Witch trials in the early modern period  

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[[Historian]]s and other [[scholar]]s have long debated the reasons for the witch trials. The majority of historians concur that there never were any such organised group of witches. Mainstream historiography sees the reason for the witch craze in a complex interplay of various factors that mark the [[Early Modern period]], including the religious [[sectarianism]] in the wake of the [[Reformation]], besides other religious, societal, economic and climatic factors. [[Feminism|Feminist]] and [[Neopagan]] authors have however portrayed them as either being an attempt by the [[patriarchal]] authorities to subjugate women, or as the persecution of an actual [[Witch-cult hypothesis|Witch-Cult]], which had been [[paganism|pagan]], rather than satanic, in nature. Neither of these have been accepted by mainstream historians who have specialised in the subject of the witch trials, such as [[Norman Cohn]], [[Keith Thomas (historian)|Keith Thomas]], [[Carlo Ginzburg]], [[Robert W. Thurston]] and Brian Levack. [[Historian]]s and other [[scholar]]s have long debated the reasons for the witch trials. The majority of historians concur that there never were any such organised group of witches. Mainstream historiography sees the reason for the witch craze in a complex interplay of various factors that mark the [[Early Modern period]], including the religious [[sectarianism]] in the wake of the [[Reformation]], besides other religious, societal, economic and climatic factors. [[Feminism|Feminist]] and [[Neopagan]] authors have however portrayed them as either being an attempt by the [[patriarchal]] authorities to subjugate women, or as the persecution of an actual [[Witch-cult hypothesis|Witch-Cult]], which had been [[paganism|pagan]], rather than satanic, in nature. Neither of these have been accepted by mainstream historians who have specialised in the subject of the witch trials, such as [[Norman Cohn]], [[Keith Thomas (historian)|Keith Thomas]], [[Carlo Ginzburg]], [[Robert W. Thurston]] and Brian Levack.
 +
 +
 +==See also==
 +In British isles
 +
 +[[Witches of Warboys]] (1589–1593)•
 +[[North Berwick witch trials]] (1590)•
 +[[Pendle witches]] (1612)•
 +[[Northamptonshire witch trials]] (1612)•
 +[[Samlesbury witches]] (1612)•
 +[[Witches of Belvoir]] (1619)•
 +[[Bury St. Edmunds witch trials]] (1645, 1662, 1655 & 1694)•
 +[[Bideford witch trial]] (1684)•
 +[[Paisley witches]] (1696)•
 +[[Islandmagee witch trial‎]] (1711)
 +
 +In France
 +
 +[[Aix-en-Provence possessions]] (1611)•
 +[[Loudun possessions]] (1634)•
 +[[Louviers Possessions]] (1647)•
 +[[Poison affair]] (1679)
 +
 +In Germany
 +
 +[[Trier witch trials]] (1581–1593)•
 +[[Fulda witch trials]] (1603–1606)•
 +[[Würzburg witch trial]] (1626–1631)•
 +[[Bamberg witch trials]] (1626–1631)•
 +[[Witch trial of Fuersteneck]] (1703)
 +
 +In Scandinavia
 +
 +[[Køge Huskors]] (1608–1615)•
 +[[Finspång witch trial]] (1617)•
 +[[Vardø witch trials (1621)]]•
 +[[Ramsele witch trial]] (1634)•
 +[[Kirkjuból witch trial]] (1656)•
 +[[Vardø Witch Trials]] (1662–1663)•
 +[[Mora witch trial]] (1669)•
 +[[Torsåker witch trials]] (1675)
 +
 +Elsewhere in Europe
 +
 +[[Valais witch trials]] (1428–1447)•
 +[[Val Camonica witch trials]] (1505, 1518)•
 +[[The Fairy witch trials of Sicily]]•
 +[[Benandanti]]•
 +[[Basque witch trials]] (1609)•
 +[[Roermond witch trial]] (1613)•
 +[[Spa witch trial]] (1616)•
 +[[Werewolf witch trials]]•
 +[[Salzburg witch trials]] (1675–1681)•
 +[[Northern Moravia witch trials]] (1678)•
 +[[Szeged witch trials]] (1728–1729)•
 +[[Doruchowo witch trial]] (1783)
 +
 +Texts
 +
 +''[[Formicarius]]'' (1475)•
 +''[[Malleus Maleficarum]]'' (1486)•
 +[[Witchcraft Act 1562|Witchcraft Act 1562 (England)]]
 +
 +Other
 +
 +[[Salem witch trials]] (1692–1693)
 +
 +
 +==See also==
 +*[[Auto de fe]]
 +*[[Basque witch trials]]
 +*[[Bideford witch trial]]
 +*[[Blood libel]]
 +*[[Christian views on witchcraft]]
 +*[[European witchcraft]]
 +*[[Execution by burning]]
 +*[[Parma, Ohio#A Witch Hunt.3F|Parma witch hunt]]
 +*[[Pierre de Lancre]] (conductor of a bloody witch-hunt in [[Labourd]])
 +*[[Poison affair]]
 +*[[Nicole Aubrey]]
 +*[[North Berwick witch trials]]
 +*[[Ramsele witch trial]]
 +*[[Salem witch trials]]
 +*[[Torsåker witch trials]]
 +*[[Trial by ordeal]]
 +*[[Witch-hunt]]
 +*[[Würzburg witch trial]]
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The Witch trials in the Early Modern period were a period of witch hunts between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, when across Early Modern Europe, and to some extent in the European colonies in North America, there was a widespread hysteria that malevolent Satanic witches were operating as an organized threat to Christendom. Those accused of witchcraft were portrayed as being worshippers of the Devil, who engaged in such acts as malevolent sorcery, and orgies at meetings known as Witches' Sabbaths. Many people were subsequently accused of being witches, and were put on trial for the crime, with varying punishments being applicable in different regions and at different times.

The witch trials originated in south-eastern France during the fourteenth century, before spreading through central Europe and then into other parts of the continent and also amongst European colonies in North America. While early trials fall still within the Late Medieval period, the peak of the witch hunt was between 1580 and 1630. The last known trial occurred in 1782. Amongst the most well known of these trials was the Scottish North Berwick witch trials, Swedish Torsåker witch trials and the American Salem witch trials. Among the largest and most notable was the Trier witch trials (1581–1593), the Fulda witch trials (1603–1606), the Würzburg witch trial (1626–1631) and the Bamberg witch trials (1626–1631). Over the entire duration of the phenomenon of some four centuries, an estimated total of 40,000 to 60,000 people were executed.

Historians and other scholars have long debated the reasons for the witch trials. The majority of historians concur that there never were any such organised group of witches. Mainstream historiography sees the reason for the witch craze in a complex interplay of various factors that mark the Early Modern period, including the religious sectarianism in the wake of the Reformation, besides other religious, societal, economic and climatic factors. Feminist and Neopagan authors have however portrayed them as either being an attempt by the patriarchal authorities to subjugate women, or as the persecution of an actual Witch-Cult, which had been pagan, rather than satanic, in nature. Neither of these have been accepted by mainstream historians who have specialised in the subject of the witch trials, such as Norman Cohn, Keith Thomas, Carlo Ginzburg, Robert W. Thurston and Brian Levack.


See also

In British isles

Witches of Warboys (1589–1593)• North Berwick witch trials (1590)• Pendle witches (1612)• Northamptonshire witch trials (1612)• Samlesbury witches (1612)• Witches of Belvoir (1619)• Bury St. Edmunds witch trials (1645, 1662, 1655 & 1694)• Bideford witch trial (1684)• Paisley witches (1696)• Islandmagee witch trial‎ (1711)

In France

Aix-en-Provence possessions (1611)• Loudun possessions (1634)• Louviers Possessions (1647)• Poison affair (1679)

In Germany

Trier witch trials (1581–1593)• Fulda witch trials (1603–1606)• Würzburg witch trial (1626–1631)• Bamberg witch trials (1626–1631)• Witch trial of Fuersteneck (1703)

In Scandinavia

Køge Huskors (1608–1615)• Finspång witch trial (1617)• Vardø witch trials (1621)• Ramsele witch trial (1634)• Kirkjuból witch trial (1656)• Vardø Witch Trials (1662–1663)• Mora witch trial (1669)• Torsåker witch trials (1675)

Elsewhere in Europe

Valais witch trials (1428–1447)• Val Camonica witch trials (1505, 1518)• The Fairy witch trials of Sicily• Benandanti• Basque witch trials (1609)• Roermond witch trial (1613)• Spa witch trial (1616)• Werewolf witch trials• Salzburg witch trials (1675–1681)• Northern Moravia witch trials (1678)• Szeged witch trials (1728–1729)• Doruchowo witch trial (1783)

Texts

Formicarius (1475)• Malleus Maleficarum (1486)• Witchcraft Act 1562 (England)

Other

Salem witch trials (1692–1693)


See also



Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Witch trials in the early modern period" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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