What superstition did people have about witches in the olden days?

Question

smileymdukes- Why do u bring up the subject about muslims when you can clearly see that im talkin about WITCHES

njn001 i think i agree with u lol

Answer 1

Witches and magic would have been blamed for things that people could not explain.

For example, primitive and pre-industrialised peoples had little medical and scientific knowledge as we understand it today. They knew that people got ill and died, crops failed and other bad things happened but they didn't really understand why. So when something bad or tragic happened, ie the harvest failed, a man's herd of sheep took ill and died, a woman had a miscarriage or a person had an accident and was killed or injured, "witchcraft" was a way to explain these things.

People who lived in the edge of society, ie elderly women, the disabled etc would be veiwed with dislike and suspicion by communities and could easily be branded as "witches". So when something went wrong, all people had to say was that the "witch" had cursed them and that explained it all.

Those who followed pagan or ancient beleif systems and perhaps practiced healing and medicinal arts, would be similarly viewed with suspicion and although their help would sometimes be sought after by people in need, when something went wrong they could also be blamed for misusing their strange "powers".

Many of the modern stereotypes about witches, ie bubbling cauldrons, flying on broomsticks, black cats etc come from these days. Some of these beleifs have their basis in fact. Modern day pagans and wiccans use cauldrons and broomsticks as symbols in their rituals.

Cats or familiars were supposed to be a demon in animal form who the "witch" kept with her. I was rumoured that the witch would "feed" the familiar on her own blood, so all the villagers had to do when looking for a witch was to find a lonely old lady with a cat and locate a strange or unusual shaped mark on her body (ie a scar, birthmark, wart etc ) this would be where she "fed" her familiar from. Bingo! Witch located!

Tribes in parts of the world today still believe in withcraft and kill people accused of it. Its very scary, I was watching a programme the other day about a tribe in Borneo. A woman had fallen sick and died, and before she died she accused a neighbour of "cursing" her. Such was the tribe's terror of witchcraft that this man was executed. It seems awful to think that the woman probably died of a simple disease that could have been treated with antibiotics. But they do not understand this.

Answer 2

Superstition 1 - Witches were able to fly ( this explained how witches could move quickly across impossible distances. A broomstick was then added to the superstition as these became common household articles used by women)


Superstition 2 - A witch was often portrayed as an old crone or hag ( with no man to defend her against accusations of witchcraft)


Superstition 3 - Witches are closely associated with living alone ( house in the wood)


Superstition 4 - Witches were known to keep animals like the Cat, Frog, Pig, Raven, Goat, Wolf, Goose, Crow, Bat and Mouse which were believed to be the forms adopted by a Witches Familiar (an evil spirit, in animal form, who was used by the witch to perform evil deeds and cast malevolent spells)


Superstition 5 - Witches brewed magic potions over a cauldron (Wise women had knowledge of herbs such as mandrake, datura, monkshood, cannabis, belladonna, henbane and hemlock).

the best though was if suspected of being a witch they were bound immersed in water, if they drowned they weren't a witch though if they didn't they were and consequently were burned at the stake or met some other grim end.

Answer 3

There is a whole range of the superstitions that people had (and some still have today) about witches.

Here are some of the more interesting superstitions:

Witches who were midwives would kill unborn children in the womb; or offer the new-born to devils.

Witches could bring about an illusion so that men's male organs appeared to be entirely removed and separate from the body.

Women were addicted evil superstitions and copulated with devils.

Answer 4

The 'superstition' was a fear that senior clerics instilled in the lower and middle classes as a way to prohibit woman from gaining social knowledge.

A woman of independance was branded a witch and the men were able to hold superiority.

Answer 5

Depends on how you look at the evidence and at what time. Quite often wise women (who became witches) where seen to be beneficial to the community, then where shunned, accepted, encouraged, shunned again, persecuted, false accused, accepted.

Answer 6

they used to put women in the river, if they didn't drown then they were classed as a witch and then locked away, if they drowned then they were normal ladies. So you could never win.

Answer 7

well they believed that wicthes are Satan's brides.a lot of innocent women died because people were afraid of something that never existed.and it makes me mad just to think about it .they did that here in the state4s it's is just wrong and it should not of happened

Answer 8

they were supposed to be the vessels through which the Devil did his works.

Maybe smileymdukes is a witch....lol

Answer 9

it was nothing to do with superstition , it was more of a case of mistaken identity