WOMEN and witchcraft IN the 15TH AND 16th CENTURY SOCIAL SCIENCE

Witchcraft Witchcraft means the practice of magical skills and abilities that are able to be exercised individually or by social groups, with the necessary esoteric secret knowledge. Witchcraft often occupies a religious, divinatory or medicinal role, and is often present within societies and groups whose cultural framework includes a magical world view. Traditionally these rituals were often made by the women of the tribes.

sorcery. Origins and development. At the end of the Middle ages began to associate witchcraft with the cult the Devil and, therefore, idolatry and heresy. Between the years 1450 and 1750, approximately 72,500 women were formally accused and 45,000 were executed for witchcraft Europe There was abundant literature about it written during the 15th, 16th and 17TH centuries.

Why women? The female healers and midwifes of Europe represented a threat to the church hierarchy, which supported the rising male medical profession. Women could not study medicine. A book of that time states: "If a woman dare to cure without having studied then she is a witch and must die"

Although the most of women accused for witchcraft were peasants, some victims were also rich and noble women. The Church didn’t like some wealthy women had economic independence because they were not thought to be able to handle their own affairs. This was supposed to be managed by men.

Most times the origin of the accussations were jealousy and envy. A single accussation was enough to be burnt at the stake. A woman could also be accussed if she had a beauty spot, a freckle or any scar, considered “the Devil Mark”.

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