Salem Witch Trials_Salem then Europe & Martin Luther DR Flashcards
CARD #1: SALEM WITCH TRIALS
_Salem Witch Trials – History Channel__DR_
- Salem, New England.
Hysteria about witches being in their midst. This was new in America, but in Europe it was ongoing for 300 years!
A little background:
From the 14th to the 16th Century, 40,000 to 50,000 people were executed in Europe. The impetus was the Bible, Exodus 22:18. “Suffer not a witch to live.”
By 1231, Pope Gregory IX started “The inquisition to expose heresy.
In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII declared witchcraft a heresy, punishable by death.
Witch hunts were popular with superstitious villagers who wanted to get rid of their enemies, imagined and real. The authorities did little or nothing to stop them.
1486: A manual is created for finding witches, which included shaving head and pubic hair to find markings from witches. The suspects would be stuck with pins to see if it hurt…No pain equals a witch. Suspects were hoisted from the ceiling by their arms behind their back until the witch confessed.
Witchcraft was considered an act of treason and a capital offense.
Witch hunts continued through the 17th century. Neighbor accussed neighbor.
Thousand of innocent lives were lost.
In 1648, Margaret Jones supposedly could foretell the future. She was tried and promply hanged.
About 500 people lived around Salem. For people in the 21st century, Puritan religion would be almost impossible to practice because it was extremly asetic. Puritans believe in predestination. Before they were even born they were destined for either heaven or hell. They searched for clues what their fate would be.
CARD #2 SALEM:
A few suspect witches were put on trial. One of the accused mentioned a tall man had a devil’s book and wanted women to sign it in blood with their names.
[MN: Obviously she was making this up to gain attention.]
When she was asked whose names were in the devil’s book, she named herself and two other suspects, when she said there were six other names that she could not see clearly enough to read.
Then the floodgates flung open. Neighbor accused neighbor of being one of the six named witches. Mostly the poorer farmers accused the richer women of being witches.
Budget Bishop had previously been suspected of witchcraft and was tried then hanged, being the first of many to follow.
SPECTRAL EVIDENCE: Not real evidence or even perceivable by people. Young girls would claim the woman on trial sends her ghost or spectre to attack them in supernatural spirit. Unfortunately the courts of that time considered this make believe “Spectral evidence” as rock solid fact! The women were found guilty and hanged as witches.
Years later spectral evidence was not allowed as evidence and was considered imaginary thinking. Too late for all the witches killed, 40,000 to 50,000 in Europe.
As an interesting note, women convicted of witchcraft were convicted felons. Convicted felons were stripped of all money and property and said property all went to the territory of Massachusetts.
- Martin Luther __ DR Prime
- The plague made people think God was punishing them for their sins.
The Monasteries offered a life of prayer and devotion
In many monastaries the spoken word was not permitted. Luther believed you must renounce the comforts of the world.
Tithes were forced to pay and this kept people poor. If no tithes, then your soul was in peril! This disgusted Luther, but at the time he only cared about his soul. So he had an ascetic life of self denial. No blankets and to even whip themselves! You are to be like Christ and suffer.
Luther spent 6 hours a day in penance! Luther discovered you do not need the church or the holy ceremonies. Jesus paid the full price!
The Catholic church has held power over one thousand years! It had a name for people like Luther, Heritics!
On all Halloween eve, 1517, luther nails his 95 theses to the door of the church. Luther says you do not need the church. You do not need the priests. [MN: Luther says no need for going to church!]
Pope Leo the tenth, made the bankroll, bankrupt. So he invented Indulgences! Charging the faithful for entry into heaven! The word of the Pope means nothing. Luther burned the Bull of the Pope!
Diet of worms. A courtroom, a legal proceedng. April 2, 1521. diet of worms.
Luther observed the thousands of his followers going to the Diet of worms.
In Frankfort, he was honored as one of Europe’s most succesfull authors!
16 April, Luther arrives in city of worms. Nine of ten people were yelling, “Long live Luther!”
Diet is pronounced “DEE it”.
The Diet wanted Luther to recant all of his writings. He refused to recant. Luther returned to his homeland. He received a hung jury!
Fredrick was his protector, and he was kidnapped on his way home to Warburg.
- Luther threw himself into the translating of the Bible into German. Luther was finally returned to Wittenberg in 1522. The first steps of reformation.
Luther’s followers took over Wittenberg. A series of pheasant uprisings across the country occurred.
Luther said, “You should be free and not subject to Lords.”
100,000 Rebels were killed.
Calvinism: People were fined for missing a sermon.
- Heart attack kills Luther.
