why did the accused confess to being witches?

Question

please can anyone help with this quesion or any details of any sites i could find the information i need
"why did the acused confess to being witches?"
im on the final stages of my assignment >>please help

Answer 1

I will try to find a few sites to back up what I am going to tell you.

The did because especially during the Inquisition for they were tortured into admitting it.

In Salem they did not confess to being witches but were found guilty of being witches by trial due to three young girls playing a horrible rotten thing.

So I will check my historical sites and get you some URL's as well. This is just what i know personally. I have been all over Europe and lived in MA and have been to Salem before.

Answer 2

the common reason replaced into torture, possibility of torture, or the promise of lighter punishment in case you confessed (which replaced into easily authentic, finding on the specific "crime"). some have been in all probability mentally volatile, which makes you a objective to start with. in case you think of there's a witch interior the village, the girl with voices in her head feels like a secure guess. on a similar time as some human beings probably did attempt to have interplay in malevolent magic (the priority-unfastened definition of witchcraft), and a few human beings a minimum of threatened they could do it (threats could be merely as effectual as movements), there is not any info that such human beings have been working in communities, as replaced into the prevalent accusation. And actually Satanic worship is unlikely besides.

Answer 3

I agree with Rick Concho had to have made all 9 votes for himself while voting the rest of you down 9 it is too obvious. I will assist with thumbs up for all but him.

TO THE ASKER>

EVERY ONE ELSE IS CORRECT EXCEPT CONCHO!! He is full of that smelly brown stuff to his eye lids!!

Answer 4

Torture.
In fact - a confession "didn't count" UNLESS it was done under torture!

Here is a documented excerpt ...

In Paderborn in the 1630's one tortured woman told her minister Michael Stapirius that she confessed falsely. He pleaded with her to recant the false confession so that the innocents she named could be freed. It is recorded that she replied:

"But look, Father, look at my legs! They are like fire - ready to burn up - so excruciating is the pain. I could not stand it to have so much as a fly touch them, to say nothing of submitting again to the torture. I would a hundred times rather die than endure such frightful agony again. I cannot describe to any human being how terrific the pain actually is."

Answer 5

Well, when someone places large heavy rocks and stones on top of you and crushes you slowly, you might be inclined to make a confession too! The only confessions elicited from so-called witches were the result of extreme torture and some were able to refuse even under those circumstances...the whole thing was a hoax perpetrated by some idiot teen girls hungry for attention.

Answer 6

Like any "justice system", if you plead guilty to something they will let you off easy. Also if you plead guilty to witchcraft and named someone who possessed you, like naming another towns-person who was controlling you through demonic spirits, you would basically be pardoned and they would be tried. Naturally this led many people to pointing fingers and neighbors they wanted, because by custom a condemned witch's property was taken from their family and given either to the state or the person who made the claim. It was an effective way of saving your own neck AND getting back at people you've never liked.

Answer 7

If you confess to be a witch it would save you from being burned alive.

Answer 8

They tortured them and coerced and beat untruths from people who usually were nothing more than herbalists who followed the old ways.
Other methods such as witch ducking,having moles on your body and jabbing you with pins where all used to have them incarcerated in the first place....

Answer 9

Look up torture and christianity.

You'll find that the worlds most sadistic historic torturers were in fact Christians, believing they were doing the work of their God.

Considering Christianity's teachings on Hell, and a God who'd create such a place... frankly, they really were just following their religion.

Answer 10

would you be able to keep your sanity when facing an angry mob who was intent on killing you no matter what you said? im sure some of them thought it would be a way to live if they were honest or at least told them what they wanted to hear. others might have believed themselves to be witches i suppose... the whole thing is quite frightening. the old concept of witch reminds me of todays concept of "terrorist" - flexible and definable to anything which a person of group of people find threatening.