This file is copyright of Jens Schriver (c) It originates from the Evil House of Cheat More essays can always be found at: --- http://www.CheatHouse.com --- ... and contact can always be made to: Webmaster@cheathouse.com -------------------------------------------------------------- Essay Name : 725.txt Uploader : Sean Gould Email Address : Language : english ( USA) Subject : Mythology Title : Witch Craft Grade : A- School System : high school Country : usa Author Comments : it was a ok paper Teacher Comments : Great work! Date : 10-14-96 Site found at : Link -------------------------------------------------------------- WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT IS THE EXORCISE OF SUPERNATURAL POWERS BY PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES WITCHES. A WITCH IS A PERSON WITH SUPERNATURAL POWERS AND KNOWLEDGE USUALLY ACQUIRED FROM THE DEVIL IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS/HER SOUL. WITCHES DON'T LIE BUT ARE VERY MISLEADING, THEY ARE BELIEVED TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE SHAPE, TRANSFORM OTHERS, CAUSE ILLNESS OR DEATH, CONCOCT CHARMS AND TELL THE FUTURE. WITCHES ALSO TEND TO BE FEMALE, RATHER THAN MALE. THE CONCEPT OF WITCHCRAFT IN THE MIDDLE AGES DEPENDED ON CERTAIN PRESUPPOSITIONS. THESE INCLUDED THE BELIEFS THAT THE DEVIL AND HIS SUBORDINATES, SUCH AS DEMONS, IMPS, INCUBI, AND SUCCUBI, WERE REAL AND HAD POWER IN THE WORLD; THAT PEOPLE COULD HAVE PHYSICAL RELATIONS WITH THEM; AND THAT CONTRACTS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND DEMONS COULD BE ENFORCED. IN THE SATANIC WITCHCRAFT OF THE MIDDLE AGES, WITCHES WERE THOUGHT TO BE SERVANTS OF THE DEVIL. IN RETURN FOR SERVING THE DEVIL ACCORDING TO CONTRACT, WITCHES ALLEGEDLY RECEIVED CERTAIN POWERS, PARTICULARLY TO CAUSE OR CURE ILLNESS OR TRANSFER IT FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER; TO RAISE STORMS AND MAKE RAIN OR, SOMETIMES, TO CAUSE DROUGHT; TO PRODUCE IMPOTENCE IN MEN AND STERILITY IN WOMEN; AND TO CAUSE CROPS TO FAIL, ANIMALS TO BE BARREN, AND MILK TO GO SOUR. THEY WERE BELIEVED TO BE ABLE TO AROUSE LOVE THROUGH THE USE OF PHILTERS AND POTIONS AND TO DESTROY LOVE BY CHARMS AND SPELLS; AND TO DO HARM OR EVEN BRING ABOUT DEATH BY THE SO-CALLED EVIL-EYE, OR BY STICKING PINS INTO A WAX FIGURE OF THE VICTIM. THEY SUPPOSEDLY COULD BECOME INVISIBLE AND FLY WITH THE AID OF A BROOM OR SPECIAL OINTMENTS. WITCHES ALLEGEDLY FORETOLD THE FUTURE; ANIMATED INANIMATE OBJECTS, REVIVED THE DEAD, AND CONJURED UP OTHER SPIRITS; AND TRANSFORMED THEMSELVES AND OTHERS INTO ANIMALS, PARTICULARLY CATS AND WOLVES. WITCHES IN EUROPE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES AND LATER WERE ORGANIZED INTO COVENS OF 12 MEMBERS, MAINLY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY FEMALES, AND A LEADER USUALLY A MALE. THE LEADER WAS CONSIDERED THE VICAR OF THE DEVIL AND WAS REGARDED BY MANY OF HIS SIMPLER WORSHIPERS AS THE DEVIL HIMSELF. TRADITIONALLY, HE REPRESENTED AS DRESSED ALL IN BLACK OR IN THE GUISE OF A GOAT, STAG OR OTHER HORNED ANIMAL. THE COVEN SUPPOSEDLY GATHERED ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. AT THESE MEETINGS, THE WITCHES ALLEGEDLY PERFORMED ACTS OF DEVIL WORSHIP, REPORTED ON THEIR ACTIVITIES, AND MADE PLANS FOR THE COMING WEEK. LARGER REGIONAL MEETINGS, CALLED SABBATS, WERE SAID TO DRAW HUNDREDS, EVEN THOUSANDS OF JOYOUS REVELERS, INCLUDING WITCHES AND THEIR UNINITIATED FOLLOWERS. THE MOST CELEBRATED WITCH'S MEETING PLACE IN ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL EUROPE WAS BROCKEN, THE HIGHEST PEAK IN THE HARZ MOUNTAINS OF GERMANY, THE SCENE OF THE SABBAT SO VIVIDLY DESCRIBED IN GOETH'S FAUST. THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT SABBATS, WERE HELD ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 30TH ROODMAS AND WALPURGIS NIGHT AND THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 31ST HALLOWEEN. SABBATS WERE CELEBRATED ALSO ON THE NIGHTS OF JULY31ST LAMMAS AND FEBRUARY 1ST CANDELMAS AND PROBABLY ON OTHER NIGHTS ALSO. THE OPENING PROCEDURE AT A SABBAT WAS THE INITIATION OF NEW MEMBERS. THE INITIATION CEREMONY SUPPOSEDLY INVOLVED TAKING THE OATH OF OBEDIENCE TO THE DEVIL, SIGNING OF CONTRACTS WITH HIM IN BLOOD, AND DESECRATING CRUCIFIXES AND OTHER SACRED OBJECTS; ASSIGNMENT OF A FAMILIAR; IN THE FORM OF A CAT, MOUSE, WEASEL, TOAD OR OTHER SMALL ANIMAL TO DO THE BIDDING OF THE WITCH; AND VARIOUS ACTS OF OBSCENE ACTS OF OBEISANCE TO THE DEVIL AND HIS VICAR. INITIATION WAS FOLLOWED BY A GENERAL WORSHIP, WHICH SUPPOSEDLY FREQUENTLY INCLUDED THE BLACK MASS A PARODY OF A ROMAN CATHOLIC MASS INVOLVING THE WORSHIP OF SATAN OR THE DEVIL. WORSHIP WAS SAID TO BLEND INTO DANCING, WHICH BECAME WILD AND INDECENT. THE SABBAT ALLEGEDLY INDEED IN SEXUAL ORGY. THE WITCH -HUNTING MANIA OBSESSED EUROPE FROM ABOUT 1050 TO THE END OF THE 17TH CENTURY; IT SUBSIDED OCCASIONALLY BUT THEN ATTAINED GREATER FURY. CHILDREN WERE ENCOURAGED TO INFER AGAINST PARENTS, HUSBANDS AGAINST WIVES, RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. WITNESSES WERE PAID TO TESTIFY. INHUMAN TORTURES WERE INFLICTED TO FORCE CONFESSIONS. THE INQUISITORS DID NOT HESITATE TO BETRAY PROMISES OF PARDON TO THOSE ACKNOWLEDGING GUILT. A CLASS OF PROFESSIONAL WITCH FINDERS AROSE WHO COLLECT CHARGES AND THEN TESTED TH ACCUSED FOR EVIDENCES OF WITCHCRAFT. THEY WERE PAID A FEE FOR EACH CONVICTION. THE MOST COMMON TEST WAS PRICKING. ALL WITCHES WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOMEWHERE ON THEIR BODIES A MARK, MADE BE THE DEVIL, THAT WAS INSENSITIVE TO PAIN. IF SUCH A SPOT WAS FOUND, IT WAS REGARDED AS PROOF OF WITCHCRAFT. AMONG OTHER PROOFS WERE ADDITIONAL BREASTS, SUPPOSEDLY USED TO SUCKLE FAMILIARS, INABILITY TO WEEP, AND FAILURE IN THE WATER TEST. IN THE WATER TEST, IF A WOMAN SANK WHEN THROWN INTO A BODY OF WATER SHE WAS INNOCENT; IF SHE STAYED AFLOAT, SHE WAS GUILTY. IN RECENT YEARS , PUBLIC INTEREST IN VARIOUS TYPES OF OCCULTISM HAS INCREASED. OCCULTISM IS THE BELIEF IN HIDDEN OR MYSTERIOUS POWERS NOT EXPLAINED BY KNOWN SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES OF NATURE, AND THE ATTEMPT TO BRING THESE POWERS WITHIN HUMAN CONTROL BY SCIENTIFIC METHODS. MANY BOOKS ON WITCHCRAFT AND ASTROLOGY HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED, AND PERSONS PURPORTING TO BE WITCHES HAVE APPEARED IN EUROPE AND IN THE UNITED STATES. THE APPEARANCE OF MODERN FORMS OF WITCHCRAFT, OFTEN REFEREED TO AS WICCA CAN BE ATTRIBUTED BOTH TO THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS CULT WRITERS AND ANTHROPOLOGISTS IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY AND TO A GROWING INTEREST IN ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION. WHILE SIMILAR IN CEREMONY AND ORGANIZATION TO THE DESCRIPTIONS OF DIABOLICAL WITH CULTS OUTLINED EARLIER, WICCA ORGANIZATIONS DO NOT ENGAGE IN DEVIL WORSHIP OR HARMFUL PRACTICES. SOME SCHOLARS SEE MODERN WITCHCRAFT AS A FERTILITY CULT, BUT IN GENERAL THE OFTEN DISTINCT METHODOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS DEFY GENERALIZATION. WITCHES PERFORM SORCERY, THE ART OF SHOWING WORKS OF WONDER OR GAINING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH SUPERNATURAL MEANS. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MAGIC. MAGIC IS ALLIED WITH ALCHEMY, OCCULTISM, SPIRITUALISM, SUPERSTITION, AND WITCHCRAFT. MAGIC IS DIVIDED INTO TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES: WHITE, WHICH IS GOOD AND BLACK, WHICH IS EVIL. WHITE MAGIC IS USED TO HEAL AND COUNTERACT THE EFFECTS OF BLACK MAGIC. BLACK MAGIC CONSISTS OF WITCHCRAFT, SORCERY, AND THE INVOCATION OF DEMONS; WHITE MAGIC CONSISTED OF THE TOLERATED FORMS, SUCH AS ASTROLOGY, JUGGLERY, AND SLEIGHT OF HAND. --------------------------------------------------------------