How would you identify a witch in the old days?

Question

so for example:

if you could swim
if you could survive a fire
if you had a certain birthmark on your back
if you were closely related to a person who died so suddenly
if you were good with herbs and remedies
you were considered a witch

also i read that in the salem witch trials
some were considered witches if someone in pain felt you had the power to ease their suffering

i don't know
i just need more info
i thnk it's pretty much based on the way people thought back then
(like the swimming one)
this is all I have
but i'm sure there are more

Answer 1

Witches where considered to be very light. They would float on water. A suspect was tied up with robes and dropped in a pond or river. If she kept afloat, she would be burned at the stake. If she went under (and usually drowned) she was innocent.

Another practice was to weigh a which. For this a special scale was used a 'Heksenwaag'. The which was believed to be lighter than her length above 1 meter in kilo's. So if one was 1 meter and 56 centimeters, she had to be below 56 kilos to be a which. Unfortunately in those times many people where indeed lighter than that.

Another tool was to put a burning coal or heated piece of metal in her hands. If the person was righteous the wounds would heal fast, it the wounds did not heal fast, the person did not have God behind her, so that generally meant that she would go to the stake.

These tests where used in the Netherlands.

Answer 2

There are a bunch, actually. Some of these sound a little weird, but they are the honest truth as far as I know it. Having a third nipple was a sign. People believed that your familiar came to suckle blood from your third nipple as a tribute to the powers of the devil and the underworld. This is also closely related to the birthmark thing, but the birthmark did not have to be on your back. A birthmark anywhere could be a sign of a witch. Pretty much any deformity has found its way to the list as well, both as blights caused by the dark powers and, occasionally, as gifts from those same powers.

Crows, ravens, bats or wolves living near your home was considered a sign in some cultures as well, since these animals were considered servants of evil in those cultures. The whole concept of werewolves was closely related to the concept of witches who could "change skins", meaning that any mythological way to identify a werewolf was most likely used to identify witches in the past as well. Some of these signs include, elongated canine teeth, unibrow, hairy knuckles/profuse body hair, middle finger and ring finger of the same length, and allergic reactions (since in the past, these were not always known about) to silver or sage.

Habits also identified one as a witch. If one practiced divination of any kind, that was a sure sign. Often, it still is. Further back than Salem, herbalism and the healing arts were all fine and good from someone who was accepted by society, but any outcast of the society was probably asking for trouble if they made their skills known. By the time the Salem trials were happening herbalism was more like amunition than it was an identifier. Practicing any religion that involved mysticism/spiritualism was a big sign in heavily christianized areas, including Salem. Tituba, the famous black slave that was killed as a witch in Salem, actually practiced divination in a manner that she probably picked up from the practice of Voodoo in her family's home country. Whether this was actually divination, or just for the entertainment of her master's children is all speculation at this point as I sincerely doubt that anyone alive was there to personally witness the events.

There were also many tests that people subjected witches to. There was a test, forgive me for not remembering the name, that involved a contraption that dunked a witch below the surface of the water conrtained in a big basin. The idea was that if the suspect witch survived being underwater for long periods of time(periods that grew longer and longer as the suspected witch, usually a devout christian picked out by someone who didn't like them, refused to admit to being a witch) they were a witch and should be killed. If they died, then they were innocent, but unfortunately, dead.

There were many other such trials as well. If you wish to contact me I could go into greater detail for you, but I do not wish to do so here. Too much typing for someone if they may not be interested. I also have much more info about the Salem witch trials if you require it.

--Steele

Answer 3

Malleus Malificarum - The Witches Hammer. Written by 2 German priests. It gives description on how to identify a witch. It also goes into detail on how one should torture the witch and what questions to ask. It's a rather gory book if you remember that they actually used this thing to justify killing innocent people. Though it's my understanding the Roman Catholic Church never Officially accepted the text during the Inquisition... they still used it.

Answer 4

Some people thought a women who could twitch her nose in a certain way was a witch.

Answer 5

they might likely bypass after those with the flexibility and the money. We have already got a device like that. Its referred to as suing. rather of burning, we only tear the harmless's existence top from under them.

Answer 6

Some mole or other birthmark,
green eyes,
pointed tongue,
red hair

Answer 7

a redhead was usually suspected of being a witch even if it was a newborn.

Answer 8

www.religioustolerance.org/wic_burn.htm read this article and if still not satisfied, go here http://www.gendercide.org/case_witchhunts.html

happy reading

Answer 9

Their breath smelt like sh it.