History Of Witchcraft: Concepts And Beliefs

History of Witchcraft Student Name Subject Teacher Name Date The concepts of witchcraft and the beliefs in its presence have persisted throughout the history. They are said to be present in various forms and have been a part of different religions and cultures worldwide. Most often, witchcraft is believed to exist in primitive and advanced cultures and continues to play a significant role in religions today. According to scientists, however, witchcraft and magical powers have nothing to do with reality. Quality evidence and experimental testing have never supported their existence, so scientists frequently ignore them and don’t believe that they really existed in the history. What they want is sufficient scientific explanation to change their thoughts in this regard. When and how were there shifts in the stereotypes of the female and male magician? Pictures of witches have existed in different forms, from wart-nosed ladies curdling their children or boiling water to bulky men riding through the sky and wearing colorful hats. In one way or the other, there have been various shifts in stereotypes of male and female magicians. In ancient times, witches were considered ordinary people who practiced magic or witchcraft. They used to perform black magic and learned different techniques. During the 17th and 18th centuries, various spirits were said to be used by witches for help or to bring positive changes in their lives. Amazingly, both men and women showed full interest in those magical tricks and intended to transform their lives with black magic. Most witches were considered pagans doing the Devil’s work, and some of them were said to be natural healers whose choice of profession was not understood fully. It’s not clear when and how witches came on historical scenes, but earliest records reveal that they were around in the 17th and 18th centuries. Evidence also indicates that they existed between 930 B.C. and 720 B.C, and used to seek help from evil spirits to defeat their enemies. Witch hysteria, for example, took hold in America and Europe during the 15th century, when various people accused and tortured witches because of their wrong deeds. From 1500 to 1650, more than 70,000 suspected male and female witches were put to death in America and Europe. Nearly 60 percent of them were women, and the rest were men, and they were believed to be in cahoots with Devils and filled with possessiveness and lust. Ireland and Germany had the lowest and highest witchcraft rates, respectively.[Jeffrey Burton. Russell and Brooks Alexander, A History of Witchcraft, Sorcerers, Heretics & Pagans.] In Witchcraft in Europe, Edward Peters and Alan Charles mentioned the name of some Europeans who came forward to get rid of witches who had been eating human and animal flesh for nearly two centuries. As witch hysteria eventually decreased in America and Europe, it started growing in the New World, and the best-known stereotypes of men and women magicians originated in Salem in 1692. These witches were accused of putting over 100 people to death. Similarly, in Virginia, numerous cases of witches were brought to notice in the 19th century, and laws were passed against them. About three dozen witch trials also took place in Virginia from 1620 to 172...