Were witches scientists?

Question

Is it possible that witches were essentially the herbalist physicians of their time and that they had greater success curing people than did Christian priests? Did a drop in candle sales lead to the torture and burning of witches?

Answer 1

Is it possible? It's quite definite. Besides the naturalist medical aspect (based on centuries of accumulated knowledge and practice, btw), they were also skilled in using the psychological aspects of healing. You know, the placebo effect that science now knows to account for in all medical experiments.

This shouldn't be a surprise -- most pharmaceuticals have their origins in plant and animal substances. Before labs, people had no choice but to use them in more natural forms. They were healthier for it as well, but that's another question.

Historians say that the sugar trade contributed heavily to the witch burnings. Seems that the wise women were criticizing the use of sugar in the diet and the businessmen didn't like it. Some things never change, do they?

Answer 2

I guess they could be scientists.

Many witches used "green magick"- the use of plants to heal and cause change. These plants were, and still are by some, considered to be effective forms of medicine.

Astrology is the use of stars and planets to predict the future. The heavens were mapped out so that people could look for specific signs. This was the forerunner for astronomy.

Alchemy, the process of changing a base metal into precious metals, used many chemicals. The most precious of these was the "philosopher's stone", a substance that would transmute lead into gold, or create a potion that would grant immortality. This evolved into modern chemistry.

The witches would have, in my opinion, had more success than the priests. The former would have chemicals in the plants and the placebo effect working for them. The latter, just the placebo.

How would a drop in candle sales lead to the torture and burning of witches? King James had a horrible paranoia of witches. His scribes were ordered to translate m'kashepeth (poisoner) and pharmika (poisoner, also) to witch.

Answer 3

Possibly the one thing the Catholic church and the country witches had in common was a respect for astrology.

The Catholic church cared deeply about astrology, even declaring that the stars had been most auspicious at the time of Jesus' birth. In other words, even the "Lord of Creation" had submitted himself to the laws of astrology, planning his arrival on earth to coincide with the auspicious alignment of stars so that the stars would accurately predict his perfect nature.

The Malleus Maleficarum reinforces this belief that the very beginning.

Every affliction of the human body can be traced to natural causes, it says. This is interesting to start with because it is later "shown" to the reader that witches afflict human victims. It is therefore understood, right from the start, that magic is a natural cause. The greatest of natural causes, it continues, is the influence of the stars - in other words, astrology.

While most modern day Christians insist that astrology is an invention of "New Age" religions, we find that the practice is not only old and well-established (something we know from the early Greeks) but was embraced whole-heartedly by the Christian church!

Male doctors and clergy were often one and the same. These men would move into a village and set up a church, which would also function as a medical clinic. The men would use astrology and dream interpretation to predict the future and dispense cures. They also demanded tithe and obediance from the locals.

When a local woman proved troublesome by healing in exchange for food, or just out of the kindness of her heart, she was immediately charged with witchcraft. In this way, the competition was cleared out neatly.

Note that the "remedies" in this passage are suprisingly like the spells in the other portion of the site! The clergy practiced the same magical acts that we Wiccans practice - the same acts that the country witches practiced! They sprinkled salt and water, and lit candles just as we do. The difference, again, is not one of ideology so much as one of economy - these priests intended to make a living at healing and would not tolerate competition.

Since demons supposedly had the power to affect human bodies, that meant they could HEAL people, too, and not just harm them. Therefore, if a human healed another human by, say, prescribing a good diet, or applying a poultice of healing herbs, that human was an accomplice of the devil! Any other "wonderful" thing that would be considered "good magic" today (as they did no harm) such as precognition, prophecy, dream interpretation, or any number of other things were all the work of the devil.

There was one unfair exception to this rule (as if the rule wasn't unfair enough!): Priests and pastors! Holy men who prophesied or displayed knowledge of the future were considered blessed. Indeed, the Bible says that prophecy and healing were common acts among the disciples of Jesus. So why was it evil when country women performed these same acts? Since Christians believed that women were inferior to men, particularly to HOLY men, it was "obvious" that these women had to be getting their power from devils. The alternative would be to admit that common country women could be just as powerful as holy, ordained ministers and that was unthinkable.

Answer 4

Witches concocted herbal remedies, which was anti-christian, because the preists were supposed to be able to cure through the power of prayer.
Many of these rememdies are still used today. GNC and even large department stores carry stuff like ginsing, st. john's wort, cohosh, etc. Current medicine even uses these methods by refining things that were used many years ago and making synthetics.
However in the eyes of Christianity and their leaders, (during the time of "witch burnings") these methods would have been considered blasphemy, and a good reason to have a witch trial.

Answer 5

I don't understand the comment about candle sales, but essentially you are correct. Witches were the scientists of their time. In fact Alchemists (who were considered heretics and witches) are the forerunners to modern chemistry.

Answer 6

"Real" witches were no type of herbalist physicians. They played around with the devils and spirits of the dead. There are some today who are not "real" witches and don't go that far. They just toy with it. Priests never have healed anyone anyway. Where have you been. The torture and burning of them was ordered from God to the prophets because God said it was an abomination for them to practices such things, because he IS the real God and doesn't accept anyone trying to find other ways then the way He made it.

Answer 7

Interesting question: I would tend to say that witches, along with alchemists, were doing their best to explore the possibilities available to them. Herbal remedies as practiced by witches were often very effective and could well be considered the groundwork for modern pharmacology.

Answer 8

As a matter of fact, you are not far from wrong.
Every wise woman, green woman, wizard healer, Apothecary and Botanist. have learned from our studies. Alchemy was born from our studies. several of our ways were not perfect and we too have learned from them.
We knew the plants and herbs and how to use them. Modern science is actually returning to some of our ways and practices.
In cancer treatments and other illnesses our ways are being refined. Our burn treatments and most recently digestive illnesses treatments are being researched.
The old adage "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away " Is not so very far from wrong.

Answer 9

Science is a process of experimentation and observation in order to come to logical conclusions. Anyone who
does this will conclude they do have a spirit within, with
abilities beyond our recognized 5 material senses.
However, the witches slogan. "As long as it hurts noone,
do what you will." Can easily be corrupted to say, "As long as I don't think it's hurting anyone, I'll do what I will."

Answer 10

lol. Well, they weren't scientists in the fact that they went to school, but other than that, I think you're right for the most part. They were a threat to the Christian religion.