the story of the witches goes back, according to the writings, to the middle ages. It is at this time that witchcraft is named and defined as the beliefs and studies of supernatural powers. The presence and influence of witches in society was greater than many people thought, although the belief in their powers depended on the culture and the area in which they were.
Witchcraft Through the Ages I
Before him rise and relevance that witchcraft began to takeWhen the fifteenth century arrived, the Church decided to put an end to them and hunt them down. Literally. Based on morality, the Church dedicated itself to hunting every woman to do anything even remotely suspicious, paying with his life. The psychosis reached such an extreme that the deceased women were counted in the thousands.
And it is that, to give more credibility to the witch hunts and chasesfrom the Church they related witchcraft with Devils, succubi, demons and other evil entres that were considered real.
Furthermore, the idea that they lived among humans was accepted in the known world. Some even attributed healing powers to them, but also evil ones. Like could cure a disease, they could produce it, curse someone, to his lineage. They were also thought to be able to modify the weather, render another woman sterile or force love with a spell.
organization of witches
The belief that gave the witches the most power was that of their ability to end someone’s life just by looking at them. The factual power that had been given to the witches was such that the threat to the hegemony of the Church caught them almost by surprise.
It was the Church itself who described them in some writings. They assured that they were organized in covens of 12 witches, where they practiced spells and shared wisdom. Obviously, in tEvery coven had a leader which, in this case, was a men.
This male leader was usually depicted with animal form with horns and always in black. A disturbing and gloomy figure, around which the witches were organized. Their rites of worship were habitual and they met at least twice a week. Everything to keep up to date with what was happening in each congregation.
Moreover, it has been speculated that this meeting was a sacrilegious investment and mockery of a mass. They called him the Sabbath and it was the rite in which witches renewed their pact with the devil. He even got to commune with a host black, recite the Creed backwards and eat human flesh. This meat used to be from the sacrifices made, which also included children.
These sacrifices had as compensation, receive supernatural powers from Satan. In return, she sold him her soul and promised him eternal fidelity.
witch powers
What real powers were attributed to these witches? The most striking was to fly. In fact, this legend has been perpetuated to this day. They used their brooms for long journeys through the air. A broom that was also related to the promiscuity that they displayed. the witches were capricious and vicious in the art of love.
However, there is a theory that maintains that the flights were not literal. These flights of which they spoke were given through the use of powerful drugs such as henbane or belladonna.
Another power attributed to witches is their ability to turn into animals. Obviously, the animal depends on the area in which the story is told. The most common was that they were transformed into cat or crow. A skill that was very useful to get close to their enemies without being noticed.
witch hunts
Thus, when the Church began its Witch huntthis was bloody like few others. Every woman who was accused of witchcraft had many options to die. Regardless of whether she was a witch or not. Especially harsh was the repression in small towns where authority was collective. It was the neighbors themselves who decided who lived and who didn’t.
Despite this, where there was authority, things were not very different. The regents decided the final fate of the alleged witch, based on the accusation made. Sometimes sin was condoned with a fine, but death was the final destination for most. and that already there were laws that prohibited killing someone without evidence to convict him.
Historians who have dealt with the subject have compiled figures and they are overwhelming. In the middle Ages over 100,000 witches were convicted, of which 50,000 were executed.
One of the most famous ways of prosecuting witches was with the help of the sea. They were tied to his broom and thrown into the water from a cliff. If they flew, she proved to be a witch and she was to return to be burned on a pyre. If she was not able to break free and run away, she would drown but she would go to heaven with God. Needless to say, few flew.
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