What type of people were suspeted of being witches?

Question

During the 1500 and 1600's many people went on witch hunts.

Why were women targeted as being witches?
What were 'witch like behaivors'?
And where could 'witches' be found?


Thanks! (any sites would be helpful as well)

Answer 1

If she... weighs the same as a duck... she's made of wood.

Answer 2

Ok, you need to be careful researching this.

Let me preface my next statement with this one: YES, I AM A PAGAN. So I'm not bashing pagans here! But I was a history major and so I have to be picky on this one.

There is a Wiccan/Neo-Pagan movement myth of "The Burning Times" which, although close to documented historical events, doesn't exactly match up. So just check your sources pretty thoroughly.


Now, there are several reasons for the witch hunts. The famous Salem witch hunt in the US actually occured later than the witch hunts elsewhere in Europe. There has been research correlating witch hunts with growth of rye ergot, a fungus which causes when ingested such things as hallucinations, seizures, and most definitely stillbirths, miscarriage, and birth defects.

The earlier European witch hunts may also have been tied to religious fervour, especially the Inquisition. Remember also that in some cases behaviours associated with "witchcraft" were actually aspects of Judaic religious practice - so some of the witch hunts may have been yet another manifestation of the periodic anti-semitism that occured in the mediaeval period.

Books, such as the famous Maleficium, would detail "witch" behaviour, the devil's mark, etcetera. There was also an element of mass hysteria, and of course, what we would call human nature or perhaps plain old greed.

Gender of the accused tended to vary geographically, and conviction of men vs. conviction of women may have also had something to do with the social structure of the time.

The best thing I can tell you to do is read, research, and read some more. This is a very interesting subject for any student of history, no matter what your personal religious views are, because so many aspects of society and so many geographic areas were affected. I have listed a few basic sources for you to get started, so have fun!

Answer 3

Quite simply, witches were people who were targeted because of completely and totally false beliefs. The phenomena of the Salem Witch Trials, in Salem, Massachusetts serve as an example of group mentality and deductive logic at its finest.
When it all began, people began making statements that were either completely false or completely unfound, and others would agree. In many cases women were tried simply because it was easy to target them. Many people were afraid to cry out against the accusations because they believed that they too would be considered a "witch".
Witch-like behaviors could be ANYTHING at all. There was no one thing that people did that would cause others to call them names, but some things like nursing animals, creating different "potions" out of herbs etc, and other things which are simple to understand now but difficult back then caused the fur to fly.
A 'witch' could be found wherever there was a problem. If there was a sickness throughout a town, it would and could be blamed by a witch. If animals were killed by coyotes or something, it was because of a witch. Sometimes people were accused of being a witch because they were unnaturally pretty or ugly or had some random feature which caused fear in them.
In general, the belief that witches were mystical creatures with special powers was greatly bolstered by invoking the name of god. The accused could hardly defend themselves against many of the ridiculous reasons they were considered witches, and with the power of god on the accusers' side, the witches were pretty much doomed.

Answer 4

Well, pretty much anyone who was 'different' could be accused of witchcraft.

If you had a pimple, wart, or birthmark, you might be suckling imps.

If you had a cat, goat, frog, or other pet, they might be your familiar.

If they threw you in a lake and you didn't sink, you were a witch.

If you had hallucinations, spoke gibberish, or had anything we might recognize today as a mental illness, you might have been a witch.

If your neighbors' livestock got sick and yours didn't, you might have put a spell on them.

If you lived alone, you might be a witch.

If you had a doll on your property, you might be using it as a magical poppet.

If you left the house at night, you might be attending a gathering of witches, possibly even demons.

If you didn't go to church, you were probably a witch.

It could be all different things, although it is a misconception that only females were hunted as witches. Basically, people thought that witches could be anywhere, even in Christian churches and communities. Women were probably main targets because the Church has a real history of blaming things on women...also opressing them...and with women being physically weaker than men, it was harder for them to defend themselves.

Answer 5

There are MANY traditions of Wicca and Witchcraft, however the vast majority of witches tend to be eclectic and solitary. Witches write their OWN Holy Book, Called by most a "Book of Shadows". It contains all of their rituals, meditations, healing recipes, spells and other relevant work. No two of these Books is the same as any other Book. Accordingly there are as many TYPES of Witches as there are Witches. Witchcraft tends to be an individual relationship between the Witch and his/her Deity (for those witches who practice witchcraft as a Religion, that is). There are ALSO Witches who do NOT practice Witchcraft as a Religion AND there are Wiccans who practice NO witchcraft at all, only the rituals. You can have 1,000 witches in a room and question each one and find NO two whose beliefs are identical. Witchcraft COULD be considered to be Religious Anarchy whereby no one subscribes to anyone else's beliefs, not even other Wiccans. I understand that this is a hard concept to wrap your mind around. Especially if you are a memeber of one of the mainstream Religions who DO have a common set of beliefs and a common "text" or Bible that is uniform throughout that Religion. Yet, that is exactly how it truly IS in the world of the Witch. The important thing IS, ALL Witches see each other as following their own path and respect and accept each others WAYS as being perfectly valid and correct for that person. We belive that as long as it works for the individual then it MUST be correct, for THAT person, even if it is not for ME. Hope that begins to answer your question. I understand that it MAY have just made it even MORE confusing for you, But basically it IS the Truth. Brightest Blessings, Raji the Green Witch

For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aDBBc

Answer 6

Well...If someone had a differnet religion(QUACKER OR SOMETHING) or were just mysterious they mite be suspected ,at one point in Spain if you didn't like neighbors suspect them as witches get them killed by burning.

To see if you where a witch many times they would throw the suspect into the water and if they floated they were a witch if they sank they where not(its a loss loss situation).
If you want acurate account read book "Witch of Black Berry Pond"

Answer 7

The 1500 and 1600's were the times when Christianity was on the rise, and along with it, the rise on men and decrease of paganism. (No, paganism is not Devil worship. It's nature worship.) In paganism, women were revered because they were the bringers of life. With the rise of males, intelligent and wise women were accused of being witches. Knowledge is power, and as rising power, males could not afford to risk having the opponents (females and pagans) have power. Wise crone's hat are known today as witches hats. Check out the story of Friday the 13th.

Answer 8

I can't answer these questions off the top of my head but I can tell you if you are interested in this (as opposed to being forced to learn it) Salem Possessed by Paul Boyer and Stephan Nissenbaum is a very good source and a very easy read.

Answer 9

Witches were burned. Wood also burns. If you throw wood in water, it floats. What also floats? Ducks (and very small stones). So, it stands to reason that if a person weighed the same as a duck, then she would float. If she floated, she was like wood; therefore would burn. So she must have been a witch. Also, women wearing carrots on their noses were considered witches.

Answer 10

Women were targeted because they were seen as the consorts of the devil. "The Devil's Whores"

Witch like behaviors included (not really "witchy" but seen as so back in the day): a woman living alone, a spinster, "afflictions" of girls after an encounter with a "witch", not attending church, being ethnic (ie Tituba, a slave woman of Caribbean descent), and having a pet.

Supposedly witches were found consorting with the devil in the woods and dancing naked. They also usually lived outside of the town and were not very social.

Answer 11

Basically any free thinking woman was a suspect of witchcraft. The majority of religious ideas and morals of that time were the responsibility of men, so there was little need for any male to contest society's firm, deep-seated beliefs.