Are the slaying of witches really true? and what are your opinions on this?

Question

These things bewilder me and so i am inquisitive, i just wondered your thoughts and opinions.

some people are very shallow minded, i was only inquisitive of this question, thanks for the tumbs down when i explained my question quite well lol

Answer 1

I just gave you a thumbs up..=] I hate it too when someone give you a thumbs down when you have a real question or are inquisitive to learn about something.

Here is a link to the Salem trialsL http://www.salemwitchtrials.org/

Yes it very much was true. Here in the USA in the 17th century in Salem MA, there were the famous Salem Witch trials where woman and men were accussing people they disliked or had a grudge against for witchcraft which at the time was considered to be the work of Satan. Today most intelligent people know that modern Witches are not Satanists but are like druids, an old practise with many rituals and love for the earth. of course there are bad witches too. It lasted only a few years when a judges wife or daughter was accused and it then fell apart. If you live anywhere near Massachusettes, go to Salem, esp during Halloween. It is a great place to see that time of year and they have great places to visit for the history of the trials.

In Europe at the same time but for a much longer time period, there was the Inquisition, where the Grande Inquisitor of Spain began having people imprisoned and usually either killed or left to die in prison for being witches. They were hanged, burned, every thing you can think of for torture and execution was used in those days. It was mass hysteria basically with superstions being so beleived.

I think shows like CHarmed have helped bring a better light and view on Witchcraft and I hope has opened some minds that it is not an evil practice. I am not a Witch personally, but I am friends with several.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Yeah, it was true. Modern Pagans/Wiccans often refer to the mass slaughter of "witches" as the Burning Times. I say "witches" because many times, these poor folk were just outcasts, poor people, wanderers, healers...not a threat at all except when it came to the system.

Take the Inquisition. In one part of Germany, witches were getting killed left and right until the ruler of the area decided that the people trying the witches would no longer receive the "witch's" possessions when they killed her off.

All of a sudden, there were practically no more witch trials in the area. Witch trials were a way to get rid of old women, traditionalists, poor people, rich people...anytime the "Holy Church" had a bone to pick, they picked a "witch" and killed him or her. They took the person's stuff if the person had stuff to take, or if the person was broke, then they got rid of somebody with a big mouth, a pesky person, somebody with opinions that countered the Church.

It's all about money and power. The Church and State wanted it all. So they killed to get it. Any threat to their supremacy...you were branded a witch, and your trial followed soon after.

Answer 3

We had the witch finder general, Mathew Hopkins in my part of the world. He got paid for every witch he found. He did manage to arrange a couple of big trials one of which was in Great Yarmouth. However it was this that indirectly lead to the decline in the whole witch thing. The town where the trial was held had to pay him, the judge and his assistants, the cost of running the court and it was very expensive so most towns just started to refuse to prosecute. Most witches were found in East Anglia as Hopkins came from here and he operated mostly in Essex and Suffolk We never burn witches in England the penalty for being a witch was hanging. A number of people were burnt at the stake but this was the punishment for heresy so it was possible that some witches were burnt but only if they were also found guilty of heresy

Answer 4

I've always wondered what actually constituted a witch. Lets face it, when women were put on the ducking stool just for having a red mole on their body, if they didn't drown by the time they were pulled out, they were burned at the steak. If they had drowned, well that was just unfortunate. Years ago, people didn't understand hormones - pmt - the change etc. It would be interesting to know what percentage of the female population were killed on the accusation of being a witch.

Answer 5

Lots of great answers, but I wanted to add re the Salem trials and the executions of many in 1692. Linda Corporael, now a behavioral psychologist, studied the hysteria and found evidence that the bizarre bhr of the six girls in all probability came from bread being made of fugus-riddled rye grain. This fugus is "ergot" and caused hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. In fact, LSD is a derivitive of ergot. Back in the 1700's, things that people didn't understand caused a lot of hysteria. I agree also, with others, re the fact that women "had" to be kept in line! And when a woman showed a lot of wisdom, knowledge of herbs and healing arts, they were suspect and often in danger.

Oh! And ergot poisoning was implicated in other similar outbreaks such as a small French town in 1951.

Answer 6

Even in Modern America, there are people that persecute witches. Most of it is marching on groves and temples by Catholic or Christian Zealots. I have witnessed it first hand. I have yet to see anyone killed but I have seen people shot at and tons of rocks thrown. There was a temple started in a community that was literally dropped and the people moved away due to these activities.
I have heard of witches being burnt at the stake or hung, as recently as last year. It is disturbing to think that even in modern day, minds are so closed and or brainwashed as to think witches are evil.
En Tis Blethec

Answer 7

I saw am interesting documentry on this the other day. (If anyone knows what it was, please can yo utell me?!). Basically, this stems back to religion (I am Church of England Christian). When the Romans started the Christian belief to maintain population control there were a lot of pagans, both male and female. They used some of their symbols, and dates, hence why Christmas is in December, and they made out witchcraft was done by women and was evil. not as many women died during the witch hunts as we're led to believe. There were enough to make a point, and have people follow Christianity and shy away from paganism.

Answer 8

Yes it happened. Founded in ignorance and supported by the Christian church, many evil deeds were carried out in the name of a God and a book. The victims were of course mostly WOMEN, Christianity has always had problems with any form of female power or alternative thinking. There are `witches`today in various parts of the African and Latin American continents, their activities are less well documented, and often survive as `native religions` .

Answer 9

Yes, people (men, women and children) were killed for being witches - mostly they were just people who were 'different' in some way, or perhaps had accusers who wanted their possessions. Being a redhead who lives with 2 cats and practices herbalism, I would have been a goner!

Google 'the burning times' for some informative articles.

I would ignore jedi kilo's post - what a load of drivel!

Answer 10

Witches of today are not the same "witches" that there were centries ago.
Back in the day, a "witch" was someone that people didn't understand, from a simple outcast, to a healer, or a fortune teller. A lot of women were called witches because they were "too beautiful" or too desired by men. It is true that once people got scared or uncomfortable that these folks were branded as witches and killed.