Witchcraft Level Three History - Tudors and Stuarts - Popular Culture. www. Schoolhistory.co.nz

Historical Context

The Reformation challenged traditional beliefs which had previously been accommodated within the Catholic Church. Martin Luther

1468

1521: Animalistic Antichristian Deviant Female Evil Unruly

Even the monarchs consulted astrologers such as John Dee. John Dee

James the First took an active and personal interest in witchcraft.

Matthew Hopkins was the self- appointed Witch Finder General who worked from He mastered the art of inflicting torture even when it was forbidden. He oversaw some of the most sensational Witch trials in England.

Educated people, especially judges, found it increasingly difficult to accept witch trials and with better education there were fewer and fewer accusations.

Salem Witch Trials 1692

Beliefs

Malevolent –heart Bad words – tongue Evil looks - eye

Don’t offend witches. Take precautions against them.

Problems dealt with locally: burning thatch, water tests, burning affected animals.

Witches used many methods of inflicting harm upon their community

Witches supposedly had special marks on their bodies and used familiars to do their evil work.

Witches were often just old, unattractive and sometimes mentally retarded. They were considered a drain on community resources and easy victims.

White witches worked for good and were common and easy to find. ‘Cunning Men’ also worked for good in the community.

The elite also believed in witches but that they were more against society as a whole rather than the individual

The Three Witches from Macbeth

Most witches were accused by their neighbours. With little charity available there was often no other way to survive except by begging

Witch trials became ever more popular and many innocent women were faced with death.

Suspected witches were interrogated before they went to trial. They were punished by hanging or burning.

Bibliography Guiley, Rosemary Ellen, An Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, Facts on File, New York, Reay, Barry. Popular Culture in England , Longman, London, Sharpe, J.A. Early Modern England: A Social History, Edward Arnold, London, 1992.

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