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EUROPEAN WITCHCRAFT

Part 1. Background

A. The ancient world:Cain and Abel....until 400 C.E.. The Middle Ages began with the fall of the Roman Empire;5th century institutions that assisted in the demise of the Roman Empire.Internal divisions ark ages {400-1000 C.E**,chaos prevailed.Creation of collapsed institutions.[struggle brutality replacing lost. Europe saved by 1000 C.E. New institutions are successful.

B .Early Middle Ages {1000-1300 C.E** Known as Medieval culture.
1.University was the invention of the middle ages
2.Parliamentary government was also then invented.
3.Great Cathedrals;literary Epics 4.Vernacular languages developed 5. Cities evolved Apex reached in 1300 C.E.:the beginning of decline of medieval period C. The Late Middle Ages {1300-1500 C.E.**
A unique institution- pervades all others- "Christianity" ,didn't die with the Roman Empire.The Christian church was the GLUE-acting as the foundation and structure that Europeans built during the Middle Ages. Medieval society is a thorough rationale :'a Christian' society for man in preparation for "afterlife".Solution:Christianity points the way to evelasting salvation.Church teaches "the way"? in society ,to work out their salvation.True society is Christian-taught by church.Europeans detected enemies of{threat to ** society:in cahoots with the devil;obstacles to salvation.the WITCH represented everlasting damnation!

Nature of the Problem
Fundamental Premises:in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries,there existed an entity-the witch-the stereotype had by that time ,been throughly 'drawn up'.Developed thru fantasy,essence that endowed the witch with certain characteristics.There existed in the Greater European Society a smaller,hidden,secret society whose function was to destroy the larger society.Did this clandestine group actually exist?
Yes and No,{because to the best of knowledge,the witch as defined in the 16th and 17th century..did NOT exist! People really believed that witches flew at Midnight and woshipped the devil.The phenomena of witchcraft was not unique to the European:the Mentality to destroy the Minority was evident in modern era as well:..e.g.McCarthy hysteria;Nazis claimed that they acted in self-defense;they perceived the Jews as threat to their position.It's a very common phenemenon to persecute a minority simply because they're different! What forces exist to look for scapegoats? Certain groups marginated themselves, or the system marginated them:..e.g.Deviates,Radicals Criminals{motives for breaking rules of society..can't cope!**
Witches represent lunatic fringe of society.The Medieval mind is a product of a profoundly religious background.Europeans could not conceive of a society separate and distinct from 'Christianity'! God created the christian society for the benefit of man.Consequently, there's NO possibility for salvation outside that society.Against this background arose the witch,tool of the devil; not merely an unbeliever,but seeks to destroy;Devil wants to destroy society{christianity** so that Man can't attain salvation.So many witchhunts were fomented against people just because they were different! Christian minority during Roman times were viewed as subversive;deemed as trying to overthrow pagan Roman society. proof: distortion of basic and often harmless characteristics of group.
During the 2nd century;accusations recorded by pagans against 'christians'.(1) the Donkey is the most despised animal in the ancient world;so Christians are viewed as reprehensible.(2)Incest is despicable to the community.(3)Cannibalism (& murder of children)is taboo and unscriptural!.(4) Feast termed agape [love feast]..customary to invite recently baptized children and families;often Eucharist(communion) was celebrated.The values of the "primitive" Christian society were incompatible with the Roman society.Roman gods were viewed as guardians of peace and prosperity of the empire;the emperor was viewed as a minor god.Christians refused to worship{pinch of incense to** the Emperor;they were conceived as leading a conspiracy against the empire!

TERMINOLOGY {DEFINITIONS**

The study of witchcraft as a social science was not taken seriously until recently.Sources are mostly written in Latin.Historians disagree on the advent of witchcraft as well on its characteristics;the rules for terminology are still vague-original has Latin synonyms;but English original have 2 words:WICCA {male**,WICCE {female**-originally meant a diviner-caster of spells! Never meant what it means today:Enemy of mankind,trying to destroy society.

Entities to become the Witch:

(1) Strix- appeared in documents in the Middle Ages.;this term meant originally..a screeching owl.Later this meant a night spirit,then vampire, then by the 16th century- the witch!

{2**Sortiarus (or Sortilogus) -found in medieval literature: a caster of lots, and reads them: a fortune teller!

(3)Masca-user of animal masks at festivals .i.e. Lamia{witch** a legendary queen of Libya in Greek mythology sucking blood of children during the night.

{4** Maleficus-(latin word)-an individual who inflicts evil thru occult means.

(5) Scabax-{greek** means screeching owl- Latin (broom) which rides to fly! (there was dreadful fear of darkness during the Middle Ages)

(6)Gazarius-appears after the 13th century;the name is derived from one of the most feared heresies that developed in early 13th century- CATHARIST

(7)Waldensis-from an important "heresy" {8**Herbarius-a person who heals with herbs.

(9) Pythonisa-woman who prophesies. (10)Divinator-diviner in general fortelling the future.

{11** Incantator-enchantor-casting spells.

The above names appear in sources thru sources;sometimes they may mean magician,sorcerer,fortune-teller,herbalist,vampire,witch!
We must define the following key terms to accurately describe the witch:Magic,Sorcery,Heresy,Witch.Their meanings change appreciably from the 13th to the 17th centuries...i.e. in a 13th century document,maleficus would signify a petty criminal,cheap sorcerer,charleton! In a 15th century document,maleficus means something close to an enemy of mankind---the witch!
Between the 13th and 15th centuries,certain developements responsible for changing meanings of certain key words{terms are tobe taken in historical context**..e.g.the definition of Magic means the acquiring of knowledge and managing the power contained in that knowledge.Knowledge = power and vice versa.Magic is made possible by magician "societies" and is accepted as truth!;certain things promote a view of the universe that's accepted by society.The universe is divided into 2 major portions : world view is -macrocosm-{large universe**-outside of individual.microcosm-{smaller universe**- inside man himself[center of universe] Why this 2-fold division?.Magic implies an endless interaction between micro and macrocosm.def. in magical world ,Man is an entity who is the ultimate an constant sum of actions-influences every aspect of macrocosm.Magic is the collection of disciplines that will enable a practitioner to understand the operation of the macrocosm:knowledge of effects of interactions on Man.

High Magic;importance:magician wants to acquire knowledge simply for the sake of revelation!no further goal than the knowledge itself!;akin to a philosopher-truth seeker-no ulterior motive!

(4) Divinatio-field of endeavor of the magician;meaning to penetrate:study of areas of knowledge ordinarily hidden from our senses;seeks knowledge of interactiion between micro and macro.
How does the magician practice divinatio? He divides the macrocosm into (1)the natural universe:the physical realm of stars,herbs, nature etc. (2)the supranatural universe:the spirit world. The magician begans to develope disciplines which will enable him to tell how the natural and supra-natural interact with man!
What are these disciplines?
(1) Magical medicine: a discipline that tells the magician how the
herbs interact with microcosm(their effect on the person)

(2) Astrology: how the planets and the stars-what manner do they interact and shape the fate and destiny of man.

(3)Alchemy: how metals and minerals interact on the microcoam.
High magic -Supranatural world;beyond the physical world of disembodied entities-not observable; the discipline is called Incantatory. def magic(here, HIGH magic is implied):used to understand the effect that the spirits have on man;if expert, practitioner should know how to control spirits.Magician should know how to conjure up spirits-to use the power of names and words!
In magical tradition there are 2 kinds of spirits in the Supra-natural world(in Greek)
{1** Daimones-Good spirits.[Angels]..beneficial
{2** Daimoniones-Evil spirits.-Demons]..detrimental
The shaman keeps records and possesses profound wisdom,knowledge and commands respect! syn.for sorcery is LOW magic;the realm of expertise is sorcery:superstition and ignorance.This is the realm of the individual who wishes to have knowledge and apply it to practical ends;but more often than not, to evil ends! The Sorcerer is a capitalist;the usual aim is to inflict harm! In medieval terminology,this activity is known as malefic [cheap variety to harm man as well as beast]

Characteristics of the Sorcerer before society's image of him began to change despite his being malefic and capitalistic,the sorcerer is considered a 'practicing christian'!.When brought to trial ,he is treated as a criminal(petty) against society-yet his religious standing is beyond question! Another characteristic is incantatory:magically,he's more interested in demons than angels.The sorcerer is always the master of the conjured up demon.(The demon never possesses him,he possesses the demon).Additionally-the sorcerer NEVER has any dealings with the Devil!
We'er concentrating on Western society
Magos(plural magoi) from the word mageia;this word appeared for the first time in Greece in 5th century B.C.E.-used by Herodotus(the historian)who is famous for writing history of the Persian Wars.He noted that the Persian armies were accompanied by astrologer priests-Magii-hence the word magic was thus derived.The authorities took a dim view of magic{ians**in Greece and Rome;because they claimed to be "philosophers" as well! The sorcerer was very badly regarded during the middle ages-they were viewed as con men! "christians" used sorcery and magic synonomously.The distinction that existed in antiquity was lost! Magic was anathema to Christian authorities:because magic seeks hidden knowledge.Medieval mentality adamantly dictated that men were not to know the future!
A tug-of-war existed between 1000 and 1400 C.E.between stamping out magic{authorities** and practitioners.Momentous developments occur simultaneously that are significant in determining the outcome of the tug-of-war.Low Magic{sorcery**is greatly affected by those developments.How did sorcery and its relationship to the authorities change with these developments? How do these historical developments effect the way authorities attempt to eradicate sorcery {their attitude**?
Three highly significant Points:
(1) At the beginning of the Middle Ages,authorities viewed a persecuted sorcerer as a petty criminal,fraud and con-man who exploits the ignorant populace.At the end of the middle ages,with the impact of certain developments,authorities are persecuting the sorcerer as the enemy of mankind;when the transformation is complete, we witness the birth of the witch!

definition of HERESY is very important in association with the witch;a concept that's inseparable from religion:..religious error, held by some ,in willful and persistent opposition to the "truth" ;after that truth has been defined and declared by the "Church" in an authoritative manner! Thus a heretic is one that is holding ideas that have proved invalid to the concept of Christianity: Heresy is the single most important of all hisotrical developments that will help to transform the sorcerer into the witch!

part 2 : the Witch and the Elements of Witchcraft:
A male witch is not a warlock;a witch has no gender;though in practice,most witches were women.Given the position that women had during the 16th and 17th centuries ,they were made to appear much more vulnerable to accusations of withcraft..eg. an old hag would be considered a scapegoat.Instructor viewed the Apostle Paul-a mysogonist-I don't! Because women were'nt allowed to be priests,they were more curious to investigate the occult! They were more talkative(gossip) than men-more vengeful.Women were more neglected when poor and old!
Attributes of the Witch:from original documents of the 16th & 17th centuries: (1)maleficum-the ability to harm others by occult means (2)the ability to run anyones life {sudden illness,mental disorders,impotence,sterility,maiming accidents,crop failures,cattle-kill (3) specializing in killing unbaptized infants{who are deprived of the protection of faith**because witches are cannibals:the flesh of infants was needed ,because if eaten by a witch it would enable said to keep mute under torture;witches use infants flesh to create cremes when applied enable the witch to fly!
Fundamental Elements of Witches:
as a malevolent entity during the 16th &17th centuries-before witchcraft appears: 5 elements:the Devil must be present;make pact with devil;must be 'flying';celebrate sabbat;his
defevil embodies the concept of evil-he first appears in ancient Persia;exclusively associated concept of evil with one solitary person: Zoroastrianism-founded about 600 B.C.E.;a dualistic religion evolved:a religion where evil has reality of its own, distinct fom Good! Zoroastrians believe in 2 supreme entities!..."anyone practicing such things..their portion will be in the Lake that burns with Fire and Sulphur,this means the 2nd Death!
Additionally,the Seraphim that rebelled in this time period[2 in 1961,1 in 1982,1 in 1985,and another later**,can appear as yet living people in obscene positions and lewd poses-incubi and sucubi and can torment their victims by profanity and vulgar name calling!.Instead of `BURNING UP' the figurative Nadab and Abihu class,the wicked seraphs actually assisted the Adversa them are almost as significnt as devil in witchcraft.Important characteristic of the demons is that they can take human form! They also have the ability to mix spirit of the air with vapors from the earth;this mix can assume the form of animals or humans.When the demons assumes the male shape,they are called incubi;the female shape is called succubi. The most important trait of Satan is that he is a LIAR!-great Deceiver-greatest threat to MAN.Devil can take human or animal form;but cannot take the shape of something that does not exist-unreal.Only God can perform miracles.Surprise! devil is not an independent entitity-as yet,subservient to Almighty God{can't do anything unless God allows it** Perhaps the most important and severe limitation placed on devil by God is that he can't control the will of man!.Issues of free will crystallized in the 13th century;religion answers reason for existence-destiny.We were created with free-will.On the contrary,early theologians claim that we lost-refuted:devil can't force man to surrender his soul to former against latter's will!
Fundamental Affirmation of Human Responsibility:can't say "devil made me do it"
According to the superstitious reasoning of the time,God does not allow the devilto shed horns;cloven hooves; tail;hairy.Threatened by the growth of heresy in the 13th century in "christianity", the devil presents himself only after that!
Before then,only demons were mentioned.thereafter are formal descriptions of encounters with the devil.{different from pact with the demons.A familiar,or animal demon is absolutely essential for makinf the witch-unconditional! Most serios of transgressions is when the witch surrenders her free will to the devil.this idea is derived from the 4th century-more frequent by the 9th century.Contemporary literature mentions the making of pacts with demons-a serious Civil transgression committedaby a sorcerer that wishes to enhance his magical powers{criminal** in 9th century,nothing is said about having a pact with the devil.During the 12th and 13th centuries,pact with the devil evolves.Text on magic from Classical Greece become available to Europeans;those texts were hitherto unknown.They contained techniques to effectively control spirits of the supernatural universe.In addition, some of these books explained how to raise the spirits of the dead!
Necromancy:occult knowledge gained by study of the dead;practitioners have formulas of how to trap specific spirits,and locking them in a ring,bottle,or mirror and forcing them to serve the conjurer.the sorcerer is defined from the 9th to the 12th centuries;There were heated debates over necromancy during the 12th & 13th centuries;pro & con sorcerer who gained more power and strength in dealing with the spirits;..opposed: 1st position-its not possible to control a spirit without dues-danger of the demon breaking free! There were formulas that the sorcerer had to speak aloud-they sounded like prayers.Attackers: prayers are to be offered to God and not to demons.defense: 2nd position-Constantly pointing out that the sorcerer is making a pact where he remains the master(not so with P W D);"christianity" is faith that's imposed on already existing faith.formal belief:Dogma informal beliefs.Folklore: heaven, hell ,devil as are known today are by-products of medieval culture-not early!
In the 14th & 15th centuries,something happens:a series of developments takes place that European society is willing to admit ...that sorcerers conclude pacts with the devil!-previewing the transformation of the sorcerer to the witch.In the 16th century ,this pact the devil appears as a quite debonair individual.Sorcerer appears as a potential witch at the moment of adversity{the person is in great physical, & or psychological pain-vey vulnerable..e.g.destitute widow; the typical victim is approached by a man;he consoles,befriends,promises money,and in exchange would "screw" her then demand obedience.The end result was no money.Copulation was unsatisfying;though the witch got nothing promised obedience to devil remained(binding);these people are willing victims-takes propensity;the witch is deemed as a born loser! Unwiling to break the spell, the new witch is forced:
(1)to renounce God ,Christ, the Christian religion-becoming a complete outcast
(2)make a pledge to serve Satan the devil;then devil places mark of witch to seal pact(1) the Devil (2) Mark of Satan (3) Sabbat : also known as the Assembly: is as important an aspect of the witch as the pact(individual) sabbat(group of witches)
Whereas the individual will do relatively little harm to society;with a group ,the idea of a conspiracy is quite credible.once the sabbat is accepted as an idea,seen as a group , in a conspiracy to destroy the larger society(subvert)- to the destruction of Christian values. The Sabbat is proof of existence of smaller malignant society bet on destruction of the larger, christain society.{formal definition of sabbat:at regular intervals, they assemble ;this implies that witches felt it urgent ot attend as deference to the devil. The word sabbat surfaces around 1450 C.E.;the word very rarely appears again for the next 50 years.;the word never appears before then!

Procedures of Sabbat:
(1)Assembly-2 kinds of Sabbats.The ordinary,which were local;the grand-held at the topof a mountain, attended by witches worldwide! The witch had to have they're own transportation .Some rode brooms;others were smeared with salve to fly.Others rode on animals.Meetings were held in woods,graveyards and fields.{there were social distinctions among them**. When "MWF" held midnite meetings until dawn;from 50 to 10,000 attended.The coven of 13 witches originated in the 19th century.Who attended the Sabbats?-real low-lifes!,sorcerers(esses),high-ranking magicians.
Next stage:homage to the devil;all had to include allegiance;there were always weddings at this time.In place of gift, they would .."blow on each other's posteriors"..a foul fire..animal sitting.
Then ..Osculum Infame: the infamous kiss.The banquet was followed by an orgy.They ate the flesh of young children. After the main meal, they ate magic cake for dessert:it consisted of flour mixed with dead infants. the Orgy wasa a circle dance to the left; Afterwards-incest! Day to day sexual activities consist of:Sundays-sex with Demons;Thursdays-sodomy;Saturdays-bestiality;Normal sex otherwise! Cannibalism wuth children was emphasized. The reason for murdering children was a sacrifice to the Devil! They would often first bury the child, then later dig it up to take to the sabbat and eat! The infants' flesh was conceived as best for magical ointments.
FLYING-the 4th Charateristic-is a must to get to the Sabbats;without this, there could be no conspiracy-no witchunt.Forces that gave rise to flying are different from those that gave vent to the sabbat.flying is misrepresentation of folklore! the key element is learned interpretation.2 aspects:idea of the strix:next ladies of the night. The Strix is folklore that derived from Roman times{pural-strigae-flies at night and feeds on flesh and blood of the victim.They are women during the day;they're birdlike creatures flying at night,who snatch babies and rape men(european folklore)Until the 13th century,no learned person.Ladies of Night {similar**women travelled in Night-no supernatural faction -Diana{Greek goddess of the hunt**;presumably,her female companions flew behind her;also known as the wildride{hunt**.In medieval folklore,Diana appears as Frau Holda{German**-a supernatural motherly being who lives in the sky and circles the Earth. She frequently visits the Earth ..e.g.Pregnant women-agriculture- if well received will Bless the crop; if ill received -calamity will occur.This tale originated from pre-christian times.A beneficent[good spirit**-souls of the dead,fly thru the sky at night.Significance:reaction of outsiders to such a belief;often misinterpreted by learned opinion-theologians etc.How were these folktales first interpreted by L.O.in the 10th century(1) written document-the Canon Eposcopi:rules of the bishop:a set of instructions to solve problems in the diocese.Folktales are viewed as utter nonsense! Strix and ladies of the night both fly! How do these 2 become .."the flying witch"? Until the 9th century this was only a folktale 1st change: in the 12th century Learned Opinion changed from Canon Episcopi due to book,Policraticus,printed in 1150 C.E.by John of Salisbury.Author asserts that Diana {or Frau Holda**assembles the spirits of the dead at night for a banquet-to eat infants! the author confuses Diana with Frau Holda;this results in an evil entity endowed to Fly{to gathering**-confusion of 2 folk traditions-strix, and ladies of the night.
2nd change:in the 13th century-HERESY!
erupted ;it was the triggering mechanism that accelerated suspicions of what John of Salisbury claimed was practiced.New Breed of criminals: heretics;they're believed to practice things described by flying and wicked women who kill people, particularly children,by night.Ironically,it can't be proved that these atrocities actually were carried out!
3rd Change:by the 14th & 15th centuries,the sorcerer now becomes the heretic ,then the witch;the concept of flying came from folktales;Heresy appears massively in the middle 12th century-laying the foundation for the witch of the 16th & 17th centuries.
1st statement:Heresy is a threat to society 2nd statement:sorcery is a threat to society 3rd statement:Sorcery
and heresy are synonymous! explanation of the 1st:the church defines religious doctrine;the heretic challenges the right of the church to define religious "Truths"!-this threatens the stability of society!This action specifically threatens the authority of the church,and thus the society. The heretic believes that Satans power is equal to God's!(or as strong as);in reality heretics don't believe in this equality!;{an overly righteous dichotomy**in this respect it's conceived that heretics are more the devil's enemy than the churches.Learned Opinion claimed that the heretic worshipped the devil instead of God..invalid! In the beginning,Christianity was'nt threatened by magic;explanation of the 3rd:a crisis arises ..e.g .depressing atmosphere produces a figure that practices low magic but worships satan!(heretic or sorcerer).the following is a formal definition of heresy by St. Thomas Aquinas:Religious error held in willful and persistent opposition to the "truth" after it has been defined and declared by the church in an authoritative manner!
The heretic as a rebel:all through history dissension has existed in christendom,especially in its formative years.The creeds were soon accompanied by heretical moves.Conflicting versions of events between "christians"of presumably similar tenets.How do we resolve tensions caused by these differences? A method was devised to arrive at a consensus.the Counsel:whenever an issue arose that affected all "christians",representatives from every faction convened at some central location to arrive at a solution;once a consensus was reached by all represented.The decision was final!
Continued dissent was rebelliousness! The heretics of the 12th& 13th centuries caused a tremendous impact on the culture then.Most humble Christians knew nothing of church history.
Heresies of the 12th century:
"12th century Renaissance",is the name given to indicate that a revival of partial learning was taking place in Europe.Cities and trades were re-emerging;resulting in tremendous economic development .Commercial contacts were being established with the Mideast.Learned traditions of Greece,Egypt,Mesopatamia ,and Rome were introduced.2nd Papacy and the Church:The Bishop of Rome exceeded the others in power and prestige;then he became head of the church-vicar of Christ! By then the church had developed a high degree of sophistication.Then as the "christian" religion evolved,support for the organization grew.The church opted to solve all problems of rural and agrarian environment;by the 12th century,Europe became urban.Church was not prepared to deal with city life-friction develops!;ensuing rebellion becomes a serious threat to survival of church:attacking society-jeopardizing salvation.Religious society was not secular then; so if religion goes down the tubes,so does the society.In self-defense ,the system will attack the rebel by terming him -heretic! {the enemy of religion**.Around the 11th century, the idea emerged that it was imperative for the "christian" to liberate the holy land form the Islam-[1096 c.e.] Heretics are now deemed antisocial.
a.Catharism-also known as the Albegensian Heresy-form 1140 to 1230;was the most frightening movement of that time:the most powerfully influential in developing the sorcerer.In 1208 pope Innocent 111 preached Crusades against the Catharist in southern France-a blood bath resulted;they were conquered by 1230.Catharism was a dualistic belief.By the 7th century,Islam destroyed Zoroastrianism;but possible remnants survived.These vestiges likely brought beliefs back home from the Crusades.They maintained that God and the Devil were totally separate,distinct and equally powerful entities!-independent of each other!
Beliefs of the Catharists:
The Dualists believed in creation by God{principle of good** called the Spirit.When the Devil heard of God's creation, the former immediately created the material world:to trap the spirit that God created at the cosmic level and at the human level! God created the human spirit which was the reflection at human level of the cosmic creation.The Devil created the body (mortal coil)to trap the human spirit;thus a quandary developed for church leaders.Yahweh of the Old Testament is the Devil, according to Catharist.Old Testament personages are conceived to be demons.According to catharist,Christ is a pure spirit sent to Earth by the"principle of good"to free human spirit form bondage to the body.The Devil contravenes by creating the church:whose function is to mislead people into neglecting the message of Christ.So the church deceives mankind into believing that its the true messenger of God!-and belies Christ;subsequently,they reject church doctrine..e.g(1) the crucifixion-they believe that Christ was spirit,so how could spirit suffer?? (2)The church encourages parishioners to procreate;which they believe was the willful enslavement of the spirit to the body! This act was considered sinful to the Catharist. (3)the Church also taught that among the Seven sacraments,2 of them are absolutely fundamental:baptism and the eucharist.(a)In baptism, the child's original sin is washed away-holy water administered by the priests.(b)With the Eucharist-bread & wine,the last supper and communion-both a & b are rejected by the Catharist because they involve material substances!
Hierarchy within the Catharists:
(a)the Perfecti:the elite ,who are dedicted to a virtuous life-no fun! (b)the Credentes:(believers)-aspiring to be Perfecti;they practice self-denial.When b ,on the way to a-following a confirmation ceremony called the Consolamentum:those fully instructed "cleanse" the recipient of serious sin by the laying on of hands.the hierarchy's commitments imply austerity and perpetual chastity.Fighting and the swearing of oaths is forbidden.A life of virtue is perfection and denial.
Accusation of the Church against the Catharists:
Catharists are attacking the truth,religion,God ,society,and (thus man's only way to salvation).they were accused of being willful followers of Satan.At the same time, they feared and hated the devil.Authorities concluded that they worshipped satan.They were accused of abortions(because they frowned on procreation).So Logically,they must be sacrificing children to the devil.Devil worshipping paved the way to the myth of the witch.Since their premises contradicted the basic teachings of Christianity;they were abruptly accused of heresy.Incidentally,heresy is a very old phenomenon of 'christianity'.So a myth followed;they were guilty of doing certain things:desecration of the Cross-the Sacraments,Cannibalism,Secret Nocturnal meetings,formal rejection of Christ,and Sex Orgies!
the Waldensians:

founded by Peter Waldo of Valdes{also in southern France**;he was a prosperous merchant in Lyon.In 1173,Waldo made provisions for his wife and family and then relinquished the rest of his worldy goods;he subsequently dedicated his life to poverty and charity! He created a society called the "Poor Men of Lyon".Group members travelled in "two's" around southern France;they preached apostolic poverty in imitation of Christ and his apostles.Friction developed between the church and urban dwellers.Devine revelation instructs Waldo to provide for the spiritual needs of urban dwellers..{poor in 12th & 13th ceturies**.Waldo and his followers were deficient in scriptural astuteness.Local bishops indicted their ignorance;Waldo and his disciples appealed to Papacy.Then the Vatican directed them to negotiate with local bishops,who ignored them;nonetheless, they continued preaching.In 1184 they were excommunicated and declared heretic! Thereafter, they began preaching against the church, its doctrine and its politics.
Hierarchy within Waldenses:
Whereas the W's were a heresy within "christianity",the Catharist were a religion within itself.Where the Waldenses rebelled against the structure of the Church;their fundamental belief was that the goal of every Christian was to live in imitation of Christ!{in personal interpretation of the Gospel**.So who needs the church? Against ceremony, the rationale of the majority prevailed.After W's were proclaimed heretic,rumors circulated that they were holding secret,nocturnal meetings-kissing cats and frogs;conjuring up satan-& having sex-orgies in the dark!

Antinomianism:..."against the LAW!"..a blanket term for heretical movements in Northern Europe in 14th century heresies from Waldenses and Catharists that catipulted into other heresies amidst an atmosphere, or mood ,of uncertainty and chaos-the end is close!-in the late 13th & early 14th centuries-impending doom,Antichrist is coming!
professor: Amalric of Bena
at the University of Paris-His philosophy was that God was in all things and that all things were God! Those in his class were called antinomians because all these heresies claimed that the New Dispensation had made the old law useless.In other words, the Ten Commandments were nullified by Christ with faith-one doesn't have to follow moral law! only need faith for Salvation!?
1st Antinomian sect:Brethren of the Free Spirit:they believed in 3 ages in world history.(1)age ruled by law{old testament** (2)age of faith{new testament** (3)the new age was to begin on January 1,1260 at midnite! in which God was to reveal himself directly to MAN-obsoleting the first two stage ;then all men would be transformed and live "happily ever after".they also embraced some of Amalric 's philosophy:God is in everthing,after death everything returns to God!They didn't believe in the existence of hell-no purgatory either! They also think that there is no sin! ;Claimed that everything that man doez is inspired by God{no satan**;They encouraged lawlessness(anarchy)-no need for religion.They also believed that work was not necessary and there was to be no private property!
Amalricianism: teachings derived from Amalric of Bena;movement appears between 1205 & 1230;his teachings are taken literally ,without dilution;they were convinced that their actions were sin-free!
Luciferans:they do believe in the Devil;they appeared in Germany in 13th century and in Austria in the 14th century;are offshoots of teachings of A of B:.."Since God is in all things,then the Devil must be God!"claimed that Satan was unjustly ousted from heaven. So he's to return to right place{heaven**! someday! Meanwhile-they contend-that devil must be worshipped on earth since he's god! They even had a greeting:.."may the injured Lucifer greet you..";they held unrestrained sex orgies in subterranean places because it didn't count below,only above ground!
The problem was in distingishing between good and evil! -to decide what was harmless and dangerous to society?? Bewildered authorities attacked both qualities{good or evil**Religious authorities struck without distinction.From the 2nd half of the 12th century;heresies were bent on destroying society-becoming hell on Earth! The church sent "saintly" men to "correct" heretics to recant;they were unsucessful!
Next,St. Francis of Assissi and St. Dominic founded 2 monastic orders.The Franciscans lived among the poor as friars in down and out slums.1st solution:to become professional beggars;they were mendicant! created specifically to deal with the problems of the urban poor.The church used them to keep the lowly from leaving church to follow heretics.
2nd solution: the Dominicans:created for the specific purpose of combatting heresy! They became famous for their wisdom;they were nicked.."Domini canos"(latin) hounds of the Lord-founded at the beginning of the 13th century when great universities were established;both monastic orders controlled them.
Their efforts,though of good intention{which the road to hell is paved with**did not work to get heretics to repent!-persuasion unsuccessful! coercion was NOW initiated.2 instruments were employed by the church.(1)Roman Law (2)the Inqusition-to alone contain the tide of heresy.Later, these 2 instruments will be used to persecute the sorcerer.thus sorcerer-heretic-witch!
Roman Law:
During the 12th century, Renaissance Europeans were recovering culture lost in the Dark Ages;a system of Roman Law was revived;some important legal books were discovered.The short term impact of this revival was to make the existing body of law harsher and more severe.Until then, there was Customary and Germanic Law pevailed.The fundamental feature before the revival was termed "per
accusatioriem"-procedure through accusation;a method of rendering justice by blinding customary and Germanic Law;society doesn't intervene.The Legal battle is between accussee and accussor-between private parties only! only the judge can intervene -not society! The accussor conducts the case himself-no prosecutor...'LEX TALIONIS'-[an eye for an eye]was the rule of thumb! If guilt isn't proven ,then the accussor suffers the penalty that the accussee would have.Obviously,this procedure was in favor of the defendant.Before thhe judge agreed to hear the case, the accussor had to notify the judge in writing.2 things were to be agreed upon-
(1)prove case! (2)submit to lex talionis.No judge was to be allowed to hear a case without these 2 conditions being met! Once the accusation is made ;due process is mandatory! If th accused malefactor has to be incarcerated,so does the accussor!

the ORDEAL
For the judge to find the accussed guilty;2 things had to exist:either the accussee confessed, or perfect proof must be submitted! Otherwise trial by ordeal proceeded{this process was of Germanic origin**..i.e.. when thrown bound into a lake-if the body floated, the accussee was guilty! if he sunk ,then he was innocent!-no scar as well.Of interest, the nobility chose combat.English common law still prevailed there through the 16th century-unlike the rest of Europe.Next "per inquisitoriem": a procedure based upon inquiry [on investigation].This procedure is a direct consequence of the revival of Roman Law{though it's not inquisitorial**.The exception was when the state investigated the crime of laesae majestatis-an offense against the emporer, or the state , or his majesty;the authorities take the initiative in the inquisitorial. The church was in a quandary about heresy! it employs lese majesty-heresy in mocking or fo defying the authority of God.The embodiment of the procedure is the INQUISITION.Roman Law inspired this institution-to persecute the heretic only!

the Inquisition
As long as heresy was minor,the church allowed local bishops to correct it.As time progressed, a feeling emerged that "christianity" was in danger of disintegrating! Then the church became unified and centralized! Before 1215 C.E. policy was essentially left in local hands. def:Canon Law-a legal system that operates within the church {was legally independent of the outside world! It forbade one person from acting as both prosecutor and judge.In the early 13th century, the church decided to unify against heresy in Rome at the 4th Lateran Council.As a result ,the Canon Law was then modified so that the same person could beboth judge and prosecutor!{..e.g. accused of heresy could be cross-examined by judge**;thus the church adopted a process of per inquisitiorem-introduced the prosecutor as being also the judge,only in cases of heresy.This precluded the establishment of the tribunal.pope Gregory IX {1227-1241** ;between 1227-1235 he established the Tribunal of the Inquisition as a centralized institution stratified by Dominicans-always controlled and directed by Rome.Very few trials for witchcraft were conducted by the Inquisition during the 14th and 15th centuries-mostly by local authorities and ecclesiastics.The Inquisition didn't employ unique techniques during the trials.They tortured as much as the secular authorities.With the introduction of Roman Law,tortured was introduced in the West-it was acceptedin interrogating suspects.Used under controlled conditions-not to punish but to persuade! In the beginning fanatics committed many atrocities;they later bacame more humane!

Vox in Rama-the name of a letter written in 1231 by Gregory IX;in it Konrad of Marburg is named as the first papal Inquisitor in Germany.He wrote that he had discovered a particularly viscious group of heretics.V in R is a letter written to the German bishops to grant Konrad all cooperation in uprooting these heretics.The importance of V in R is that it contains detailed descriptions of heretical practices.Important Papal rules of investigation were deeply resented by the locals-pattern of investigation will continue to be resented because it originated in Rome.The conclusion was that there appeared to be NO relationship between the sorcerer and the heretic! Now how do these 2 entities amalgamate so that by the 15th century they become one and the same! 2 sources:Trials- and Studies of Papal documents .Neither though explain the reason for the transformation?? Why ,during the 14th century does the European mind accept the sorcerer as heretic???

the Black Death
It's been estimated the 60% of European population died;nobody knew form whence the Bubonic plague came:Rats-infected fleas? Clothes contributed to the spread of plague because people wore used! Only the wealthy wore new! Indications were that by the mid 13th century Europe was over-populated.A cycle of cold weather began at the end of the century.Between 1315 and 1319,almost every European country lost their entire harvest{sometimes 2 or 3**.Similarly,between 1345 -1348,there was almost an entire generation of famine.Ships from the Mideast docked at Marseille with infected rats;the Plague hadn't been in Europe since the 9th century.Pasteurella pestis is the disease causing pathogen.Due to famine,human resistance was decreased.The illness occurred in 3 forms 1)Bubonic-(the most frequent**-inflamed glands-Bubos (2)Septicaemic-deadliest and fastest;it poisons the blood (3)Pneumonic-high fever,splitting blood,etc.The Bubonic plague was probably the single most devastating pestilence to infect Western Europe. Impact on survivors lague was divine punishment for sin;Brotherhood of the Cross arose in Hungary;Antisemitism arose:Jews essentially were able to avoid the plague because of good sanitationy;a gravedigger had a brief lifespan-he was hated ,and called Death! Florence Italy was virtually depopulated between 1348 & 1349!

the Hundred Year's War -1338-1453

In 1328,the French king died without a male heir{the law forbade a female sovereign**.Edward III was a descendant of the French royal family on his mother's side.The English were considered savages by French standards.The prevalent civil wars resulted from clashes of 2 forces(1)the Kings who wanted to centralize political authority (2)the Nobility who were reluctant to relinquish powers in oreder to prevent kings from centralizing[this strategy was characteristic of the later middle ages].Commercial and industrial activity declined.All adversity was attributed to God! The Church was also in crisis:3 popes arose between 1350-1450.Cities collapse,extremely pessimistic mood prevailed.A pattern develops for the transformation that catapults the sorcerer into a threat!

Trials of the 14th century

A pattern was set for transformation;in context,they have different origins.But they have 3 common objectives1)the concept of sorcery is always involved (2)there is an unconscious attempt to give the defendant attributes of the heretic (3)overall,some characteristics of the witch are cntributed!-involving different judicial agencies:inquisition ecclesiastic and ordinary law courts.Different motives are apparent in the trials involved-..e.g..national politics,court-intrigue,greed,and tax-payers revolt-everybody's accused of sorcery!
Heresy-Sorcery trials:In 1335 two trials in Toulouse and other areas of southern France{previously Catharist**;137 trials were heard;22 persons were burned at the stake;testimonies were recorded under torture[this document proved to be a forgery from the 19th century]..From the 13th century on ,European rulers attempted to centralize the government;political authority ws heretofore concentrated in the church-nobility towns.Mounting tension developed as a common phenomena ,with which kings had to struggle!
By the 14th century,ruthless kings ,attempting to unify their respective countries centrally,stopped at nothing to achieve such ends.They adroitly accused their opponents of sorcery! Among countries, France predominated in making such accussations.There was nothing too degrading for Philip IV to commit to further his ambitions! !1n 1307,he decided to take and crush one segment of the nobility to further his political ends-..e.g..the Templars:the motive for accusing them was political{ even though they were being accused of sorcery**.What elements transformed them into heretics?
The Templars were a powerful monastic order,turned bankers.Philip owed them big bucks! The Templars were reclusive;rumors circulated about their lifestyle.They were charged that their initiation ceremonies made a mockery of "christianity";they showed disrespect toward cherished rites..e.g.."they spit on the Host".They were sodomizers,and they embraced the obscene kiss.They also adored an idol in the shape of a human head.They held secret nocturnal meetings and possessed familiars.
3 reasons for the transformation:
(1)antisacramentalism-in the 13th century, the church inaugurated a system of sacraments to teach the way to salvation.Because the Templars "spit on the cross",they war forthwith accussed of heresy(sorcery);they were guilty of anti-sacramentalism! and idol worship..e.g. the human head.(2)Anyone accussed of idolatry is automatically a heretic (3)secrecy-all who held such meetings at night were labelled heretic!
In the 15th century,the practice of accusing political opponents of sorcery continued..e.g..Jeanne d' Arc claimed that she heard voices.Subsequently,her enemies charged her with worshipping fairies(demons),and that she made pacts with them! Now the English dropped the charges of sorcery,but then they accused her of sorcery,because she dressed like a man!
Giles di Raiz was the Marshall of France and a reprobate in the 1440's;he was accused of sorcery:guilty of the sex-murders of over 400 children! Accusations of sorcery hid the truth .
Court-Intrigue Sorcery Trials
Notorious "back-stabbing"frequented the French Court..e.g..french bishop,Gishard di Tr^oyes:in 1308,he was accused of murdering the queen by image magic and sorcery.Since he was the king's favorite,jealousy and contempt for him existed in the court.In 1314,he was accused of heresy to satisfy petty jealousy-greed was the real motive!
the Sorceress of Kilkenny: 1324-'25
Called "Lady Alice",she hailed from west Ireland ;her wealth was aquired by 3 prior husbands.She was accused by younger children who had been ommitted from earlier wills and wanted to break the present will! They proceeded to the Bishop of Ossury to accuse their mother of being a sorceress! They claimed that she and her friends offended "christianity".They went on to say that she denied Christ and the Church! She agreed that she disbelieved church doctrine and rejected Mass and thenceforth agreed not to enter a church!.Actually, she offered sacrifices of living creatures to demons and asked them advice! At Nocturnal gatherings,they cursed Lady Alice's husbands;afterwards, they snuffed out the candles and began sex orgies! Having 3 familiars,she made powders and ointments{they were made of entrails** to harm "good Christians".
Foes claimed that she had a special familiar{a demon in the form of a man-incubus**called Robin Artisan.;LA was his mistress! Upon searching the house, a wafer was found:the devil's bread!(identification was stamped on it and ointment**.Verdict:the bishop found her guilty,so she appealed to Dublin-there,the same verdict was rendered! Thence, she fled to England.The importance of this episode was LA is not accused of witchcraft,but of maleficum!-belonging to a sect of heretics;and copulating with an incubus.This is what she is not accused of:cannibalism and infanticide;flying to nocturnal meetings;she did not conclude a pact with the devil-so she still is not a witch!{Remember that she's initially accused of sorcery,then heresy**.And above all,Alice controlled Robin Artisan,not vice versa!.He does not control her;So as long as the demon doesn't control the sorcerer(ess)-no WITCH!
During the first quarter of the 14th century the reasoning was that even though the sorcerer already turned heretic,the individual still wasn't considered a witch!
Coventry Trial Murder-plot-conspiracy
In 1324,devious men approached a well-known sorcerer called John of Nottingham;he had a servant named Robert Marshall.The men paid John to murder king Edward II and some of his associates.The conspirators claimed that the king taxed them excessively.The method of murder was sorcery(magical).John employed image sorcery with wax and candlesetc.He rehearsed everything by making a wax image figure of a courtier;thence,he plunged a pin into the image.Next morning the courtier was in convulsive pain.7 days later,Nottingham moved the pin from the head ,and plunged it into the 'heart' of image-the courtier soon died! As an accomplice,Marshall confessed of compliance with J of N,out of fear of the authorities.Conspirators were freed after the trial;John died in prison;Marshall was later imprisoned: the importance of this sketch was that the accusation was sorcery only!

Papal Documents
During the 13th century,the Inquisition confined its activities to the tasks for which it was created.The popes..e.g.Alexander IV,in 1258 formally and repeatedly had forbidden inquisitors from investigating sorcery unless heresy was involved.By the 14th century, the inquisition was pressed to deal with sorcery to treat as heretic! -papacy was affirmative! For example, JohnXXII,a frenchman bedame pope in 1315;he was a very strange person! As a paranoic, he had a fanatical fear of the occult. Great gains were made to connect sorcery with heresy. He used the inquisition to get rid of his political enemies-it became a bureaucracy. John XXII enabled the inquisition to expand. Because he claimed that some were using voodoo dolls during his reign, he was determined to i.d. sorcery with heresy: Bull of 1318-English translation of the italian > bula=-refers to the lead seal affixed to the documents issued by the Vatican. It=s addressed to 2 French ecclesiastics giving them full power to proceed against 9 persons {8 clerics** accused of various crimes;the Bull itemizes the alleged crimes committed.It gives full inquisitorial powers to the ecclesiastics.2 noteworthy components1) when read,these will be recognized as crimes of sorcery(2) it empowers them to try for sorcery{this is a major step to make sorcery akin to heresy! Letter of 1320- pope John was disturbed by reports that some persons were practicing magic at the papal court at Avignon.He decided to clarify the relationship between magic/sorcery/heresy.Thru the advice of Learned Ones, he convened a special gathering. The pope instructed the Cardinal of Santa Sabina to order the inquisitors to try sorcerers as heretics.So why is this letter so significant? It emphatically dictates..=Only try sorcery that manifestly savors of heresy.=Inspite of all,Europe still doesn=t connect the two!

Canon of 1326
pope John returned to the problem of the relationship of sorcery to heresy.Santa Sabina modifies to the inquisitors-the canon is a legal document.The perpetrators must be persecuted.The main reason for the letter is that pope John had come up with a new definition of heretic:trafficking with demons.What does the church at large think? popes Benedict and Gregory followed suit!Yet there was resistance..
Raymundo de' Tarrega,a spanish Dominican wrote the book-"On the Invocation of Demons" in 1370.Heretofore,tha Vatican claimed that sorcerers invoked Demons.JohnXXII and associates contend that invoking is 'praying 'to demons! .Heretical de' Tarrega maintains that humans are permitted to pray to any creature as long as the 'subject 'is "godlike";thus we're to be permitted to pray to the demons as long as they'er not Evil,but a 'godlike' creature -ambiguous! His argument was precisely the one that sorcerers used to defend themselves when they're accused of heresy.Obviously,he did not agree with the papacy!;de'Tarrega's book was burned by the Inquisition.definitions:dulia-adoration of prayers to saints;latria-adoration of prayers to God.Even more important is the opinion of :
Nicholas Eymeric 1320-1393-the grand Inquisitor of Aragon.In 1376, he wrote "Directorium Inquisitorium"-instructions for the inquisitor;he systematized procedure{principles and steps**.This book was the Manual for inquisition until the 17th century.In the manual he asks whether magicians or diviners are to be considered heretics? Are sorcerers heretics,and are they to be tried and persecuted by the Inquisition? answers:(1)must determine whether magicians and diviners are subject to the judgments of the Inquisition(2)must ascertain whether they're heretics! There are 2 types of sorcerers:some are to be considered magicians and diviners-just superstitious sorcerers;some magicians and diviners are in actuality,heretics!-as those who show dulia and latria to demons and molest children.Now certain sorcerers are pledging allegiance to "superior "Demons..e.g.Perfecti wore white (symbolic of Catharic heresy.

15th Century continuation...created an environment where sorcerers and heretics became one.By the mid 15th century,the concept of witchcraft crystallized..Trisls in the 1420's & >30's in France and Switzerland were significant They were openly accused of making pacts with the devil.:worshipping him;nocturnal meetings; and flying to such gatherings..Portrait of the witch was complete by mid-century.But Learned Opinion is missing-not consolidated! The willingness to interpret evidnece is absent Malleus Maleficarum{witches hammer** literally means the Ahammer@ to practice Amaleficus@.In 1484 pope Innocent VIII issued a bull called Summis desiderantis;It intended to eliminate all obstacles that local authorities were placing in the path of 2 Inquisitors:Kramer and Sprenger.They were on assignment in Germany.the locals complained to the pope about their activities.the pope responded with a significant bull.When the dynamic duo wrote MM,,they put the bull in the introduction.It was crucial that the readers understood this preface as the papal endorsement of the book;greatly enhanced significance! Pope was oblivious to the fact that MM was published in 1486;it=s considered the first encyclopedia of sorcery.Because by the 15th century,sorcerers and heretics were synonymous.the duality is the embodiment of 2 groups of people that existed throughout the middle ages.Kramer was ruthless,he was soon expelled by the Dominicans.Sprenger was pious and sincere,though a religious fanatic..He couldn=t be bribed. Important facotrs missing form MM:familiar spirits,obscene kiss ,sabbat devil=s mark,{thus no pact with the devil{without can=t inflict maleficum
16th century-Demonologist-Learned opinion:add missing characters in MM ,combine the whole kitten kubootle ,resultant ,the witch.Why the concolidation at this time?
Possible contributing factor:Protestant Reformation;Persecutions-Archbishopric of Trier in Germany.Linden,a witness,wrote a desription of a witchhunt there.A drought prevailed ;panic resulted from fear of the unknown-scapegoats sought.Scarcely anyone escaped punishment.According to Linden:the profit motive was behind the witch craze.-arose because of collective fear !Cornelius Loos spoke out against the insanity of Trier;he was a Dutch scholar ,professor at the university of Trier.His book about the Inquisition there backfired! Under pressure from authrities,he wrote a recantation.They released him with a fine .After he left town, he reversed the recantation!!!  

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