Do you think they would have burnt JK Rowling at the stake if she lived hundred years ago in Salem?

Question

Do you think she would have been classed as a witch or a story teller?

I meant hundreds of years ago I just missed out to of.

I meant hundreds of years ago I just missed out the of.

Answer 1

If she were around in the 1640's in Salem, she would have faced prejudice. If she refused to tell her captures what they wanted to hear, she may have been tortured.

Answer 2

JK Rowling isn't Wiccan; she's the author of a set of mystical fantasy genre novels for young people. If she lived in Salem, Mass, during the 17 or 18th centuries, it would be unlikely that she would've written the work she did. She would be busy reading the Bible if she could read, making babies, housekeeping, and probably dying in childbirth at age 32 or something.

However, if she lived in certain progressive cities in Europe and was a woman of means, she might've had the wherewithal to write something like the Potter series, although this genre of novels were not being written at that time. (She would be writing things more like stuff the Bronte sisters or perhaps even Charles Dickens turned out).

She does seem to have been somewhat inspired by European magical traditions --which by the way were very much mixed in with European Christianity throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Persons who bash her books because they are mystical fantasy novels for young readers (operative words here are FANTASY NOVELS) about magic and the power love and light over darkness are clueless about European culture and history and about the history of the development of Christianity and the interplay between Christianity, folk beliefs, and intellectual esotericism in Europe.

Answer 3

If she had property that others wanted, then they would have accused her of witchcraft regardless of storytelling. She probably would have gone for telling or writing any sort of story at the time, or if anyone had the slightest grudge against her. (I don't know if she would have had the luxury of being literate back then since she is a woman.) Because the courts accepted specter evidence, anyone could make any accusation against a person and have it stand in court. It wasn't until the court decided not to accept this evidence that the trials and accusations finally ended.

Answer 4

The Salem witch trials were more than 300 years ago. They were a good example of fundamentalist theocracy in action.

The girls who caused the trials, torture and killing were of the sort that also have tea parties with their imaginary friends. Like the fundamentalists today and their mirror images the wiccans.

Answer 5

The later, or they actually knew the thank you to assist people utilising herbs and organic healing innovations, which some observed as witchcraft. loads of midwives on the time have been burned because of the fact they stated that toddlers have been killed via the "witch", or something became incorrect with the toddler that "proved" the female became a witch. on no account innovations the actuality that toddler mortality became around 50%-or bigger- back then, and not in any respect innovations the actuality that start defects ensue. yet they did no longer comprehend that style of factor back then. nevertheless, maximum of those women people have been merely attempting to assist others, grant convenience and help. great thank you to show their thank you huh??

Answer 6

I seriously doubt she would have come up with Harry Potter, much less told the story, for fear of being burned, if she lived in Salem at the time of the Salem Witch Trials. She seems like a smart lady. And when everyone is accused of being a witch, she'd probably keep her mouth shut....

Answer 7

No.

The Salem witch business was a lot longer ago than 1907.

The stupidity displayed in some of the answers above makes me want to cry.

And, BTW, J.K.R. is not wiccan, who dreamed that nonsense up?

Answer 8

Well I don't know back then she probably wouldn't write Harry Potter in the first place out of fear of being persecuted. If she would have talked about anything "witch" or "magic" back then she probably would have been killed right along with Walt Disney & J.R.R Tolkein.

Answer 9

Though she would not have been physically punished, I doubt even the first of her books would ever have been published. The earlier 20th century was steeped in superstition and class levels. She would have violated both.

Answer 10

... hanged, maybe. But not burnt. Just a historical tidbit there.

But to the real question at hand... yeah probably. It just goes to show how much society has evolved and how much farther we have to go (have you seen Bob's questions on R&S? Eesh).