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Witchcraft and the Holocaust of Women

Natalie Kim Micaela Schmitt Sofie Mizzi. Witchcraft and the Holocaust of Women. Witches in the Elizabethan Era. Women were dependant on the man of the house Women were to obey men Widowed/ unmarried women would have little access to doctors and other necessities

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Witchcraft and the Holocaust of Women

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  1. Natalie Kim MicaelaSchmitt SofieMizzi Witchcraft and the Holocaust of Women

  2. Witches in the Elizabethan Era • Women were dependant on the man of the house • Women were to obey men • Widowed/ unmarried women would have little access to doctors and other necessities • Stereo typical witches are thought of to be poor, elderly, unkempt, and ugly • Witches were usually single or widowed, and kept animals (called “familiars”) as pets. • Society blamed witches for everything negative that occurred DID YOU KNOW… that less than 1% of witches or people involved in witchcraft were male?

  3. Types of Witches • White witcheswere viewed as : helpful due to their knowledge of herbs and plants in medicine and good-heartedand healers. This knowledge was passed down from generation to generation. • White witches lived by 5 laws: Live, Love, Learn, Enjoy, Harm none VS. • Black witches were viewed as: evil and Satanic, who only caused harm and inflicted unnecessary pain on others • Both distinctions of witches were lost during the Renaissance witch hunt.

  4. Wicca vs. Witchcraft vs. Paganism

  5. Origins - Unknown - early references in the Bible since humans have roamed the Earth - Gods and Goddesses of nature Christianity, one “God”

  6. History: Ancient & Middle Ages • wicca and wicce • heal sick, crops grow, rain fall • Middle Ages • Emperor accepted Christianity • dominant religion • witches • not healers • evil • responsible for bad things

  7. History: Middle Ages • witches, sorcerers were killed • crime was not witchcraft • it was heresy • the act of going against the teachings of Christianity • Canon Episcopi • witches do not have real powers • thinking that they do is sinful

  8. Culture - Familiars were… - Some examples of familiars include: cats, goats, hares, spiders, crows, butterflies, bees & toads • Holidays/Celebrations: • Samhain, October 31: Wiccan New Year • Imbolc Lore, February 2: celebration of life • Beltane, April 30/May 1: celebration of fertility/sexuality • Lammas, July 31/August 1: first harvest of the year • Yule Lore, December 21: “rebirth” of the sun god • Ostara, March 21: growth of the sun god (spring) • Litha, June 21: summer solstice • Mabon, September 21: autumn equinox & second harvest

  9. A Witch’s Initiation • Priest /witch to the great goddess • led naked,hands tied behind their back and blindfolded • receive the “five-fold kiss” (feet, knees, genitals, breasts, lips) • recite an oath of secrecy • receive 40 strokes from the scourge • Witch queen/ Magus (male) • - suggests that the subject is told “suffer and be purified in order to learn,” to assure her loyalty to the goddess • the leader will tell them “in Witchcraft thou must never give as thou receive, but triple.” • - 120 strokes from the scourge. • - Reading or re-enactment of “legend of the Goddess” • High Priest(ess) • the aspirant and initiator must have sexual intercourse in the circle of power in presence of the members of the coven • the Athame (sacred knife) is dipped into a glass of red wine and initiator states “the Woman to the Man is the cup to the Athame.”

  10. Witchcraft Acts and Laws • - Witchcraft Act of 1542 (King Henry VIII, England): • - first Witchcraft Act in Europe • - witches can be tried and punishable by • the state • - Witchcraft Act of 1563 (QE I, England): • - largely the result of religious pressure • - It intensified the penalties of witchcraft • - Witchcraft Act 1563 (King James VI Scotland): • - King James VI was a strong believer of witchcraft • - believed in barbaric torture and burning at the stake • Witchcraft Statute of 1604 (King James I, England & • Scotland): • - introduced Devil’s Pact into the law • - most severe law for witchcraft Johann Jakob Wick: Execution of three witches on 4 November 1585 in Baden (Switzerland)

  11. History of Witch-hunting • Witchcraft hysteria peaked in 1640’s • Witch- finding began in 1645 with Matthew Hopkins (self-declared Witch- Hunting General) • Hopkins saw he could make money from pursuing the hunt on a larger scale • Witch-hunting was a judicial operation, but agitated villagers executed suspected witches in a vigilante style; after Hopkins, this rarely happened • People in the 17th and 18th centuries opposed torture to obtain confessions & became more skeptical spectral evidence • People realized the deaths might have been due to natural causes

  12. - MalleusMaleficarum = Witch’s Hammer • written in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer • The third section of the book: prosecuting a witch and, conduct of a witch trial and the formal charging of the accused • Devil’s mark: a visible mark on the body that is insensitive to pain and will not bleed • : suspects were poked and probed (it could be on any place in the body) • : men and women with moles, bleeding tumours or ulcers were highly suspected • : witches used these protuberances to suckle imps and familiars. Identifying a Witch

  13. Famous Witch Hunts • - Bamberg Witches (1626-31); Germany: • - Amounted to a total of 300-600 deaths • Bamberg suffered from conflicts within the Holy • Roman Empire, crop failures, famines and • plagues • - Hunts and trials ended in 1630-31 North Berwick DID YOU KNOW… In England, witches were usually hanged, but they were strangled and then burned throughout the rest of Europe Bamberg • North Berwick Witches (1590-92); Scotland: • Gilly Duncan was tried for witchcraft • - A coven of witches attempted to kill the King • Francis fled to Naples; Euphemia and Agnes • were executed; Barbara and John were • condemned but later released

  14. Famous Witch Hunts • - Salem Witch Trials (1692-1693); USA: • Led by Cotton and Increase Mather, • demonologists from England • 141 arrests and 19 hangings • Started from child’s play  full-out witch hunt and trial • Many were sentenced guilty because of • spectral attacking of witnesses • - Ended due to the reject ion of spectral evidence F.O.C. Darley- Witchcraft at Salem Village

  15. between 1550 and 1650 • witches were hunted before • greatest number of executions • not just burning • hanged or killed in other ways The Burning Times

  16. Torture Devices • thumb screw • iron vice • crush fingers • leg screw • iron vice • crush legs • turcas • tore out fingernails

  17. Torture Devices • the Rack • hands and ankles tied • slowly in opposite directions • pulled arm & leg joints apart • strappado • hands tied behind backs • pulled towards ceiling by hands • dropped abruptly • arms pulled from their sockets

  18. whipping • acid-dipped feathers • burning • scalding baths • soaked in oil • torturing the families Torture Methods

  19. The Black Death and Witches • 25-50% • witches were accused • not uncommon to blame witches • death, natural disaster, crop failure, drought • blamed and punished for tragedies

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