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The Origins of the Persecution (Social and Economic (Disease (pestilence…
The Origins of the Persecution
Misogyny
SEX: percentage of female witches more than 75% in most Europe
local places like Essex, more than 90%
regions like Russia men were a solid majority of accused
on average in Europe between one fifth and one quarter of all witches males
AGE: majority over 50, which was seen as quite old and was a minority group
possibly as witches often suspected for many years before accused
events mentioned at trials could often be from many years beforehand
less physical power and were often more anti-social
society fear sexually inexperienced women, especially unmarried
also young women accused of love magic
MARITAL STATUS: varied from witches accused
although, often in a population more unmaried
likely widows accused because old and poor not because not married
had no male relative to look out for them and to be controlled by
early modern period number of unmarried increased from 10-20%
to 30%
due to plague, warfare
increase of women who never married from 5 to 10%
decline in convents
married women could be accused when argue with spouse or children or when she became involved in husbands property often assisted in his work
disputes about land, labour or rent
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC: majority of accused low socially
wandering poor hardly figure in trials
weakest in society
scapegoats
say make a pact to improve economy
population increasing, wages declining, inflation, lower standard of living
LITERATURE: Daemonologists said that most witches were women
more susceptible to the devil
Heinrich Kramer, Jean Bodin and Henri Boguet claimed women were morally weaker than men
read by those who accused
SOCIETAL ROLE
cooks- gather herbs for magic, potions
healers 'wise women'
'Malleus Maleficarum' talks curing and harm
midwives or nursemaids
sacrifice unbaptised babies to Devil
women with power have suspicion
women needed magic to be as powerful as men
Popular belief
New Daemonologie
splits in church made the Devil become monstrous
images in churches
made it real to the people
Diabolic Pact
seduction gifts and charms, through female anger
seal by touching physically (Devil's Mark)
Familiars
pet imps that helped maleficia and bound her to devil, change appearance
The Sabbat
persecution of individual to mass hunt
Transvection
night-time,backs of bewitched, can attend sabbat in spirit
Good magic
can't afford physicians turn to magic
reliant on own knowledge
Maleifcia
bad magic
Social and Economic
Population Growth
Black Death 1348
Europe lost 1/3 to one quarter of population
more land and food
better wages and rent
poor couldn't buy necessities
population grew, not enough resources
Inflation
supply and demand
influx of silver and gold from Americas
prices up in Europe
increase wealth of merchant classes
Disease
pestilence in livestock
villagers blame neighbour instead of belief in more natural causes
plague 1589, 1603, 1625, 1636
high infant mortality
didn't understsnd
Poverty
charity undermined- charity refused model with big amount of dependent poor= less able for charity
create underclass of vagrants
rich richer, poor poorer
increased social tension
poor scapegoated
standard of living low
Harvest failure and poor diet
were common, worst 1596
society dependent on successful yields
peasant arms small pieces of land, can't afford other food supply, famine
poppy and alcohol and starvation= mind alter
Changes in the use of land
enclosure
more competition for less land
rise of capitalism with landowners wanting profit from production
Changes in social structure
migration of poor to town
less reliance on self-sufficient farming
monarchy increased influence
continue centralization
taxation
military use
'absolute'
divine
material greed and gain
Weather conditions
weather magic
storms or good harvest
1560 'Little Ice Age'
Religious Instability
tension caused hunt
where most hunts took place