Witchcraft History
Today people think of Baba Yaga, mother Shipton or the evil witches of Grimm’s fairy tales when thinking of the attributes of a witch. But if one takes the time to delve into witchcraft history then one would realise how far it is from the truth. It’s true that some had the power to cause harm but the good that they did for the society is often forgotten.
The word witch comes from an old pagan term Wicca which means casting a spell. Witches are so diverse in culture, ideas and beliefs that it’s difficult to define the meaning of witches and witchcraft. Various forms of witchcraft exist throughout the world from India to Europe though Africa is where it’s most concentrated.
Witchcraft history can be traced back to societies that relied on shamans or wise women who were seen as healers, soothsayers and advisors. They were an inherent part of society who people believed had a link between the spiritual and the physical world. They could be used as sources to find food, shelter and water or for destructive ends.
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During the twelfth century the churches started eyeing the Wiccan religion suspiciously. The Church believed a secret organization was plotting its overthrow. The once respected wiccans were now seen as consorting with the devil and in Europe witchcraft was now seen in opposition to Christianity. A number of witch trials were held and thousands were convicted based on frivolous accounts of witnesses. They were tortured in cruel ways and if anyone stated that they were a witch then they were doomed. Either they were tortured till they confessed and then executed or were killed for denying the truth. A number of books were burnt on witchcraft during this time and the few remaining witches went into hiding. This makes it even harder to determine the exact history and practises of ancient wiccans. By the seventeenth century witch hunts had spread to America and the terrible witch craft trials ensued.
After the end of the bloody witch trials it took a long time for the witches to come out into the open. But their faith in their craft stayed on and their brave conviction to keep their stories and secrets alive paved a way for the new age witches. Gerald Gardener and Doreen Valeinte revived the Wiccan culture during the 1950’s. Witchcraft popularity has been growing everyday since and so is the belief that a religion such as Wicca can offer a chance to attain a higher spiritual growth.
December 16 2009 08:06 pm | Uncategorized
