WITCHCRAFT

• Witchcraft

  REASONS OF BELIEF:

  • economic problems in the late 16th century increased tension within small communities. Crop failures and the death of livestock blamed on witches rather than bad luck
  • Fear of vagabonds made people suspicious of poor
  • Split with rome, Henry VIII became king and made witchcraft a crime against the king and state, not just a religious crime
  • King james pamphlet: Demonologie published in 1597, James was an enthusiastc witch hunter and his book encouraged people to hunt witches and created bigger belief in them
• Mathew Hopkins- witchfinder genral

  • in 1645 Hopkins was set the task for hunting witches down. Hopkins created panic which lead to 300 people investigated for witchcraft- 112 were executed by hanging. HOpkings interrogated suspects and would starve them. Examined physical evidence like birthmarks, moles etc
  • For Hopkins, a full confession has to include names of other witches to prove individuals had truly renounced the devil and had freed themselves from the devils influence
• Attitudes to women of witchcraft:

  • By law women were veiwed as authority of her father or husband so widows were treated with suspicion as they didnt conform with societal norms. Religious attitudes towards women also influenced opinions as the church believed women were more suspectible to the temptations of the devil
• Decline in witchcraft:

  • a philosiphical movement in the 17th and 18th century which focused on using reason and logic to question ideas that had previously been taken for granted. This more logical and scientific approach meant that more evidence was demanded in the courts to prove the guilt or innocence of someone accused of witchcraft. It was more a superstitious idea than crime but wider public attitudes were slower to change with some rural communities continuing to believe in them
• FACTORS OF WITCHRAFT:

  • individuals: mathew hopkins, James 1's demonoligie wich created fear
  • RELIGION: religious changes, witchcraft against henry VII
  • Science+tech: lack of science, people didn't understand why certain thing happened which increased suspicion