Witch hunts and the church with bibliogaphy
Many innocent women happily welcomed death by confessing to witchcraft in order to end their excruciating torture during the witch hunt craze between 1450 and 1750. Since many records were lost, destroyed or never kept, the best estimation of the total deaths is several million (4). The main cause of the witch hunts was the Church inflicting fear upon the common and educated man by lying to them about what witches do and who they are. The Church also directly and indirectly increased the pain that accused women would go through during their torture. The Church made it clear, to all those who would listen, that all women were evil and capable of witchcraft. “The Bible’s Apocrypha states, ‘Of woman came the beginning of sin / And thanks to her, we all must die.’(Apocrypha, Ecclesiasticus 25:13-26.)” (2). Vicious comments like this caused even women themselves to fear what other women may do. This fear only lead to the distrust of woman. A book written by two German men, titled Malleus Maleficarum, “The Hammer of Witches”, only furthered peoples fear of women’s evil. It states that women are more likely to become witches:
1, Australi, Stella. “Witchcraft Craze”, Once a women was accused of witchcraft she would first have to confess in order to be executed. The torturing of accused women was so unbelievably horrid and sadistic that you would think a man of low standing would be the one to carry it out, but sadly it was the men of educated positions such as bishops, judges, professors and others. By doing the torture themselves it set them in a position of fear throughout the community and it is even said that “after the execution of a wealthy witch, officials [would treat] themselves to a banquet at the expense of the victim’s estate. (Barbara Walker)”(2). All of the victim’s estate became the property of the government as soon as they were accused. The torture was done in such a businesslike fashion that the relatives were charged for the victims torture and death (4). They were charged for such things as the “ropes that bound them and the wood that burned them. (Barbara Walker).”(2). “It is hardly surprising that women who not only possessed
Some common words found in the essay are:
Martin Luther, Barbara Walker, , Spanish Inquisition, William Perkins, Society Spain, Christian History2, Elizabeth Hahn, Virgin Mary, Malleus Maleficarum, labor pains, witch hunting, virgin mary, labor pains church, torture church, 2 women, 2 church, accused women, pains church, witch hunts, breasts genitals, witch hunting craze,
Approximate Word count = 1363
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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