Help Witch hunting."During the 14. - 17. century".Witch: A woman who according to the popular superstition is able to exercise black magic and by this harm people. She will usually be in contact with the gods and spirits of the underworld. In heathen religions there are no distinct limit between witches and pious worshippiers of e.g. Hekates.However, ref. Exod. 22.18, death penalty for witches is prescribed and in the later Middle Ages it was widely held by the church that witches had concluded a pact with the devil. During the Inquisition and to a certain extent already from the 13. century state and church in Europe fought heresy and witches. In 1484 the pope gave signal for an extensive witch hunting. A few years later the German inquisitor Jacob Sprenger wrote down instructions of how to hunt witches. The hatred of witches was one of the superstitious beliefs which were accepted and intensified by the inquisition without reservation. The witch persecutions reached their climax in the 16. century, but did, however, continue to about 1700. The reason (It is said !!!) that witch huntings (the epidemic) might have been owing to the fact that angles and devils were everyday's living realities in these ages. Society saw its spiritual fundamental principles reel under the outbreak of a new theory of knowledge. Mass psychosis, neurotic fear and hysteria were very common. At the proceedings (false) testimonies and torture were used in order to extort confessions. The extent of witch insanity was among other things due to the fact that the poor ones put on the rack reported many scores of "accomplices". In some places the witch test was used. The suspect was thrown into water with a rope around the waist: Did she sink she was innocent, however, she usually drowned. Did she float on top of the water, she was guilty and accordingly burnt. It is estimated that about 10 million human beings were burnt in Europe during the witch persecutions. In course of time much has been said as to why it especially were such an unbelievable amount of women to be victimized. Here is another fact which should be taken into consideration: In year 1405 the Head-Ruler for the entire period was: the masculine power, Iron, Fire and the old War-God in Scorpio sign. So the conditions are present for the female sex being exposed to fire. But the masculine gender has strenuous days that lay ahead of it: the Moon in the Scorpio sign! (Goback) Last updated: 12. Feb. 2018 |