Assess the view that the increase in witchcraft literature
had a significant impact on the number of prosecutions
for witchcraft
Monday, 3 April 2023 12:57 pm
LOA: Witchcraft Literature certainly influenced beliefs throughout the period of 1500-1700, but no clear correlation can be drawn
between witchcraft literature and prosecutions, with Socio-Economic developments and legal mechanisms providing a more
coherent explanation as to the number of prosecutions of witchcraft
Paragraph 1: Witchcraft Literature
- Point: It can be viewed that witchcraft literature was influential in the decrease of prosecutions for witchcraft, whilst also
influencing the fundamental beliefs that allowed for witchcraft prosecutions to occur
- Explain:
→ This is because witchcraft literature normally marked a change in attitudes amongst the learned elite, which was
usually followed by the authorities and influenced the way they responded to witch-craft accusations and threats
from within
→ Across Europe, we can see witchcraft literature greatly impacting the decrease, whilst also having a minor influence
on the increase of prosecutions
- Evidence:
→ In Salem 1692, the judges in the Court of Oyer and Terminer had the Malleus Maleficarum and Cotton Mather's work
produced after the 1688 case with Mary Glover, showing how witchcraft literature greatly influenced the way the
authorities responded to the evidence presented
→ John Gaule in Huntingdonshire, his work against the discovery of witches in Essex was highly influential in the 1647
Norfolk Assizes, when the JPs, Mayors, and Aldermen questioned Hopkins with many of the questions either being
directly stolen from the work of Gaule or slightly adapted, such as questions about his past experiences and why he
knows so much (suggesting he is in league with the devil)
→ Martin Del Rio, a Spanish Jesuit's work on Maleficium in 1600 was reprinted 25 times between 1600 and 1750 - This
was highly influential and the most popular work on witches by far, and coincides with the start of the rise in Hunts in
Southern Germany, which started at the time this published and reached a peak between 1620-30, giving it enough
time to spread to these units in the HRE
→ Malleus Maleficarum, printed in 1486 but reprinted 13 times before 1520 could be the basis of the theological belief
in witch-craft, since Kramer stated that "when a woman thinks alone, she thinks evil thoughts" which could be why
places like HRE saw 90% accusations against women , showing it's influence
- Counter-point: Witchcraft literature had very little impact on the initial rise in cases in continental Europe, and although it
created a belief that witches could be among people, it could instead be argued it was socio-economic reasons that pushed
people to find scapegoats
- Explain:
→ This is because the cause and effect between witchcraft treaties and the rise and fall of persecutions is extremely
vague and weak
→ It could be argued that work on witchcraft merely reflected popular culture, making it an 'echo chamber' that had no
influence on witchcraft at all
- Evidence:
→ Malleus Maleficarum - Wolfgang Behringer (2004) - Believes that Malleus was simply reflecting already high tensions
and beliefs in witches after large plague hit Geneva, Germany, and France in the 1470s, so it was an 'echo chamber'
rather than an influence
- Judgement
→ Decide what you think.
Paragraph 2: Socio-Economic Developments
- Point: It could be argued that instead of witchcraft literature, it was socio-economic developments that meant people were
forced to find scapegoats for their issues in society, leading them to blame the people around them. To continue, the use of
witchcraft accusations to sort out inter-personal disputes is coherent amongst the period as well
- Explain:
→ This is because poor socio-economic conditions could arguably have created the need for a release of tension which
occurred through witch accusations
→ Moreover, poor socio-economic conditions created an atmosphere where 'charity refused' was more likely to occur,
which meant that people felt guilty for not helping poorer people, so they would get cursed and thus accuse the
person of witch-craft, or they would convince themselves they were refusing help to a witch to make themselves feel
less guilty
- Evidence:
→ In Ely, during the 1645-7 East Anglian Hunt, 94% of witches left just their mark, indicating they were less well-off as
Pop Culture + Witchcraft Essay Plans Page 39
, → In Ely, during the 1645-7 East Anglian Hunt, 94% of witches left just their mark, indicating they were less well-off as
they were illiterate, but most of those accusing were above the class of the accused, which means charity refused is a
better explanation that literature (Coincides with Sir Miles Sandys closing off 4000 acres of common land in Sutton
(near Ely) in the 1630s)
→ Margaret Moone's confession in 1646 England stated she turned to the devil after being evicted and begging on the
street, showing socio-economic issues
→ Mayor of Zeil in 1626 talked in his diary of the 'common rabble' that witches destroyed the crops, coinciding with the
Mini Ice-Age and thus poor-socio economic conditions.
▪ Trials in Zeil went from 1 in 1623, to 192 in 1628
→ Bamberg was 500,000 Florins in debt due to the Civil War, and a large part of hunting witches was that you could
keep their belongings, with former mayor Neudecker had over 100,000 Florins confiscated from his during his
imprisonment.
→ Salem 1692 - Wabanaki Tribe 50 miles away by 1692, First Indian War and Nine Years' War context - Mercy Lewis
PTSD
→ English Civil War - East Anglia (20% men went to war, price rises by 20% for wheat and 12% for livestock).
→ Duke of Bavaria executed 63 people between 1589-1591 for 'Weather Magic'
→ Geneva in an earlier period where a prolonged outbreak of Plague 1567-71 resulted in 29 executions for those
accused of ‘greasing’; spreading the Plague
- Counter-point: However, socio-economic conditions aren't a coherent explanation throughout the whole period, as even in
times of poor socio-economic conditions, hunts weren't guaranteed to occur, and it instead could be argued it was the legal
developments that allowed the hunts to escalate
- Explain:
→ This is because even in times of poor socio-economic conditions, such as during times of war, witch-craft accusations
weren't always guaranteed to happen, and in most cases decreased
→ This suggests it was a legal operation, since the courts were frozen or busy dealing with the establishment of a new
ruler - This ultimately results in a decrease in hunts
- Evidence:
→ 1562-1598, the French Wars of Religion saw a decrease in hunts despite there being poor socio-economic and
religious strife - Instead it was clear that the courts were frozen and any judicial activity was more concerned with the
establishment of new rulers, meaning hunts couldn’t occur
→ 30 Years' War continued until 1648, but Southern Germany saw a rapid decrease after 1630, with the capture of
Bamberg in 1632 forcing the Prince-Bishop Dornheim out of Bamberg and freezing Drudenhaus' courts as the King of
Sweden wasn't concerned despite poor socio-economic conditions, showing how it could be a legal process
→ Bavaria experienced 0 Large-Scale chain reaction hunts from 1618-48 (30 Years' War) but did experience a large 63
executed hunt in 1589-91
- Judgement
→ Decide what you think
Paragraph 3: Legal Developments
- Point: It could be argued that instead of witchcraft literature or socio-economic developments, it could instead be the legal
developments that provided a mechanism for expressing beliefs in witchcraft and releasing anxiety from poor socio-
economic conditions
- Explain:
→ Levack states that the European witch craze was "essentially a judicial operation"
→ Despite there being any basis for witchcraft created by treaties or any socio-economic conditions, these could not be
exploited if it weren't for the legal developments that were allowing hunts to take place
- Evidence:
→ Phips set up the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692, which allowed for accusations to turn into prosecutions.
→ For example, the Parlement of Paris, 1588-1624, established authority over local tribunals - all capital punishments
for witch craft had to be appealed to them - 36% were completely dismissed and only 24% of cases were confirmed -
Much more influential than Johan Weyer's work or Reginald Scot's
→ England, which didn't have torture allowed only had a 40% conviction rate compared to 95% in Germany,
→ when torture was less regulated, there was a sharp rise in convictions such as Hopkins in East Anglia trying over 250
people in 2 years due to the increased use of Torture
→ 1594 - United Provinces banned torture and judges didn't have any record of believing in Diabolism, resulting in no
large-scale hunts
- Counter-point: However, just because legal developments allowed hunts to occur, in order for people to exploit these legal
mechanisms there needed to be a fundamental belief in witchcraft, which most likely would not have occurred without
witchcraft literature
- Explain:
→ This is because just because the legal mechanism was established, doesn't mean it would facilitate a hunt, there
needs to be a fundamental belief and genuine fear of witches in the community in order for these mechanisms to be
exploited to a degree to cause a hunt
- Evidence:
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