- When did witchcraft come to England?
- Witchcraft, or the widespread belief in it's use, came to England in the 1200 or 1300's.
- How were witches detected?
- Many people that were believed to be witches were stuck with pins, if no pain or mark was seen, the woman was a witch. This was not a very accurate way to tell, because several so-called witchhunters used devices with retractable pins. The was no mark made and no pain because the pin never touched the woman's skin. Suspected witches were also tied up and thrown into water. If they floated, they were witches, and if they sank, they were innocent. This led to some problems with innocent women drowning, however. People also believed that a witch could be discovered by looking for any unusual marks on the woman's body. These marks included warts, moles, birthmarks or even extra nipples or breasts.
- How did the royal family feel about witchcraft?
- Depending on which monarch was in control, royal interest went from passing laws that categorized witches in with petty thieves and prostitutes, or an almost fanatical fear, interest, or obsession. The famous playwright, William Shakespeare, wrote several plays that included witchcraft - in part, because the monarch of the time was interested in the subject. One of the most famous lines referring to witchcraft in Shakespeare's plays is "Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble." This is from the play Macbeth, which relies heavily on the ue of witchcraft and superstition to move the play along.
- How many witches were killed in England during Queen Elizabeth I's reign?
- Queen Elizabeth I ruled from 1558 until 1630. In that time, more than 35% of the people hanged were hanged as witches.
- What sort of things were asked at a witch trial?
- At witch trials, questions similar to the following were asked - "How long have you been a witch?", "Why did you become a witch?", "What injury have you done to (insert person's name) and how did you do it?", "Who are the children on whom you have cast a spell?", "What plagues of vermin and caterpillars have you created?"
- Why were people so afraid of witches?
- Common people believed that witches communed with the devil, used magic to damage crops and cattle, raise storms, enchant children, or even affect people's sex lives. Many acts of disease, pestilence, and nature were blamed on witches.
- Were people who were accused of being witches ever proven innocent?
- Yes, there are several documented cases, especially from the Salem Witch Trials were accused witches were proven innocent. A lot of these trials had to do with the enchantment of young people. Often, even if the charges against them were clearly false and even ridiculous, women and men were forced to defend themselves in court. Often these charges of child enchantment where made by bored, mischievious, and even spiteful children.
- Witchcraft, or the widespread belief in it's use, came to England in the 1200 or 1300's.
The following are some silly superstitions. These are not based on fact, but they are fun to read anyway! If you know of any more silly superstitions, send them to me and we'll put them here!
- Only a flighty woman can make candy; it takes sense to make biscuits.
- When ants crawl in single file, rain is on the way.
- To get rid of warts, plant a potato in your backyard.
- A hole dug during a full moon has less dirt in it than a hole dug at other times. If you want to refill the full moon hole later, you won't have enough dirt.
- To cure a hangover, eat some raw cabbage dipped in vinegar.
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