THE BURNING TIMES
"They told me if I would not
confess I should be put down
into the dungeon and would
be hanged,
but if I would confess I
should save my life."
-Margaret Jacobs
=======================================================
Let's
take a trip back in time for
a moment, shall we?
The year
is 1500. Thousands of your
friends, relatives, and even
enemies are being tortured,
hung, burned and worse. Your
local church says that it's
in the name of God to
protect others from the
devil's ways, but you're not
sure you totally agree with
what's going on. Now stop
for a moment. Answer these
questions.
================
1.) Do you have
a birthmark, mole,
disfigurement, or do you
even have a pimple?
2.) Are you a
liberal type?
3.) Do you like
to dance?
4.) Do you have
a pet cat, mouse, snake,
goat?
5.) Do you own
a broom?
6.) Do you
speak out against what you
don't believe is right?
7.) Do you
sometimes give your husband
or mother grief or do you
"obey his/her every command
like you should?"
8.) Have you
ever had any enemies or just
someone who didn't think
highly of you?
9.) Have you
ever lived near someone that
lost their job? Had a pet
that died? Had a bad crop?
Had a family member that
died? That got sick?
10.) Have you
ever gone out for a walk by
yourself after nightfall?
11.) Has there
ever been a hail storm or
even a wicked thunder storm
in the same area that you
live?
=============
Answering
yes to just one of these
questions would have gotten
you tried, persecuted,
tortured and either hung or
burned at a stake between
the dates of 1100-1700. Men,
women, children, the
elderly, the crippled and
even pets, all ended up as
victims during the Witch
Craze (aka The Burning Times
and Witch Hunts/Craze). More
middle-aged women than any
other were tortured and
killed though.
During
the times when man was just
discovering and concurring
"new frontiers", fears began
to develop of the unknown
that lie ahead in these "new
worlds". These fears lead to
the largest global killing
spree on any scale. Many
refute that the Burning
times all started with the
two girls who claimed they
were "bewitched". But in
fact, the start of the
hatred towards Pagans,
Wiccans, and Witches started
far, far earlier during the
renaissance period. When the
Christians first arrived on
the British shores, they
encountered the Pagans and
their rituals. At first they
worshipped side by side, but
in time the Christians
realized that the Pagans had
a much larger following than
them so they decided that
something needed to be done
to get more followers of
Christ in their churches.
Pagan Sabbats were starting
to be broken up by groups of
people against their ways.
Pagan temples were being
destroyed. And eventually
all of the beautiful ways,
practices and the
worshipping of the Old Gods
was outlawed. The Pagan God
was perverted into the
depiction of the Christian
Devil to scare away others
from "the temptation of
those heathen practices".
Celebrations that turned
into Christian Holidays were
conveniently dated close and
even on the same date to
Pagan Sabbats to further
deter others from going to
the gatherings. Pagan
followers had to practice in
secret and seclusion. They
were no longer sure of who
they could trust with their
true feelings. Eventually,
the old clans split up in
fear of being caught and
they moved far away from the
newcomers. The Christians
had the law on their side
and they kept a very
watchful eye on their
congregation. Anyone with
thoughts, notions, or
opinions different than that
of the teachings of Christ
were shamed, teased,
persecuted and forced to
leave or be jailed. Fear and
hatred started to
breed...one thing lead to
another and the Witch Craze
was starting to happen.
--------------------
The most
infamous Witchcraft Trials
was the Salem Witchcraft
Trials in Salem,
Massachusetts in 1692.
Although only 30 were killed
there, it was ironic how a
"fresh start in a New World"
ended up as a killing spree
on innocent victims.
reasoning in the trials in
the New World included
political tensions, land
related grievances, disease
and religious repression.
Because of the strict
religious society of the
time, with it's adamant
upbringing of children to
follow the Bible, it created
a very strong belief in the
Devil. (By this time the
Christians and Catholics has
already done a "great job"
of spreading the word that
the Pagan God was actually
the Devil in the Bible.) So
it only took the hysterics
of two young girls (
Elizabeth Parris and Abigail
Williams), one of them was
the daughter of Rev. Samuel
Parris, to start off the
madness of the Witch Hunts
there. The two girls became
interested in the magickal
culture of a West Indian
slave named Tituba, who was
incidentally was "owned" by
Rev. Parris. They started
doing divinations about
future husbands, and various
other things. When some of
the towns people caught them
in the act of doing some of
the divination techniques on
their own, they quickly
claimed they were bewitched
to do it to save their
butts. Tituba, Sarah Good
and Sarah Osborne were the
first named by the two girls
and arrested as the
perpetrators of their
"bewitchment" on February
29, 1692. From that point
on, neighbors and friends
instantly became
back-stabbers and foes.
---------------------------
In the
year 1233, Pope Gregory IX
instituted the Roman
Catholic Inquisition in an
attempt to gain popularity
for Catholicism and his
church. In 1320, Pope John
XXII requested that the
church officially declare
Witchcraft ,and the Old
Religion of the Pagans, as a
"heretical movement" and a
"hostile threat" to
Christianity.
----------------------------------
The
single most influential
piece of propaganda that
fueled their campaign was
commissioned by Pope
Innocent VIII in 1484 . He
instructed the Dominican
monks, Heinrich Kraemer and
Jacob Sprenger, to publish a
manual for Witch-hunters.
Two years later the Malleus
malificarum, or "The
Witches' Hammer" was
produced. The manual was
used for the next 250 years
in the church's attempt to
destroy the Old Religion.
=============
--Excerpt
from the Malleus
Malificarum--
"He must
not be too quick to subject
a witch to examination, but
must pay attention to
certain signs which will
follow. And he must not be
too quick for this reason:
unless God, through a holy
Angel, compels the devil to
withhold his help from the
witch, she will be so
insensible to the pains of
torture that she will sooner
be torn limb from limb than
confess any of the truth.
But the torture is not to be
neglected for this reason,
for they are not equally
endowed with this power, and
also the devil sometimes of
his own will permits them to
confess their crimes without
being compelled by a holy
Angel."
---------------------------------------
In 1541,
Witchcraft was made an
illegal offense in England,
and in 1604 a law decreeing
capital punishment for
Witches and Pagans was
adopted. Forty years later,
the New England colonies
also made death the penalty
for the suspicion of
Witchcraft. By this time,
the true followers who
remained loyal to the Old
Religion were in hiding and
Witchcraft had turned into a
secret underground religion
after an estimated one
million people had been put
to death in Europe and more
than thirty condemned at
Salem, Massachusetts, in the
name of Christianity.
--------------------------------------------------------
=======================================
A clip
from the book of Exodus
states , "Thou shalt not
suffer a witch to live".
This quote, alone, sealed
the fate for many of the
accused as well as the true
followers of the Olde Ways.
However, this is a false
translation. What has been
translated as "witch" comes
from the Hebrew chaspah, a
"poisoner" or murderer. The
verse can be reinterpreted
to mean not to tolerate
people who poison--or
murderers. This is very
different from condoning the
brutal murder of witches.
Regardless, the witch
hunters were able to claim
the backing of God in their
tasks, and the support of
towns folk that would not
question their methods.
The
reasoning behind why the
Witch Hunters were so
interested in their "work"
was largely due to their
financial gain. The estate
of a convicted witch was
confiscated, and so more
witches would mean more
wealth. Torturers,
executioners, and others
involved in the persecutions
benefited as well. The costs
of torturing, imprisoning,
and executing the accused
came from the accused's own
purse. Additional money was
made from the selling of
charms and amulets to ward
of the curses of witches;
and even a person who did
not buy such a trinket would
fall under suspicion.
Finally
in 1711, the General Court
reversed twenty-two of the
thirty one convictions. It
was not until 1957 that the
Commonwealth of
Massachusetts reversed the
remaining guilty verdicts
finally acknowledging the
errors of Salem Witchcraft
Trials.
Unfortunately, when the
persecutions finally ended
in the 18th century, the
stereotype of Witches,
Wiccans and Pagans as devil
worshippers, murderers, etc
sadly remained for those who
practiced within the true
teachings of Witchcraft.
Author's note:This is my epic rhyming verse of their story.
Burning Times
The hatred towards our Pagan ancestry of the Keltoi Nation
Wiccans and Witches started with the spread of Christians
Who worshipped side by side during the renaissance era
The Pagan's following was greater by far in the Halls of Tara.
Rituals and Rites began to be disrupted and disturbed
Our sacred temples and places of worship were unearthed
And all the beauty of the Goddess and God was made sacrilege,
With extreme hatred and greed on each and every Sabbat.
The Pagan God was depiction of the Christian Devil to scare
Any who planned to follow the ancient path were to beware
They cloaked our sacred days in Christian myth and lies
The clan split and divided amidst the people's cries.
The Goddess became a virgin and virtually powerless
No longer the sensual Serpent and The High Priestess.
Our gift to give life in pleasure was taken away
As they claimed that only the father had a say.
Many women were tortured by mendacious men of their God
pulled off their fingernails, seared with iron branding hot
their female areas to receive a confession of evil coupling
with the entity the Christians created through deceiving.
They were tied to a wagon wheel and thrown into a pond
If they floated they were a witch and burned beyond
Recognition, if they sank their soul was spared but they
Drowned all the same with their last breath to slip away.
The most influential piece of propaganda, in 1484 that fueled their campaign
Commissioned by Pope Innocent VIII instructed Dominican monks to paint
With words and publish a manual for witch hunters to destroy the Pagan soul.
For 250 years the church used this false holy relic placed in hands to follow.
In 1541, Witchcraft was made illegal in the homeland England and with decree
In 1604 punishment was death for even a slight suspicion for anyone to agree.
By this time the true followers who remained loyal to the ways of old,
Were in hiding and Witchcraft had gone underground or so the story is told...
One million people had been put to death in Europe and the Colonies
To spite the beliefs of Pagan ways all in the name of Christianity.
When the persecutions finally ended in the 18th century
The stereotype of Witches and Pagans were seen as devilry.
Today, we still fight for our right to exercise the US Constitution's first amendment,
Freedom of religion, though it is more a way of life than the Christian's will contend,
As we want no control but of oneself nor have we a wish for this to be
For we understand we are spirits of light and energy and are free.
Please Visit
these sites below for more
information and resources on
the Burning Times.
The
Witching Hours ~ Excellent
Resource!!! Methods of
Torture, History,
Introspective look on all
aspects all over the world.
Malleus Malificarum
Catala's "The
Burning Times"
Craft
History- The Burning Times @
CelticCrow
A2000
- She's a Witch!
To Be
A Witch in 1692
A2000-
Special Witch Page
Burning Times On-Line 1998 -
official site
A
Who's Who of Witches
Witch
Hunt ~ A Comprehensive List
of Those Accused, Persecuted
& Put to Death
Be sure
to check out these books and
movies for a more in-depth
look at the heinous times.
Movies:
Three
Sovereigns for Sarah (1985)
The
Witches of Salem (1972)
Books:
Witchcraze: A New History of
the European Witch Hunts ~
Anne Llewellyn Barstow
A
Delusion of Satan, The Full
Story of the Salem Witch
Trials ~ Frances Hill
Damned Women: Sinners and
Witches in Puritan New
England ~ Elizabeth Reis
The
Devil in Massachusetts: A
Modern Enquiry into the
Salem Witch Trials ~ Marion
L. Starkey
Witchcraft in Colonial New
England ~ Carol F. Karlsen
The
Devil hath been raised: A
Documentary History of the
Salem Village
Torture: The Grand
Conspiracy ~ by Malise
Ruthven
Witchcraft Outbreak of March
1692 ~ Richard B. Trask
Guide
to The Salem Witchcraft
Hysteria of 1692 ~ David C.
Brown
Records of Salem Witchcraft
~ W. Woodward
Rebecca Nurse ~ C. Tapley
Salem
Possessed: The Social
Origins of Witchcraft ~ Paul
Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum
Salem
Story ~ B. Rosenthal
Salem-Village Witchcraft ~
Paul Boyer and Stephen
Nissenbaum
Salem
Witchcraft: 2-volume set
1867 Reprint, ~ Charles
Upham
The
Salem Witchcraft Papers, 3
vols. ~ Paul Boyer and
Stephen Nissenbaum
The
Salem Witchcraft Trials ~
Katherine W. Richardson
Tituba, Reluctant Witch of
Salem, Devilish Indians and
Puritan Fantasies ~ Elaine
G. Breslaw
Witchcraft at Salem ~
Chadwick Hansen
Witchcraft, Magic and
Religion in 17th Century
Massachusetts ~ Richard
Weisman
Witch
Hunting in Seventeenth
Century New England: A
Documentary History 1638 -
1692 ~ David Hall
Witches and Historians ~
Marc Mappen