The Witch Trials - An Example of Man's Ignorance

I have often been amazed at the ignorance of man sometimes.  His need to explain everything in accordance with himself despite the fact that there are times when such explanations may cause harm and at times even death to another.

One of the best examples of this in my opinion is the example of the witch hunts which took place between the 14th and 18th century.  The actual witch trials originated in France in 1324 and later made their way through central Europe and eventually to  America.  It was thought that there were those who were a threat to the Christian religion.  Of course if you were considered to not be a Christian of course then you had to be a worshiper of Satan.  This comparison quickly labeled one as a witch. 

Although the actual witch trials themselves did not begin until the 14th century what many would consider the cause for them would begin much earlier between 700 and 1500.  At this time witchcraft and sorcery were quite common and used freely by many.  One was not considered to be odd if a chant or herb was used as a method of healing or affirmation of an act.  Magic and miracles were commonplace.  Fairies were believed to dance in the light of the full moon and no one thought twice about such a thing. 

The Roman Catholic Church however thought differently.  They divided magic into two areas.  Natural magic which was acceptable as it was viewed as merely recognizing the powers which God had given to nature.  And demonic magic, which was considered bad and coupled with demonology, divination, and necromancy.  There were also a group of women during this time who largely frowned upon by the church.  They were the women who worshiped the goddess Diana.  Such women were said to meet together during the evening hours at which time they would claim to ride upon beasts led by Diana herself. 

For some time although it was frowned upon such differences were tolerated until the time of the 14th century when the church began to feel as if there were factions which could be of some threat to their existence as well as their influence.  The church began to seek out and persecute three major groups;  The Jews, the heretics, and the lepers.  Occasionally small groups who were considered "deviant"  such as homosexuals were also tossed into this mix.  It soon became a belief that such groups were attempting to destroy the church from the inside and something had to be done to stop such an action.  It was even believed that the Black Death, which killed a large percentage of Europe's population was caused by the church's so called enemies.

It was at the time of Pope John XXII when the tables turned completely.  John XXII authorised the Inquisition which sole purpose was to seek out heresy and punish those who practiced such acts.  This also included the act of witchcraft.  Hence the witch trials had begun.

The first official witch trial occurred in southern Ireland .  A French bishop, Richard Ledrede, feel out of grace with a local family of importance. Although he had been stationed in this parish since 1317, it was not until 1324, that he eventually accused the family's senior member, Alice Kyteter, of performing witchcraft.  He received his evidence by whipping one of her servants to the point that he claimed that she had met with a group of eight women and four men during the night.  During this time they denounced the Christian faith and cut up living animals then scattered them at specific crossroads as offerings.  Alice fled to England to escape sentencing  and the bishop was later excommunicated from the church.  Ireland would not see another trial for several centuries.  Shows you what centuries of strong Celtic lore and beliefs will keep from you.

The peak of the Witch trials occurred during 1580 to 1630 and were mostly held in Europe.  Some of the more known are the Trier Witch Trials (1581-1593), Fulda Witch Trials (1603-1606) and Bamberg Witch Trials (1626-1631). 

One would ask themselves why would one admit to being a witch?  To answer this you would have to know the manner in which was used to extract information from those who were accused.  The thumbscrew or pilliwinks was one of the methods in which a confession could easily be achieved.  It was a simple device into which ones fingers would be inserted.  A small turn of the screw and slowly ones fingers would be crushed.  There were also versions which could be used on ones toes, elbows and knees.  

Besides torture there were other methods of verifying if one was guilty of the crimes they were accused of.  Certain proofs could be used as valid evidence against one.  Some examples are as follows: 

A diabolical mark - Usually a mole or birthmark

Relationships with others who had been accused and found guilty of witchcraft

Participation in the Sabbaths (this one would get many of us)

Not to cry under torture

To be afraid during the questioning (which really seems to contradict the previous one)

To cause said harm to someone which could only have done via sorcery

And so on... you get the picture... almost anything they wanted to claim.

Most of those who were accused of witchcraft were women.  75 to 80% of those accused across Europe and North America were females.  While non of those who condemned witchcraft at this time also stood up and condemned being a women, there were others who did.  An example:  In the Mallenus Malifcarum, Sprenger and Kramer stated

All wickedness is but little to a wickedness of a woman...

What else is woman but a foe to friendship, an inescapable punishment,

a necessary evil, a natural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic danger,

a delectable detriment, an evil of nature, painted with fair colors.

How sad that man at this time choose to blame woman for all his weakness.  Saying that it was her and all she was that led him to do the things he knew were wrong.  Such an easy escape.  Such ignorance.

The most common form of punishment was death. That is if the accused had not already passed during their inquisitions and trials.    The most common method of death was that of burning one at the stake.  Hanging was also a method which was widely used yet in many cases if one was hanged they were later burned also.  Drowning was used on some occasions yet not as often.  There were several accused who would pass via drowning yet it was not because they had been found guilty.  Dunking over and over into a pool of deep water was also a method thought to verify whether or not one was truly a witch or not. 

As for the number of those whose lives were taken during this time of ignorance and folly this varies greatly.  The number is as low as 35,000 to as high as 9 million.  Historians have bantered back and forth about this for centuries.  However in my opinion, considering that this adventure went on for over 400 years, it is hard for me to believe that the number would be a low one.  There were some deaths which were recorded yet there were many which were not.  We will never know that number exact of all whose lives were taken without reason.  All the lore and family tradition which was lost because someone did not believe as they did.  There were many who were accused and found guilty.  From simple folk to those of stature, to even those in the church itself.  Such sadness for such ignorance. 

  Ignorence is a quality that is inherit to man and I am sure that there will be more examples of him at his finest.  I wish for the day when we finally can be happy with ourselves and not so bent on persecuting those who are different from us. Will that day ever come?  I hope so, I truly hope so

A Familiar by any other Name

I've always had at least one cat familiar in my life and vow I will never live without one. Yes, even when I was a little girl and my peers were playing with "Barbie" dolls, I played with my cats, who were my kindred spirits and confidants. I've blogged before about how my mother "introduced" me to magic, not on any formal level, but she was a witch and had an intelligence and love for animals that I inherited from her. Like most other childhoods, I had nightmares, terrors and anxieties, I couldn't trust any adult or other child with my secrets, so I turned to my cats. We always had at least one cat and a few dogs for our family. I loved my dogs and would play with them for hours outside, but it was my cats, I turned to, for my inner-world of thoughts and feelings. In archetypal language, the cat represents the feminine, intuitive, secretive and magical. Before anyone objects that dogs or other animals can't represent the feminine or there aren't cats who are more like dogs, I agree. My son has a cat who is completely opposite of what a "typical" cat is supposed to act like. He likes to hang out with dogs if there are any, he comes up to greet anyone he meets with a loud, demanding voice, and I doubt he'd have any patience for the workings of magic. In my life, cats represent the feminine spirit. I'm not the only one who matches cats with the feminine.

 During the Burning Times, cats, especially black ones, were associated with the witch as her or his counterpart. The black cat could slip through the night unseen, when one looked at it's eyes, you can see the moon and a cat holds secrets that we can only guess about. I can understand why so many fearful, ignorant people who were terrified of the Goddess in her many forms. Notice, I didn't say, that the cats were owned because everyone who owns a cat agrees with the saying, "Dogs have Masters, Cats have Staff," and isn't that true? 

There are of course many different animals besides a cat that can be a witch's familiar. In the play "Macbeth" the Wyrd Sisters had "Paddock" a toad, "Harpier" an owl, and "Grimalkin" a cat. In the book and movies of "Harry Potter" all the students as well as the faculty have familiars, cats, rats, owls, bees, dogs, bees even.The black cat just seems to personify a witch. So don't feel too badly if you don't have a cat familiar. Really any animal "companion" as Mother Moon so beautifully wrote can be your magical partner in crime. However, not every animal is destined to be a familiar. 

I live with two very beloved cats who are sisters, Bella and Sele. Bella looks exactly like Mother Moon's Jimbo, right down to the exact size of the white diamond on the chest. She's elegant, leggy, athletic and extremely moody, like her mother. She would love to venture out under the moonlight if I let her outside, which I don't. She sits in the window communing with the moon and then whispers into my ear mysteries and dreams. Sele is a tuxedo kitty (black and white patches) and is Bella's opposite. All she wants to do is play, eat and sleep. In that order. If I tried to perform any magic with her, she'd run under the bed in fright. I love how Lynelle wrote about her cat "Cici" who can always put a smile on her face, that's Sele!

It's strange how often I wake up from a horrible nightmare choking, gasping for air and burning hot. I have a continual dream about how my cats and I have been burned in my house. Knock on wood, I have never had or never will have that happen to me. I can't watch or read anything about any animal being harmed, especially a cat. That's when the real witch in me comes out as I chant a curse aloud to those perpetrators. Animal familiars were also known as "imps" because they were believed to be one of the devil's minions send to a witch as a messenger.One of the most famous names for a familiar is,  "Pyewackett." This name has been used for cat familiars in fiction throughout the ages and continues to be one. One of my favorite Pyewackett familiars is from the movie, "Bell, Book and Candle." The television series "Bewitched" was based upon this movie. The infamous, witch hunter, Matthew Hunter said that, "Pyewackett, was a name no mortal could invent."


The plagues that happened in the fourteenth century killing over 25 million people, 1/3 of Europe's population was believed to have come from fleas that lived on black rats which then infected everyone. I believe in karma, not as a principle to bring about vengeance or an event to justify the means, but I can't help but think that after all those seven million and plus who were killed as witches along with their animals that a horrible justice was served.
 

I always keep in mind with any type of magic I perform one of the oldest witch's credes, "Three by Three by Three." This means that whatever thought or action either positive or negative projected onto another can come back to you in threefold strength. Please know, I am not saying in any way that what happened to all those victims of the plague was deserved or justifiable. Most of the victims were the youngest children or the oldest citizens. Not the most likely to have been part of the witch hunt. In fact, the greatest population of people who were persecuted as witch's were the elders. Magic is powerful and the responsibility of working with a familiar is not to be taken lightly. They are able to access worlds which most humans can't. They stir the inner-cauldron of an instinctive animal realm which must be used with great consciousness and care. But most of all, our familiars bring out the best in us...Patience, humour, humility and a wisdom that is a sacred gift. I don't know where I would be if it weren't for the familiars I have loved. Blessings upon you and your familiar in whatever form they take.


How to Name Your Familiar 
When the devil brings him, like a Christmas puppy, examine his downy fur and smell his small paws for the scent of sulphur. 
 Is he a child of hell? O clearly those soft brown eyes speak volumes of deviltry.
O surely those small pink teats could suckle witches.  O those floppy ears hear only the devils hissing.
O that small pink tongue will lick at your heart until only Satan may slip in.
A fuzzy white dog? Name him Catch.
A little black kitten? She is Jamara. 
A tiny brown rabbit? Call her Pyewackett. 
Beware, beware-the soft, the innocent, the kingdom of cuddly ones-All these expose you to the jealous tongues of neighbor's flames, all these are the devil's snares!
~Erica Jong~