The Persecution of Witches

1549 Words4 Pages

When one thinks of witchcraft they typically think of a woman who is ugly, old and grotesque. Someone that perhaps brews potions with unearthly matter in a cauldron or someone that shoots out spells with a wand. The media shows us that these witches can talk to animals, most specifically cats and wolves. They also portray them as evildoers that consort with the Devil, steal children, and kill others. Although having such beings that could create such feats of magic would be astonishing, they are largely false rumors created by the Catholic Church to promote Christianity and punish those who held on those beliefs that did not align with the church. The history of witchcraft, the implausible and impossible feats that were associated with witches, and the modern day practices of witchcraft reflect a lie that caused tremendous tragedy, which destroyed thousands upon thousands of lives worldwide due to a silly hoax.

Witchcraft has been in practice for centuries upon centuries, having been traced back to the beginning of mankind, where it was seen as a religious practice that instilled magical rights upon the user (Witchcraft). Prehistoric art exemplifies this, with inscriptions detailing magical rites that were used to ensure that their hunting was successful (Wiccan One’s Universe). Witches were commonplace all over the world with different stigmas and stereotypes attached to them from each respectful culture that contained them. The belief in magic predated Christianity, Judaism, and recorded history, and over time magic became mainly associated with one group - Witches (Erzulie). This could have been due to the fading out of many other ancient religions as well as the growing popularity that Witchcraft gained from incorporating man...

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Works Cited

“A Short History of Witchcraft.” Wiccan One’s Universe. N.p., n.d. Web 14 Nov 2011

Cline, Austin. “Witches, Women, and Witchcraft.” About.com Agnosticism/Atheism. About.com, 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011

Erzulie’s Authentic Voudou Honoring the Great Voudou Goddess of Passion, Pleasure, & Prosperity. Ezrulie’s Inc, 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011

Halsall, Paul. Witchcraft Documents. Medieval Sourcebook, March 1996. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.

“History of Witchcraft – Early Modern Period.” Witchcraft A guide to the misunderstood and the maligned. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011

Lovelace, Wicasta. Malleus Maleficarum Introduction. Alpha Fiend & Windhaven Network, LLC, November 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2011

Witchcraft. Thames and Hudson Ltd. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011

WitchCraft World of Wicca. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2011

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