Witches!

[Frank Buffalo]

What is your take on witches?

A big dividing line for the waning power of New England Puritanism came with the rise and fall of the New England witch trials, especially the ones in Salem, Massachusetts.

Before the Salem witch trials, there had been earlier witch trials and hangings in New England, but these affected fewer people at a time, including ones in New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut; and in Boston, Cambridge, Groton, Hadley, and Springfield, Massachusetts, during the years 1651 to 1688.[ref 1]

United States historians like to point out that all the witch trials of New England added together were modest in number compared to the many thousands of people accused, convicted and killed for witchcraft over a couple of centuries in Germany, Italy, Spain and England. About 100,000 people were executed on charges of witchcraft in Germany alone between the years 1500 and 1700.[ref2}

But still, why? Why should anyone die over an accusation like this?

Ref 1. Goss, K. David. The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press; 2008:4-5.
Ref 2. Ibid., 3-4.

To help stimulate discussion, here’s a fictional story-song about someone being accused of being a witch during the Salem witch trials.

 

[JustGeorge]

What is your take on witches?

A big dividing line for the waning power of New England Puritanism came with the rise and fall of the New England witch trials, especially the ones in Salem, Massachusetts.

Before the Salem witch trials, there had been earlier witch trials and hangings in New England, but these affected fewer people at a time, including ones in New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut; and in Boston, Cambridge, Groton, Hadley, and Springfield, Massachusetts, during the years 1651 to 1688.[ref 1]

United States historians like to point out that all the witch trials of New England added together were modest in number compared to the many thousands of people accused, convicted and killed for witchcraft over a couple of centuries in Germany, Italy, Spain and England. About 100,000 people were executed on charges of witchcraft in Germany alone between the years 1500 and 1700.[ref2}

But still, why? Why should anyone die over an accusation like this?

Ref 1. Goss, K. David. The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press; 2008:4-5.
Ref 2. Ibid., 3-4.

To help stimulate discussion, here’s a fictional story-song about someone being accused of being a witch during the Salem witch trials.

None of this really comes to mind when I think of witches.

Instead, I think of my Wiccan and Pagan friends(some Pagans identify as witches, but not all do). These are living traditions.

While I don't deny this ugly past or that the witch trials happened, its just not part of "my take".

 

[dybmh]

What is your take on witches?

I'm pro witch. Anti-wart.

 

[VoidCat]

None of this really comes to mind when I think of witches.

Instead, I think of my Wiccan and Pagan friends(some Pagans identify as witches, but not all do). These are living traditions.

While I don't deny this ugly past or that the witch trials happened, its just not part of "my take".

Same here. I think of my religious beliefs as a witch.

But regarding the witch hunts thing...

I think some pagans don't know their history and try to mislead people into thinking it was bigger then it was. There wasn't for example 9 million women murdered for being witches or pagans. That is a lie.

But the witch hunts were bad regardless of how widespread it was. People were murdered and tried with little proof.

Reading some of the accusations I have to wonder if some the people making these accusations if witches were sexually repressed. Some the stories were wild the priests and men in power would make.

 

[VoidCat]

I'm also reminded of this parody song about the first person in Ireland to be condemned of witchcraft...

 

[IndigoChild5559]

What is your take on witches?

1. Magic doesn't work, except so far as ordinary suggestion. There is no spell that can cause someone to fall in love with you, no amulet that will protect your home from natural disasters, no voodoo doll that can harm another person physically, no magic ring that controls demons.
2. There are people who still believe in magic, who do try to use spells etc. to alter reality. Sometimes they claim to be Wiccan. Other times they can be members of well established religions, such as Christians who believe they will receive whatever they pray for in Jesus' name.
3. The mythological witch who sells her soul to Satan is a complete fiction, no different from a vampire or werewolf.
4. The real threat of harm is in the accusation of innocent people of witchcraft. Virtually all of the time it is some independent, unmarried woman (the audacity!) who has some herbal knowledge and keeps pets. Sometimes she does folk magic, and sometimes she doesn't -- it doesn't seem to make a difference. Witch hunts in Europe led to entire villages where every single last woman was killed. The fear is not so much of witchcraft as it is terror of women.
5. Some forms of literature, particularly the fantasy genre, create fictitious worlds where magic works. Sometimes in those imaginary worlds, the magicians are the good guys. Sometimes the bad guys. Sometimes both. It doesn't really matter, as this is not real life, it's just creative storytelling.
6. At halloween, there are children who enjoy dressing up as the story book witches that wear black dresses, black pointy hats, and ride brooms. It's all in good fun, no different than being a clown or cowboy or cat or skeleton.

But still, why? Why should anyone die over an accusation like this?

It's called misogyny.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'm pro witch. Anti-wart.

I like Traditional Witchcraft, not the new modern Wicca version.

 

[Foxfyre]

What is your take on witches?

A big dividing line for the waning power of New England Puritanism came with the rise and fall of the New England witch trials, especially the ones in Salem, Massachusetts.

Before the Salem witch trials, there had been earlier witch trials and hangings in New England, but these affected fewer people at a time, including ones in New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut; and in Boston, Cambridge, Groton, Hadley, and Springfield, Massachusetts, during the years 1651 to 1688.[ref 1]

United States historians like to point out that all the witch trials of New England added together were modest in number compared to the many thousands of people accused, convicted and killed for witchcraft over a couple of centuries in Germany, Italy, Spain and England. About 100,000 people were executed on charges of witchcraft in Germany alone between the years 1500 and 1700.[ref2}

But still, why? Why should anyone die over an accusation like this?

Ref 1. Goss, K. David. The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press; 2008:4-5.
Ref 2. Ibid., 3-4.

To help stimulate discussion, here’s a fictional story-song about someone being accused of being a witch during the Salem witch trials.

In truth I think witches are are creations of children's fairy tales and other fiction plus a few people who like to playact being one. I could be wrong but it's not something I really think about a lot. Other than Harry Potter movies of course in which witches are pretty okay.

 

[stvdv]

What is your take on witches?

Witches are humans ... humans are God's creation

That is all I need to know
To be able to declare
"Witch kill is Adharmic"
If based on "you're a witch"

Spoiler: Dharma

What is the concept of dharma?

It's a combination of morality and spiritual discipline that guides one in living one's life. Dharma is a concept with multiple meanings within Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. Dharma in Hinduism centers around laws, virtues, duties, rights, and the proper way of living.

 

[Quintessence]

Eh, I'm a Pagan/Druid/Witch who has been practicing for a couple decades and has done academic research on the subject as well. But that research and practice focused on contemporary religious practices, not historical (and largely unrelated) antecedents. I don't have much thoughts on historical witch hunts and witch trials beyond understanding it was a tool used by those in power to oppress and persecute the powerless in to keep them that way. By scapegoating others, those in power (the real abusers) would get overlooked. This sort of thing still happens today.

 

[Frank Buffalo]

Well, this is all pretty soothing. I was kinda hoping some bible thumpers would show up here and quote this:
Exodus 22:18: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"
And then we could bat that around.
But obviously this whole business of believing in the existence of people having dealings with the devil is embarrassing to modern Christians--especially because of the brutal history of it.
Modern Wicca participants, of course, have nothing to do with the Christian notion of witches.
My own curious encounter with the term happened when I met with a missionary in Taiwan who was converting me to evangelical Christianity. Just before we started praying about it, he asked me, "Have you ever engaged with witchcraft?" The question was so weird, I didn't know what to make of it. Was there something about me that made him ask that? Will never know.
Anyway, thanks for the responses!