Witchcraft & Heresy Lesson 11

Lesson and description here, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Original: The witch trials are definitely one of the most interesting subjects in regards to European Middle Ages and witchcraft. As mentioned in our lectures, literature, and postings, heretics were of a major threat to religion and societal life. Not much different on the current, although not wholly shared, view that homosexuals are a threat to the sanction of marriage and family life. These “others” not only disbelieved the practices of the Church but also had their own differing set of beliefs. Heretics were such a threat that the Church and others felt that something needed to be done. Witch trials, witch hunts, persecutions, mass murders, and torture were the ways to stop these people and exterminate them altogether. Women, in particular, were of a major target. Misogyny, or the hatred for women and girls, came about and created the well-known stereotypical witch. Stereotyped witches were women who were devoted to the devil, murdered and ate infants, engaged in sex and orgies with the devil and other demons, and may have flown by broomsticks amongst other things. This is where the status of women really begins to greatly decline, forever impacting the worth of women. Jews, Templars, Cathars, Lepers, Homosexuals and other heretics were of all victims of the Crusades and Inquisitions that sought out to eliminate them. These movements were of a legal standing to convict the heretics and it was completely lawful to burn these people at the stake. This was the way in which the Church felt they had more control over their society and their followers as well.
Student response #1: I really like your simply put stance that the concept of heresy stems basically from a difficulty in acceptance of varying religions and practices. I feel you are completely right, although I wouldn’t say it is the sole driving force but definitely a major part of it. It is astounding that the Church chose to use fear as a tool to gain people into the religion as well as that was an issue of their own. Fear of differing beliefs and groups caused them to spread horrible and inaccurate reports about the Jews, the Cathars, lepers, witches, and other groups. So I guess it would come down to the fact that fear was the ultimate difficulty in acceptance of these groups thus bringing about the witch trials.
Student response #2: So many posts discuss many aspects of the cause of the witch trials. Although I don’t feel just any one is the sole reasoning, I do agree with the presence of just about everyone. Yours, particularly, points out to an interesting point that I’m not sure if people have made notice of. It boils down to ownership and competition. I have mentioned in some of my posts that there is a great deal of difficulty in proving and claiming magic practices and powers because people can easily use it to their advantage to seek revenge on someone else. As I also mentioned in my other colleague response, it seems that overall, fear is the driving force of all of these things. Fear of the group in any of the many possible ways.