Magical Mentalities Flashcards
who composed the charity refused model?
MacFarlane
what does the charity refused model propose?
pressures caused by social and economic hardships lead poorer neighbours to seeks alms from richer neighbours
due to hardship the richer neighbours refuse
the poorer neighbour the curses the rich family
any misfortune that befalls the rich family is then blamed on the poorer neighbour
what is the classic stereotype of a witch?
elderly woman who is marginalised from the community and outside of patriarchal control
what did Protestants liken witchcraft to?
idolatry
how many prosecuted witches were actually elderly women?
elderly women formed a minority
female defendants were twice as likely to be married than widowed
what did many witchcraft accusations stem from?
contested authority and wider communal conflicts
any form of public engagement could lead to conflict
many confrontations resulted from the sheer malice of personal feuds
how did witchcraft benefit socially inferior people?
it provided a means for them to attack their superiors
after 1700 how did most educated elites view witchcraft?
it was increasingly taken less seriously by the authorities
however commoners continued to hold onto beliefs
what was the usual cycle for someone experiencing struggle with Satan?
demonically induced sin or doubt followed by fear of God and the devil, and finally relief provided by God’s mercy and the knowledge of the election
when was the Salem witchcraft crisis?
1692-3
how did the Salem crisis have a socio-economic background?
King Philip’s War despoiled the north-eastern frontier as well as southern New England
First and Second Indian Wars dramatically changed circumstances for the worst
Flourishing communities were wiped out
there was profound grievances within the Salem community
how do the Salem trials reveal that witchcraft accusations were ingrained with socio-economic grievances?
Sarah Good-previously suspected of witchcraft by her neighbours, Sarah Osborne-involved in legal battle with the family of an accuser, Tituba-linked to the Indian War
what was the main concern of the population at large regarding witchcraft?
the witches ability to do harm
who were cunning folk?
those who practiced with white magic which was seen as beneficial to the wider community
what did cunning folk usually do?
help in finding lost or stolen goods and identify those who had taken them, offer remedies for a wide range of illnesses in both humans and animals, fortune-telling (providing the identities of future husbands), help in identifying witches and in dealing with witchcraft
how did learned people view cunning folk?
just as evil as the black magic performed by witches
any extra-ecclesiastical power was not derived from God therefore must come from the devil
how did the Reformation effect witchcraft beliefs?
wider process of Christianisation encouraged piety and the preoccupation with good vs evil
the witch was part of a much wider anxiety surrounding religious conformity
good citizen was now equated with good Christian
how did Puritans recommend dealing with maleficium?
praying to God
how did Puritans view the devil?
the devil was sent by God as a test of faith and the witch embodied the devil on earth
how did enslavement produce fears surrounding witchcraft?
white enslavers were the minority on the plantations and feared that the enslaved would use magic and Obeah to revolt against the barbaric system
which rebellion happened in 1760?
Tacky’s Revolt in Jamaica
how did white enslavers use Obeah accusations?
as a mechanism of control over their slaves
when was the first anti-Obeah legislation passed in Jamaica?
1760 followed by legislation in 1761, 1781 and 1788
how were demonic actions defined?
in contrast to divine ones
how did James I Influence witchcraft beliefs in Scotland?
James spent time at Danish court in 1589-90-it is possible that the Danish connection helped to stimulate witch persecution in Scotland
Witch hunting was endemic in Denmark at the time-James may have been influenced during his 6 month stay
what did James publish?
daemonologie
how did witchcraft trials differ in England and Scotland?
Scotland adopted the conventionally harsher treatment of witchcraft associated with the continent
Scotland adopted the idea of the devil and the sabbat to a great extent than England
Scotland tended to have mass persecutions unlike England where trials were highly localised
how did the increased emancipation of women effect witchcraft trials?
the threat of female insubordination to the patriarchal hierarchy of society led many accusations to be directed against women
where were the most important cases of witchcraft trialed?
at the assizes
how were women involved in the process of witchcraft accusation?
accusations were frequently a way in which tensions between women were resolved
in a patriarchal society it was better to defame other women and preserve your own reputation
many accusations involved the domestic sphere and women’s work such as childcare
juries of matrons were empowered by magistrates to search women’s bodies
why did some women confess to witchcraft?
they saw their powers as protection against their social superiors
why were cunning women more likely to be accused of witchcraft than cunning men?
men wanted to establish a monopoly over healing and medical care so accusing women of witchcraft allowed them to reduce the number of female competitors in the field
what did the 1563 act state?
re-established witchcraft as felony-under this legislation killing people by witchcraft was punishable by death
Injuring people or animals or damaging goods were punishable by a years imprisonment
what did the 1604 act state?
made injuring people a capital offence on the first conviction
when were the Matthew Hopkins trials?
1645-7
how many were tried an executed in the Matthew Hopkins trials?
300 tried, 100 executed
