topic 2 Flashcards
define the argument of prosecution ‘from above’
identifies figures in authority, including judges, clerics and rulers who were driven by a combination of intolerance and ideology
which historians associate the fears of the elite as perpetuating the witch-hunts
hugh trevor- roper and Norman Cohn
what do Scarre and Callow(2001) argue?
that theology not science was the bedrock of beleif, so demonology was a natural extension of the idea of a struggle between good and evil
what example could you use to show that the elite believed in the power of magic?
The Lord and Lady of Belvoir
What historian argues that the introduction of a learned elite made witch hunting more likely?
Levack
What example illustrates that statements and legislation fuelled speculation and fear?
The hunt in franche-comte at the beggining of the 17th century happened shortly after the publication of a widely read text Discours des Sorciers by Henri Boguet
Which historian argues that the Malleus was the most important work on witchcraft?
Summers
What is the flaw with this argument of summers( saying malleus was the most important work on witchraft)
-There was a lull in hunting immediately after its publication
- Its date was long after the development of the stereotypical witch
- Its publication being long before the great hunts of the 1550-1660s
Which historians argue against the feminist theory that the malleus launched the persecution of witches as an attack on women?
Barry and Davies
What is the argument for ‘persecution from below’ also known as?
The functionalist interpretation
What does Briggs argue?
-Whilst the elite could ‘foster and multiply accusations’ there were very few cases where the elite could instigate large scale hunts without local popular support
- Witch hunts were typically started from below
Which historian considers cunning folk key people in the community, and as such, a belief in good magic has to lead to a belief in bad magic?
Briggs
Why could you argue that the cunning folk, as a reason for the witch-hunts, is not entirely convincing?
- For the most part cunning folk were left alone
- In Protestant states that shunned certain catholic practices as superstition, the cunning folk were generally left alone and seen as a positive part of society
Who also put pressure on the elite to organise wich-hunts
Village communities
In a study of three committees in the Saar, of 73 cases begun between 1595 and 1659, how many were halted during investigation?
12
