How did the witch from the Middle Ages get to the present?
The term witch was coined in the dark times of the Middle Ages. Witches, believed to have special powers and abilities, are thought to do evil deeds for humans. The term witch originates from the Middle Ages to the present day and is still used today. So how did witches come to be?
Here is information about witches from the dark world from the Middle Ages to the present day;
Witchcraft History
Witchcraft has a long history. Throughout history, witches, wizards, shamans and other mystical figures have held an important place in society. However, witchcraft came to prominence in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Witchcraft in medieval Europe was under pressure from the Church, especially Pope IX. It became popular with Innocent’s book Malleus Maleficarum (“Hammer of Witches”) published in 1484. This book was written to guide the witch hunts and help prevent the evils caused by witches.
Witchcraft was often associated with women in the Middle Ages. This may be due to women’s weak social position, their inability to have a say in male-dominated society, and the mystical powers attributed to women’s fertility and reproductive organs. Women also played an important role in finding solutions to health problems in their neighbourhood, using natural remedies. However, because such practices challenged the religious authority of the Church, they were referred to as witchcraft.
Witch hunts often began with accusations and ended with suspects confessing under torture. Those who confess were often tortured before being executed. This process resulted in human rights violations and killed thousands of people.
Witch hunts ended in England in the 17th century, but in some places in America, such as the Salem witch hunts, they lasted even longer. While witchcraft still exists in some societies, it is generally accepted with more freedom in modern times.
Witchcraft in the Ottoman Empire
In the 600-year history of the Ottoman Empire, mystical beliefs such as witchcraft, which were common in the west, did not appear in Ottoman society. However, some special cases led to the emergence of witchcraft accusations in Ottoman history.
The first accusation of witchcraft in Ottoman history took place in Istanbul in 1659. Two women living in Istanbul were arrested and interrogated for practicing magic. However, it later became clear that the incident was not magic, but that the two women made false statements as they wanted to sell the items in their house because they could not pay their debts to the landlords.
Witchcraft accusations increased in the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century. Some people, especially those living in Karaman and Konya, were accused of witchcraft and executed. Witchcraft accusations have even led to mistreatment of women in some areas.
Witchcraft beliefs in Ottoman society were generally associated with Christian and Jewish communities. Greek, Armenian and Jewish women in particular were often accused of witchcraft in Ottoman society. However, the Ottoman government was quite cautious about accusations of witchcraft. Legal proceedings in this regard were carried out only in cases where the crime was proven.
In the last period of the Ottoman Empire, modernization movements from the West diminished traditional mystical beliefs such as witchcraft. In this process, the Ottoman government began to adopt the ideas of the West and gradually abandon the old beliefs.
How did witches originate?
How about remembering the Middle Ages as a short film strip? In this era, the European countries were in a blind hole, the European geography, where all kinds of evils were widespread and ignorance reigned at the highest level, is almost a nightmare. When Europeans count the ages, they skip the Middle Ages because this is the age when their greatest embarrassment was experienced. Witchcraft originated in this cursed environment.
In the Middle Ages there were different religions in Europe. Shamanism existed in accordance with the beliefs that were part of the religion. Today they have taken place as part of many cultures. People who deal with magic and do evil are called witches. They acted towards those who came from evil and darkness. Witchcraft was one of the biggest crimes in medieval Europe, so people who were witches were killed by witch hunts.
Of course, this did not end the witches, and today there are different forms of witches. However, they are not defined as witches.
Who are the witches?
Witches are people who have supernatural powers and do evil. It is people against religions and cultures. It would be right to distinguish as witches who do evil and do good in the world. However, good or bad discrimination is not made on the grounds that their actions are not correct. People don’t talk about witches, they stay away from them.
In the 17th century, people wanted to keep the witches under control and organized witch hunts. The actions of the witches were seen as a threat, so all the witches were killed. If the witches hadn’t been destroyed, would they now dominate Europe?
In Anatolian geography, witchcraft is known as those who practice evil magic. It is passed down from mother to daughter. Witchcraft still goes on. Magic is cursed by our religion, be it good or bad.
It is still called macumba, sorcery and healing, all over the world. People who act in accordance with mystical powers are witches, although they do not accept it. Therefore, do not console yourself by calling yourself a healer. This is a very great sin.
Do witches have powers?
Believing that witches have powers depends on personal belief and cultural background. However, there is no scientifically proven evidence to support any supernatural power or ability to use magic.
Is witchcraft a crime?
Witchcraft is considered a crime in many countries. However, accusations of witchcraft often stem from mystical beliefs, political manipulations, or social pressures. Witchcraft charges are usually non-violent crimes and often rank among low-priority crimes in justice systems.
Why are witches often associated with women?
Witches are often associated with women because in times when women were historically considered powerless and lived in a male-dominated society, belief in witchcraft was thought to increase women’s oppression. In addition, women’s knowledge of natural events such as birth, nature, disease and death and their use of this knowledge is also associated with witchcraft.
Does witchcraft still exist?
Witchcraft still exists in some cultures. However, in many countries, based on scientific and rational thinking in modern times, belief in witchcraft has declined. The existence of the belief in witchcraft depends on personal beliefs, cultural background and social conditions.