10 medieval “reasons” for which you could be called a witch

Witches and sorcerers have been feared and, accordingly, persecuted since antiquity. But, as we know, the “witch hunt” reached a special scope in Europe from the end of the 1782th century. and up to the middle of the XNUMXth century. (and the executions of those suspected of witchcraft continued for another century after the main “hysteria” – until XNUMX).

According to approximate estimates of modern historians, as a result of the “witch” processes, from 40 to 50 thousand people died (that is, they were hanged, burned, tortured to death, etc.).

In fairness, it must be said that not only women were executed for witchcraft; in some processes, the defendants turned out to be just, basically, men.

Nevertheless, the representatives of the weaker sex had the greatest “chance” to suddenly be recognized as a witch. For what reasons? Yes, almost any!

The dark and fanatically religious population of medieval Europe was scared to death of the devil and his intrigues. And anyone could be an accomplice of the devil, because the human spirit is weak. Women, on the other hand, were considered especially sinful and accessible to temptations. Therefore … Yes, burn them all! Damned witches!

So, let’s see for what reasons you could be accused of witchcraft:

10 You have broken any rule from the Bible or simply from those that are “accepted in a decent society”

It is in the modern world that each of us is trying (who is in what much) to stand out from the crowd, to be “not like everyone else”. In the Middle Ages, it was much more reasonable (but because it was safer!) To merge with this very crowd as much as possible.

Any manifestation of individuality: clothes of the “wrong” color or style, indecent hairstyle according to the neighbors, “wrong” plants in the garden, food served “at the wrong time”, kindled fire “wrong”, etc. – any little thing could provoke not only sidelong glances of others (“We don’t do this! It’s not accepted!”), But also a complaint to secular or church authorities and, as a result, the “stigma” of a witch that sounds almost like a death sentence.

If a neighbor accused you of working on the day of any church holiday (when, as the Bible says, you need to rest and pray), or swept the floor in the house not to the door (as all decent housewives do), but from the door, or but they laughed louder than others at the gatherings of village gossips – get ready for trouble. You are definitely in touch with the devil! Otherwise, why don’t you follow the rules that everyone else steadfastly adheres to?

9. Have you had sex outside of marriage?

Try today to find an unmarried virgin over 20 years old. This is a real rarity these days. But in the Middle Ages, if you still fell head over heels in love and dared to spend the night with your loved one, then it’s better to earnestly pray that no one would know about it.

If, nevertheless, rumors about this reprehensible connection go around, then it will be easier for you to hang yourself yourself (especially in the case when the love of your life “went into denial”). Now you can easily be accused of fornication and even connection with the devil, especially if you (God forbid!) become pregnant.

So, Alice Lake from Dorchester, who stubbornly refused to admit who gave birth to a child (apparently, the man was not an ordinary one), was executed as a witch in 1651. Like, well, everything is clear – I slept with the devil, therefore, the child is from him.

8. You have a prominent mole, birthmark, etc.

Do you have a cute mole above your lip? Or a birthmark on your thigh that you even like? Be glad you don’t live in the XNUMXth century! For all sorts of moles and similar marks are also a sign of “sympathy” for you by the devil himself.

Usually, immediately after the arrest, a woman suspected of witchcraft was forced to strip naked and carefully examined (sometimes they even shaved off all the hair on her body for “better visibility”).

Any scars and spots were immediately recorded in the examination protocol. The more of them there were (and the larger they were), the stronger, therefore, was the guilt of the caught “witch”.

It was believed that witches breast-feed animals loved by the devil (black cats and dogs, snakes, etc.), so they absolutely guaranteed the “guilt” of the spot on their chest. And if the unfortunate woman also had larger nipples than “normal”, no one could help her.

7. You are married but have no children

Let’s say you got married at 16 (actually a bit late for the Middle Ages). And now you are already 20, but you and your husband have not been able to give birth to children until now. If the husband doesn’t love you so much, then he can easily accuse his own spouse of being “cursed by the devil” or having a sinful relationship with him even before this marriage (and therefore barren).

In the same way, neighbors with many children can call you a witch – look at their six children, you’ve planned something unkind. (After all, there were no psychologists or family planning centers back then – it would never have occurred to anyone that you were looking at the neighbor’s children because you yearn for your own baby. And, it is likely that your husband is infertile himself, and from another men, you would have gotten pregnant a long time ago).

The opposite situation was also possible: you don’t have children, but your neighbor has fewer of them. Aha! So she is a witch – she took your happiness for herself with the help of vile sorcery!

6. Are you a nurse or midwife?

The human body (especially the female) in the Middle Ages was considered a “vessel of sin” and in general something almost vile. Therefore, people who understood diseases, and even worse, the internal anatomy of a person, were considered, if not accomplices of the devil, then certainly very unpleasant personalities.

Like, if the Lord sent a disease on someone, then this is his will, there is nothing to resist it. No treatment! Pray and prepare to go to heaven! (Hmm … If, of course, worthy).

And it is prescribed for all women to give birth on their own (and preferably in pain). So all sorts of disgusting and “unclean” healers and midwives, who, moreover, are too good at healing wounds and fractures, stopping blood, treating ulcers, etc. with the help of some dubious herbs and ointments – obvious witches.

5. You are very young and very attractive

And how many young, beautiful and very young girls were hanged and burned at that time! A too slender figure, luxurious hair, delicate skin, bright eyes – even one of this “set” could easily cause you to be accused of witchcraft, and even if combined!

After all, God does not give anyone so much attractiveness at once – this, undoubtedly, sooner or later will lead to sin (and rather, still early). So the owner of a very pretty upturned nose with freckles, green eyes and a red, curly ringed mop on her head clearly provided all this by Satan himself.

It was enough for one caustic remark of an envious girlfriend (not to mention the direct accusation that you, for example, tried to take her boyfriend away from her – of course, with a love spell), and from now on you are a “witch”.

4. You are very old and ugly

It was no less dangerous to have an ugly appearance (or some kind of defects, such as a twisted leg, a “dry” hand, an overly long nose, etc.). And if you are not only ugly, but also “indecently” old and worldly wise (and at the same time grumpy), with a probability of 99,9% you will be “snitched” where your own neighbors should be.

Well, how else? Normal people don’t live that long. And there, you have a wart on your nose, and you giggle nastily (so what if all the old people do not have a very pleasant voice?), And you also have a huge black cat. Witch!

3. Have you had a fight with a friend or neighbor?

As a matter of fact, in the days of the “developed Middle Ages”, anyone could accuse anyone of witchcraft. The slightest personal animosity could result in a witch trial. And who can be a woman’s worst enemy if not her ex-best friend?

Here you, according to Mary Ann, looked too kindly at her husband or, on the contrary, made too harsh a remark to her naughty children. And – oops! – done: she called you an evil witch.

And this, to your misfortune, was heard by a neighbor whom you once dared not take a little flour. A couple of days later you are already sitting in a gloomy cell, chained to the wall, and the executioner is busily preparing tools to beat a confession of witchcraft out of you.

2. Are you wealthy or financially independent?

And God forbid you to have your own opinion and independently (without the help of a husband, brother, uncle, son or any other relative) earn your living (or even just have a good fortune that you inherited from your father or deceased spouse).

A woman is obliged to be in the shadow of a man and be silent until she is asked. But managing money (own too) is contraindicated for a woman! If the previous husband died, urgently look for another one: he will figure out what to do next with your finances.

What is another commercial vein? What does it mean to be able to take care of yourself? How is it that no man in the whole city is nice to you? Probably, only Satan is dear to you?! Witch! Yeah … Independent and intelligent women throughout Europe were not loved (and shunned) until the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Well at least they stopped burning.

1. You are a woman

And finally, back to where we started: you are a woman! This fact alone can arouse suspicion. Eve, who was tempted by the fruit of paradise and “set up” Adam by offering him a bite, was a woman; the treacherous Delilah and Salome, who killed Samson and John the Baptist, were women, and so on.

And in general, all women are sinners by nature! Well, you think that the main villains in the Bible are still men (and there are many more of them).