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Question 1

What do you think Reginald Scot meant by the phrase: “she is a witch, she is a wise woman”?

Answer 1

There was seen to be no differences between the helpful actions of a wise woman, and the negative ones of a witch the practices of wise women can be matched the witch trials in England

Question 2

What was a ‘witch’ understood to be from the late fifteenth century onwards?

Answer 2

A person (usually a female) who could mysteriously injure or harm others maleficium

Question 3

What is a difference between the understanding of a witches actions in England and the Continent (Europe)?

Answer 3

England: actions that harmed an individual or their property/ work economic challenges is a bigger factor in the English hunts than other places, Elizabeth Clarke, East Anglia, was a widow with one leg who relied on charity but her community could no longer afford to look after her, she became a ‘nuisance’

Continent: Interfering with big forces like the weather or frustrating sexual relations between humans (infertility) Catholicism remains prominent in the HRE and this is reflected in how women were viewed and treated (Bamberg, women became pregnant through rape but were then executed)

Question 4

How was the witch believed to exercise (use) their occult power?

Answer 4

It varied- physical contact or saying a curse/ maledicition on someone, sometimes they used aids (wax figures) Salem, Tabitha voodoo magic A curse might be on a woman giving birth/ pregnant, it might have killed cattle/ crops, in Scotland a curse was put on James VIs ship with the intention to kill him

Question 5

How did the introduction of the diabolical pact in society change the ideas of witchcraft?

Answer 5

It went from just being harmful actions to also being heretical in nature (against the Church- renunciation of baptismal promises, and God) Instead they have made a promise with the Devil

Question 6

What was ritual devil worship believed to include?

Answer 6

A sabbat, a meeting where witches gathered to worship the devil and sleep with him

Question 7

How was the Roman Catholic Church important to these changes in magical belief?

Answer 7

Developed a series of edicts (order) that culminated in a papal bull (declaration from the Pope) in 1484 and then the Malleus Maleficarum in 1486

Question 8

The Continent: used in societies since the early fourteenth century, increases following publication of MM
England: much slower, the independence of the English Church aided this, first introduced to the elite through libraries but no English translation till modern times (2009)

Answer 8

How did the introduction of this new understanding of magic vary between England and the Continent?

Question 9

Maleficium

Answer 9

– “evil deed” – by 1580 this was understood as an act of witchcraft designed to harm

Question 10

Sacrament

Answer 10

– a ceremony carried out to attain spiritual grace, e.g Holy Communion

Question 11

Devil’s mark

Answer 11

– mark on the body of someone who had entered a covenant with the Devil

Question 12

Cunning-Folk

Answer 12

– general carried out good deeds – folk-healers etc

Question 13

Assize circuit –

Answer 13

courts that travelled in six circuits around the country, hearing serious cases

Question 14

Justice of the Peace –

Answer 14

a public official appointed to administer the law at a local level

Question 15

Privy Council –

Answer 15

private council of the Monarch

Question 16

Vagrant

Answer 16

– beggar or someone who would wander looking for work. By 17th Century it was someone who could work but chose not to – could be punished by whipping etc

Question 17

Dissenter

Answer 17

– a member of the non-established church outside the Church of England

Question 18

Idolater

Answer 18

– someone who worships false idols

Question 19

Nonconformist –

Answer 19

a Protestant who does not conform to the established practices of the Church of England

Question 20

Calvinist

Answer 20

– follower of John Calvin – Protestant Reformation. Very strict

Question 21

Heretic

Answer 21

– someone who disagrees with the teachings of the Church