Witchcraft and the law, 1500-1700

Question 1

How did attitudes to witches change between 1500-the 1700s?

Answer 1

1500 - WItches were seen as having a pact with the devil and thought to kill people and farm animals.
1700 - Witches seen as foolish or muddles, or tricksters trying to take advantage of the gullibility of others.

Question 2

When did witchcraft become a capital crime?

Answer 2

1542, by Henry the 8th. Until then they were tired in a Church court with unsevere punishments.

Question 3

When did the law of witchcraft change, and what to?

Answer 3

That a witch would only receive the death penalty if they tried to kill someone with witchery or raise evil spirits. in 1563, changed by queen Elizabeth the 1st.

Question 4

Why did Witch craft come to be viewed and punished more seriously by the authorities?

Answer 4

• Death of livestock and bad crop yields were blamed on evil spirits and witchcraft instead of bad luck or weather.
• Economic problems increased tension in small communities, making people more likely to blame their Neighbor for things and accuse them of Witchcraft.
• Vagabonds made rich people afraid of the poor. Many witchcraft accusations were made against the poor by the rich.
• After the monarchy became the head of the church, witchcraft became a crime against the church and against the auhtority.

Question 5

What role did religion play in witchcraft?

Answer 5

The constant change in Religions made people unstable and hostile towards people of different religions.

Question 6

What effects did James the 1st book ‘Demonology” have of witchcraft? when was it published?

Answer 6

1st edition was published in 1597, 2nd edition was published in 1603 when James became king of England.

-As king, James the 1st’s opinions on the matter were seen as not only politically correct but also as religiously correct as he was also the head of the church.

• In his book, he claimed that witches had tried to drown him and his wife.
• He argued that witchcraft was a crime, not only against the king but also against god.

Question 7

What effect did the civil war have on witchcraft?

Answer 7

Civil war 1642-51, cause disruption and uncertainty, families were torn by support for either the king or the parliament. There was a climate of fear so people were attracted to supernatural ideas.
-Therefore it increased Witchcraft accusations.

Question 8

Who was Mathew Hopkins?

Answer 8

1645, Self-proclaimed “Witchfinder general”, hunted down witches as a profession. Employed by JP’s to uncover witchery and was financially rewarded.
Witchhunters could get a full month’s pay for catching 1 witch.

Question 9

How many people were executed for witchcraft between 1542 and 1736?

Answer 9

1000 people.

Question 10

Why were women targetted by witch hunters?

Answer 10

• The role of women was restricted and domestic, women outside of those expectations were seen as suspicious.
• Many accused were ‘cunning’ or ‘wise’ women, who were local authorities of health, well being, pregnancy, and childbirth. Authorities disliked women who were in respected positions, so drew the attention of witch-hunters to them in particular.
• Some women were accused because they were seen as vulnerable and easy to target.
• Religious attitudes meant women were viewed as more susceptible to the temptation of the devil.

Question 11

What were the reasons for the decline in accusations of witchcraft?

Answer 11

• Mathew Hopkins death in 1647.
• The age of Enlightenment caused questioning of things that had been taken for granted.
• Science became more advanced and more talked about, and things that could not be scientifically proven were doubted.