The History of Witchcraft’s Misconceptions
“Why do you worship the devil?”
“How do you support something that’s evil, that curses people?”
Those are little drops in the bucket about misconceptions people can have about witchcraft. Up until very recently, witchcraft was a taboo in society that was persecuted and villainized. Witches were killed and victimized by neighbors, friends, family, and institutions for centuries. To further explain this, come on a mini-history lesson with me. I am grateful that there was an entire course within my history degree that focused on the witch-hunt in Europe and the Americas With the rise of religious institutions in Europe,specifically, there was a rise in persecution and execution of those who practiced an “other” religion. By other-ing witchcraft, it allowed both religious and secular groups like local and national government officials to hunt these offenders. Fear and panic were distilled in the population, and it was common for neighbors to report against each other. Some of the “common '' suspicious behaviors of a “witch” were living alone or away from a populated area, having a dissenting opinion, and not attending church regularly. My personal favorite is if a person had a raised beauty mark or mole it was also an indication that they had a pact with the devil and this mark was a third nipple. This is one of my favorites because I have such a mark on my right shoulder blade.
To further reinforce the wrongness of being an “other” and justifying the violence against them, there was a systematic thought distribution that those people were evil. They were bringing evil into the community because they consorted with the devil and carried out his demonic wishes. It was also an easier explanation for the people in this historic period who didn’t have access to scientific thought and discoveries and their explanations were provided by religious institutions. If someone fell ill, died or had poor luck, it was easier to believe that they had been cursed instead of experiencing the ups and downs of life. It puts the blame onto a person - something tangible - rather than the uncontrollable eddies of fate in a society built upon bad deeds happening only to bad people. Anyone with a dissenting religion - wiccan, druid, or cultural polytheistic (multiple Gods) groups - would have been an immediate target alongside those who were healers and midwives since they are always called in during life altering events such as sickness, death and childbirth.
Although we aren’t in the 1600s any longer, this is a part of the fabric of America as well as Europe. The witch hunts may have ended in the 18th century, but the fear of an “other” or someone different transcends across centuries to the present day. We see that fear within many different parts of society, but it’s easier to place upon those who are a traditional “other” because there is less coverage about the good they do. Good doesn’t get picked up by the media in the same way that the Bad is. I would ask that all take the step to learn about an “other” portion of someone’s life before passing judgment.
