WITCHCRAFT

Witchcraft

Witchcraft

Witchcraft

Witchcraft is the set of beliefs, skills and activities attributed to certain persons called witches (there is also the masculine form, warlocks, although less frequent) that are supposedly endowed with certain skills magic that used for the purpose of causing harm. Belief in witchcraft is common in many cultures since ancient times, and interpretations of the phenomenon vary significantly from one culture to another. In the Christian West, witchcraft is often associated with the belief in the Devil, especially during the early modern period, which broke out in Europe, an obsession with witchcraft which resulted in numerous trials and executions of witches (which is called "witch hunt "). Some theories associated with ancient European witchcraft religions heathen of fertility, although none has been established (Knight 2011). Witches have great importance in the folklore of many cultures and are part of popular culture. While this is the most common concept of the term "witch" from the twentieth century the term has been claimed by sects occultists and neo-pagan religions like Wicca, to designate all those who practice some kind of magic, be it evil (black magic) or beneficial (white magic) or the followers of a particular religion. A more extensive use of the term is used to designate, in certain societies, the magicians or shamans.

Ancient Times

In the late Middle Ages, it began to take shape a new image of the witch, which has its main origin in the association of witchcraft with the worship of the Devil and, therefore, with the idolatry (worship of false gods) and heresy (deviation from orthodoxy). Although, the first trial for witchcraft accusations that are documented in association with the devil was in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1324-1325, only to 1420-1430 can be considered consolidated the new concept of witchcraft. There are regional variations, but can describe a set of basic features, repeated in the records of both trials and in the abundant literature on the subject learned that it was written in Europe over the centuries XV , XVI and XVII (Summers 2000).

The main features of the witch, according to theorists of the subject at the time, were as follows:

Flight in bats, animals, demons or with the help of ointments,

Nightly encounters with the devil and other witches at the sabbath or sabbath ,

Pacts with the devil,

Sex with demons (in the form of incubi and succubi ) and

The black magic.

The idea of witchcraft is prevalent in the modern age and the basis of the witch trials, was alarming at the time, and that spread the idea that witches plotting to extend the power of the Devil. The negative characterization of witches shares some characteristics with the antisemitism (terms like "Synagoga Satanae" Synagogue of Satan, or "Sabbath" to describe the nocturnal meetings of witches), and has a strongly misogynist. Although, not all suspected of witchcraft were women (there was a significant percentage of men tried and executed for the crime of witchcraft), women are considered more inclined to sin, more receptive to the influence of Satan, and ...