Decline Essay

Question 1

Judicary Higher standards of proof

Answer 1

 Judges became wary of the use of Maleficium as proof in the late 17th century, misfortune after hostility was not accepted, instead tangible evidence of magical intent was needed, judges wanted to see for example the instruments of magic
 Late 17th century judges became more reluctant to use the devils mark as evidence making prosecutions more difficult to sustain
 Spectral evidence no longer admissible

Question 2

France decrees

Answer 2

 French Comte - trials ended within a few years of initiatives being made to limit persecution
 Louis 1682 Edict – Prescribed lesser punishment for the use of magic practically ending persecution in France

Question 3

Other decrees

Answer 3

 Prussian decrees of 1714 and 1721 against witchcraft

 Poland 1776 ad Sweden 1889 – total bans on trials

Question 4

Decline in the Use of torture

Answer 4

 Stricter rules about the application of torture and the admissibility of evidence extracted under torture – Spain 1614 Italy 1620’s Scotland 1660’s
 Abolitions in torture eventually came but only really relevant to Scotland (1709) as for other countries witchcraft persecution had ended by the time torture was fully banned

Question 5

Figures in the Scientific revolution

Answer 5

o Increased calls for evidence rather than just believing in the super natural
o Kepler – involved in the trial of his own mother
o Scientific proof
o Galileo – the father of modern science
 Accused of heresy for supporting the Copernican theory that the sun was the centre of the universe
o Francis Bacon – essays stressed the need for observation and experiment
o Royal society 1662 and the foundation of Gresham college
o Descartes – emphasis on questioning everything “I think therefore I am”
o Hobbes – stressed the importance of deductive reasoning and materialism denying the existence of witches by claiming there was nothing beyond the physical

Question 6

Explainations of maleficium

Answer 6

Edmund Jordan (hysteria) John Cotta (epilepsy)

Question 7

Counters to scientific revolution

Answer 7

o Gradual process of marginalisation of witchcraft belief rather than a dramatic turn over
o Considerable cross over period, feasible for the rich to support scientific developments and the existence of witchcraft
o Revolution was slow and scepticism was not new – Reginald Scott 1584 Johann Wege 1563
o James Sharpe Scientific revolution contributed to the “gradual invalidation of witchcraft beliefs”

Question 8

Changes in beliefs

Answer 8

o Begun to promote the belief in the supremacy of the Lord, this demoted the power of the devil
o In theology, there was a greater emphasis placed on the reasonableness of religion

Question 9

Religious Zeal

Answer 9

o Religious zeal and enthusiasm waned after 1650 and the end of the thirty years war in 1648

Question 10

Bekker

Answer 10

o Balthasar Becker The Bewitched World Dutch Calvinist pastor published a sustained attack on witchcraft persecution
o Translated into English, German and French
o Found no real evidence if a demonic pact in scripture (humanism)
o Undermined the idea of the Sabbat and demonic possession

Question 11

Improvements in conditions

Answer 11

Population increases caused inflation in food prices ended in the 17th century
o Inflation slowed and wages improved therefore reducing accusations
o But it is difficult to quantify socio economic strife

Question 12

Kieth Thomas socio economic

Answer 12

introduction of the poor law that meant villagers did not have to give to charity and reduced interaction between the poor and rich members of society

Question 13

Urbanisation

Answer 13

o Growth of towns and cities led to a less intimate society

Question 14

Counter Arguments to socio economic

Answer 14

Continuation of from bellow persecution
1751 mob in Hertfordshire seized Ruth Osborne and her husband, they were both drowned
o Bridget Cleary beaten and burnt to death in 1894 on the suspicion that she had been taken away by fairies and replaced by a witch.