulgation of miracles and other Christian beliefs, utilized as a way to attract superstitious converts, would be dictated by the church itself to be completely divine and not supernatural (Bartlett 56). This shows how influential the church and other powerful figures were in influencing the way people behaved and how history developed as a result. Essentially, supernatural ideas influenced how people perceived the natural world, but originally these ideas were one with the natural world. This explains the ease with which people accepted supernatural ideas as extensions of their current, excessively unexplainable, and hectic natural world. This is what supernatural perceptions embodied in the medieval ages. Supernatural forces capitalized on the vulnerability of suffering people in medieval Europe by making them believe that the natural world did not have to be composed of misery and suffering, that they could take the liberty upon themselves to change it for the better, or at least offer up some sort of explanation as to why it was the way it was.
Supernatural perceptions were not all completely mystical and faith-based?well, this is to say that many people utilized the public's growing acceptance of supernatural forces in order to influence their behavior and thought processes.

Intelligent individuals, like scholars and scientists, took advantage of the public's perceptions of the supernatural to influence their behavior (Newman). These certain individuals used a rational mindset that allowed them to link natural events with understood causation and connections. This includes medieval scholars discovering how to predict a solar eclipse, but deceiving the public by claiming that magic allowed them to predict this natural phenomenon (Supernatural). This would garner a following from the public and imbue supernatural superstitions and ideas in the minds of many, further increasing the extent to which the general medieval European was affected by supernatural

perceptions.
The effects of these supernatural perceptions were staggering. Religious fervor led to increased prejudices among religious groups, which led to a negative historical development of bigotry and malice in European history; although, it did foster a sense of hope that people so desperately sought out in the bleak era of the medieval ages (Newman). Supernatural beliefs gave people something to have faith in and fostered a sense of community and stability. This is not to say that these ideas always led to positive developments: Miracles, for example, also served as a way to convert people to Christianity. An example of this sentiment can be seen through Pope Gregory?s words in a letter to St. Augustine, ?Clearly understand your own character, and how much grace is in this nation for whose conversion God has given you the power to work miracles? (Supernatural). The mindset of the pope demonstrated through said letter shows how powerful the supernatural was in terms of influencing people, and why the supernatural would have been an ideal way to change the way people acted or felt. The church took advantage of the suffering of the general public in order to generate a large following of people. This would lead to other branches of faith and supernatural ideologies such as witchcraft, scientific, and medicinal developments and inhibitions. Even before Europe was ravaged with disease and tragedy, Christianity gained steam because of the greater following being amassed in the reign of the Pope, the increasingly papal-run theocracy created a society that was essentially run by the church (Newman). The dark themes of the middle ages only amplified the need people felt for the church?s authority. Through this church-run society, people would blindly obey the church's teachings and instructions, including running headfirst into a war fueled by religiously inspired conflict (Cultural Effects). The influence that Christianity had on the development of history, derived from supernatural perceptions, would lead to many historical developments such as wars?as seen in the "holy war", and the psychological influence that the church had on the common people.
The supernatural and the natural were closely interconnected in medieval Europe. The perceptions of supernatural forces heavily impacted the way people viewed the natural world, as something to be controlled or to be explained by supernatural reasoning. The larger scope of these perceptions was a large historical development that led to a leap in ideologies concerning religion, society, medicine, and science. The supernatural influenced the way people viewed the natural world and mankind in relation. It is important to understand how influential the supernatural was in the historical development of Europe and the world as a result.