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Description
Flashcards by Malachy Moran-Tun, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Malachy Moran-Tun
about 3 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Who was Matthew Hopkins? | > The "Witchfinder General" > Employed by the JPs in Essex and East Anglia > Accused people of being witches and collected evidence against them > Used torture (fun!) to get them to confess > Commonly used "the Devil's bite marks" or "familiars" as evidence against them |
| What was the Swimming Test? | > Unofficial method against witchcraft, used in some communities > Similar to Trial by Water > Accused were lowered into water > Innocents were left to drown with the belief that their souls were saved > Those who floated were then executed by hanging |
| How did the Printing Press Contribute to the Witchcraze? | > Ideas spread easily, particularly superstitious ones > Pamphlets about witches were produced, with images depicting witches > People who were unable to read could still see and accuse people of witchcraft > Pamphlets would commonly talk about vagabondage, so rich people would (falsely) accuse poor people of witchcraft, in order to stop vagabondage |
| How did Poor Harvests Contribute to the Witchcraze? | > Many poor harvests in the 1600s > Many used this as evidence of evil and the Devil in the world > Witches were used as a scapegoat |
| How did the Patriachal Society Contribute to the Witchcraze? | > Misogyny was common, it was easy for men to blame women for problems > Miscarriages could be seen as witchcraft > Widows were seen as a threat since they were not controlled by a husband > Widows were, subsequently, not offered work - if a widow begged, her muttering could easily be interpreted as a spell > Widows often kept pets for company, but they were seen as "familiars" |
| How did the English Civil War Contribute to the Witchcraze? | > Social upheaval > Some supported the King, some supported Parliament > Easy for each side to accuse eachother of witchcraft > The general chaos and political instability lead to superstitious ideas / scapegoats > English Civil War left many widows, who were to be blamed for witchcraft due to the patriarchal society > It was difficult for JPs to travel during the Civil War, so locals often took the law into their own hands, meaning accusations were usually followed through without much evidence |
| How did Henry VIII and the Reformation Contribute to the Witchcraze? | > Since the monarch was the head of the Church, witchcraft was seen as heresy and treason > Greater fear of Catholicism, it was easy to accuse Catholics of witchcraft > The Bible was translated into English: Eve was responsible for the "fall of man", so women were linked with bad moral decisions > Henry VIII closed the nunneries, meaning widows were unable to seek charity easily |
| How did New Laws and Trials Contribute to the Witchcraze? | > Henry VIII made witchcraft a serious crime: both treason and heresy > Witchcraft was now dealt with under ordinary courts - the death penalty was common > Laws against Catholics made them unable to vote or become MPs until 1829 > Increase in witchcraft trials gave them a sense of legitimacy: more people felt there was a need for them |
| How did growing Tension between the Rich and Poor Contribute to the Witchcraze? | > Gap between rich and poor increased > Rich villagers felt threatened by vagabondage and constant demands by the poor > Rich (and therefore powerful) began accusing the poor of witchcraft, used as a scapegoat |
| How did James I's "Dæmonologie" Contribute to the Witchcraze? | > 1590 > Spread ideas about witchcraft > Accused witches of being "slaves of the devil" - increasing fear and hysteria > Encouraged readers to hunt witches, increasing the amount of accusations and trials > Later began promoting an anti-Catholic message associated with witchcraft |
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