EM CASE STUDY- Witchcraft

EM CASE STUDY- Witchcraft

attitudes towards witches; what were they believed to be like and what associated with

• believed to have made a pact with the devil for powers and ability to kill/sicken

• identified with associations with domestic animals like cats, dogs and spiders called their familiars; believed to be the devil helping the witch do their evil work

when did attitudes change about witches and what did these attitudes change to

• c.1700 they changed

• then seen as foolish tricksters taking advantage of the gullibility of others

what caused these attitudes about witches to start

fear of Catholicism (religious factor) after the reformation led to attempts to cleanse society by finding witches

what was punishment like for witchcraft in the Middle Ages

• church courts used to deal with witchcraft trials

• punishments less severe

factors for the change of punishment of witches to be more severe

• economic decline

• class change

• growth of towns and cities

• role of king and religion

• changes in attitudes towards women

• rise in political, social and economic upheaval

• fear of catholicism

• Civil War

how is economic decline a factor for change of witchcraft

• in late 16th century there were falling wages and rising unemployment

• tensions in communities increased greatly and led to many accusations as problems blamed on witches/evil spirits

how is class change a factor for change of witchcraft

• rich suspicious of the poor

• most accusations of witchcraft against the poor

how is growth of towns and cities a factor for change of witchcraft

increased fear of vagabonds as vagabond population increased and witches usually poor

how was role of king and religion a factor for the change of witchcraft

• Henry VIII head of CofE; no longer just a religious crime but a crime against the king and state too

• passing laws and spread negative ideologies about women and witches e.g. through James I’s book Daemonologie

how was changing attitudes towards women a factor for change of witchcraft

• were restricted in society

• those who don’t follow societal expectations questioned

how was rise in political, social and economic upheaval a factor for change of witchcraft

• want to blame bad things on someone else and choose women as this scapegoat

how was fear of catholicism a factor for change of witchcraft

wanted to cleanse the country

how was civil war a factor for change of witchcraft

• many families divided over supporting the king or gov

• economic and political change made many more susceptible to superstitious ideas

• no protection for women

4 Acts passed to do with witchcraft, when they were passed, by who and what they did

• 1542 Witchcraft Act- Henry VIII- made witchcraft punishable by death

• 1563 Act Against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcraft- Eliz I

• 1604 Witchcraft and Conjugation Act- James I

• 1735 Witchcraft Act- George II- fines and imprisonment for witches

when was Demonologie written

1597

what did Demonologie include

• detailed the nature of hell

• how to find witches

• how to run witch trials

• how witchcraft was a crime against the king and God

• supported use of child witnesses in witch trials

what types of crime were witchcraft and why

• person- witches caused sickness and rivalries

• property- witches allowed/justified theft

• authority- go against the king and church

how many people executed for witchcraft 1542-1736

up to 1000

most common type of execution for witches

hanging

when were the witch hunts and what were they

1645-47; most widespread episode of mass executions for witchcraft in English history

key causes of the witch hunts

• role of Matthew Hopkins who’s activities helped to feed a mass panic about witches

• disrupted and lack of state authority during Civil War

who were expected to identify witches and why

• JPs

• expected to identify religious threats and those who refused to conform to protestant changes in church, including witches

• religious factor

Matthew Hopkins- job, where and role

• employed by a JP in Essex and East Anglia

• role to uncover witchcraft (1645)

• he was given significant financial rewards for this

Hopkins methods to identify witches

• restricting food

• sleep deprivation

• searching for the devils marks where the familiar would suckle

methods for identifying witches

• physical evidence like moles, birthmarks

• swimming test- guilty would float, innocent would sink

what was the purpose of Hopkins techniques to uncover witches

• to get a full confession including names of other witches to prove accused had truly renounced the devil and ready to be freed from influence

what % of accused witches were women

90%

what was the role of women during this time/ attitudes towards women

• focused on domestic duties

• property of their father/husband

• authorities disliked women having respected positions

example of women who did have a position of authority and were disliked because of this

• cunning/wise women

• they were local authorities in villages on health/well-being/pregnancy/childbirth and believed that they had the power to heal which was hard to differentiate from magic

• poor people relied on them as they didn’t have money for doctors (economic factor)

what type of women were most commonly accused of being witches and why an example

• vulnerable, widowed, never married, poor and old as they were easy targets

• Jan Wenham in 1712 who was 70 and her husband left her

religious reason why people believed women witches more

viewed women as susceptible to the devil as Eve ate the forbidden apple and Adam wasn’t corrupted

causes for decline in belief of witchcraft

• people demanded clearer evidence for conviction

• enlightenment; people demanded more scientific and objective approaches in all areas of life

• Royal Society established which brought together wide range of academic figures; given royal charter so royal support and they demanded higher standard of evidence for accused witches

• superstition rather than crime

when was enlightenment

16th-17th centuries