10 Terrifying facts about witches

10. Witchcraft in the Middle Ages:

The original Christian view of witchcraft in the Middle Ages was that it wasn’t real and could do no serious harm because it didn’t exist.

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It took many years, various arguments of theologians, a number of inquisitor’s manuals, and a series of papal bulls (written letters by the Pope of judgment and command) to contradict that traditional Christian idea and identify witchcraft as heresy and blasphemous. Eventually in1484, Pope Innocent VIII, in his bull Summis desiderantes, allowed the Inquisition to pursue “witches”. The idea of a “witch hunt” is not limited to witches. People against witches were also against Jews, Muslims, lepers, or any group of people the Church disliked. Very few people that were involved in these hunts had any tie to magic or witchcraft that historians are aware. The trials had little to do with actual witchcraft. Witch hunting was officially banned in England in 1736 when the Witchcraft Act was passed.

9. Witch Burnings

Burning a witch at the stake was a fairly rare occurrence. It took a great amount of effort to make the stakes and pyres for burnings whereas ropes were reusable and you could perform dozens of hangings in a single day. Hangings were much more cost-effective and efficient. Over the period of 10 months 165 people were accused of being a witch in Salem, and 31 were imprisoned. However, only 19 (18 women and one man) were put to death. None of them were burned at the stake; the women were hanged. The man refused to admit he was a witch and was crushed to death with stones as the authorities tried to elicit a confession. His last words were a defiant, “More weight!”

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