Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
NEA Plan - Coggle Diagram
NEA Plan
Misogyny
Believed to be morally weaker – Women were seen as morally weaker, supported by the Bible (Adam and Eve) and Malleus Maleficarum which asserted that women were more gullible and prone to infidelity and carnality.
Economic Position – Women were more likely to be poor which placed them at the margins of society. The historian Eve Labouvie calculated that 43% of all women accused in Trier belonged to the lowest class of villagers.
Female Occupations – Being a midwife made women venerable to accusations as women and infants often died during the act. Many women were ‘cunning folk’ who used white magic as healers, which meant they could be easily accused when their clients experienced misfortune. Dairy communities experienced more accusations as women had more autonomy and milk and butter could be easily spoiled.
Challenges/failed expectations of patriarchal society – Elderly, single and widowed women were treated with suspicion of being more like possessed by the Devil.
-
-
Torture
-
When torture was used the rate of convictions could be as high as 95%. When it wasn’t used it was below 40%.
Religious
The Reformation increased European’s fear of the Devil, which increased fear of witches and urgency to eradicate them
Protestants tried to eradicate Catholic superstitious beliefs and practices. This could have led to campaigns against witches
-
General
Some 40,000-50,000 witches, the majority of whom were poor single, women over 50, were executed mainly in the period 1560-1660
-