Witchcraft And Superstition In Medieval Europe - 1654 Words

Witchcraft and superstition in Medieval Europe The concept of witchcraft and superstition stretches over a long period of time. The idea became familiar around 560 B.C when the two old testaments denounced witches and the belief in them. The idea is said to have originated in Europe, rapidly spreading around the world. Medieval Europe was an era that solely believed in magic, witches and the supernatural. In the Middle Ages witchcraft was viewed as a heinous crime that was punishable by death (ordeal by fire). The heroine known as Saint Joan of Arc (1412-1431) is just one individual who was burned at the stake after being accused of procuring heretic beliefs including that of witchcraft. People believed that magic was an illusion†¦show more content†¦In the early Middle Ages, there was doubt surrounding whether or not witchcraft even existed. In the 5th century AD influential Christian theologian, St. Augustine of Hippo proclaimed that all pagan magic and religion, whether t heir effects were illusory or real, were invented by the devil. He said that the devil s purpose in creating magic was to draw humanity away from the truths of Christianity. St. Augustine also explicitly linked idolatry with divination as superstitious practices, essentially reducing all pagan religions as superstition. This perception gained more strength with the passage of time and it was thought that witches had made a secret pact with the devil. Towards the end of the 5th-century Roman, laws cited all non-Catholic religions as superstition. In the 8th century St. Boniface supported the Church s belief that people who thought that witchcraft possessed any power were acting in an unchristian manner since it suggested that they doubted the supreme power of God. Then shortly after in 785, the Council; of Paderborn enacted legislation making it illegal to believe in the existence of witches. Charlemagne, King of the Franks (r.768-814) also endorsed this law. He also decreed that the burning of supposed witches was a pagan custom that should itself be punishable by death. During the 7th - 9th centuries, the church began to establish many civil laws against witchcraft. A lawShow MoreRelatedThe Myth Of The Witch1691 Words   |  7 Pagesmodern phenomenon, the stereotype of the female witch is rooted in several elements of late medieval witchcraft which antedate the witch hunts, and the time period that scholars recognize as most critical for the formation of the witch lies between the years 1430 and 1660. Before this time period, witchcraft, sorcery, and maleficium (magic) were dismissed as false superstition. 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