WITCHES

I think I should place here some sort of a general explanation of what is supposed to be a Witch or should I say, what has been placed into the minds of the most of us throughout the world by our religions, teachers, parents and our literature. Not many people have had the sense to look into the real reasons for the persecutions of different people, the mavericks, people who wanted to be just an individual, perhaps study natures natural ways, or just be away from the crowd.

A Witch is also the spelling of a flat-fish similar to a Dover sole, [Glyptocephalus cynoglossus].

Different spelling of Witch is Wych, but this latter spelling is generally one of trees with pliant branches, a twiggy growth on trees, or trees with. Both spellings can be used.

A witch is also known as a malevolent or ugly old woman; or a fascinating, or bewitching woman.

For many people throughout the world the name witch conjures up all sorts of bad, evil things into the mind. A sorceress, a woman who was supposed to have dealings with the Devil and evil Spirits. Nothing could be further from the truth. The name witch came from and was conjured up by the evil ones in the religions, and by the way in some bibles they have placed this word into the text The Witch of Endor, this is another blatant lie as there is not a word in Judaism for Witch, it should say the Wise Woman of Endor, a person who knew the old ways and helped other with the old tried and tested herbal medicines.

Witchcraft the alleged use of magic, sorcery. Witch-doctor a sorcerer of the tribal, primitive people.

Witch-hunt is a search for and the persecution of people with unpopular or unorthodox views, different political views. Many good people throughout the middle ages were killed [Murdered by those in the Christian faith] by priests, vicars, and intellectuals because a person had a different way of looking at life and what went on around them. These good people were vilified because the church wanted keep control of the minds and pockets [monies] of their congregations. They feared people who had more knowledge of worldly ways than they did. Most who were killed had knowledge of nature and the natural world that was passed down to them over the centuries. Knowledge of herbs and medicines, healing by laying on of hands, counselling, [caring about the person, listening to their troubles], this got in the way of confessions in the churches, who thought only they had the right of taking on peoples woes and forgiving them. This is why the churches and the intellectuals kept the vast majority of people ignorant and were against ordinary people learning to read and write. This is still going on in different parts of the world to this day.

The church devised a wicked plan to put around that the old wizened women of the times were in contact with the Devil, and had made a pact with Old Nick himself, demons and all evil spirits. Most were said to have cast evil spells on the innocent, because of them being in league with the Devil, and they dealt in black magic. These wise old women were supposed to have familiars [an attendant spirit or demon] around them in the form of cats, dogs, frogs, toads, weasels, etc. Many were accused of killing of livestock, the failing of crops, the reason for a person having fits, a woman neighbour being barren, or their husbands being impotent.

All that a witch is, is a person who tries to help others by linking into the earths and natures natural energies. Remember, that force can be used for good and evil; yet because a witch is different, people who do not take the time to understand pick out the evil. If you ask any witch, they will tell you it is most important for them to help and heal the ills of people and not to cast evil spells onto anyone.

There are black witches and white witches, and I think the black witches at this time are unfortunately in a few of the churches in Africa, especially in Nigeria [black being EVIL not being the colour of the skin]

Even today the Christian churches are causing chaos in Nigeria in the Niger Delta in the South West of Africa especially in the Akwa Iboma province. Children as young as 3 months old and upwards are being abandoned by their families and ostracised by their communities after being accused of being a witch. All because of the Christian Evangelical Pastors of the region and it is getting worse because of a film End of the Wicked and others made by the Christian Pentecostal church preacher Mrs Helen Ukpabio now one of the richest people in Nigeria, now owning the Christian Liberty church and Liberty Films, She is still making a lot of disgusting evil films of alleged possessed witch children who do harm to their communities. The trouble is the ignorant poorly educated people believe the films are a genuine portrayal of witches, which is exploited by the many churches to get money out of the poor to exorcise the devils.

The children can be cleared of the stigma of being a witch by giving money to the Pastors and preachers. [that says everything about the situation. The pastors are feeding on the fear of not just the poor and uneducated, but people from the middle classes and the elite]. The church congregations are being told there are witches all around them ready to bring evil into their lives. The Evangelical Christian Pastors are helping to create a terrible new campaign of violence against young Nigerians to fill the coffers of their churches and the pockets of the preachers themselves. There is no control over these Pastors.

Some children have had nails driven into their heads, others poisoned, buried alive, slashed with machetes, more beaten until welts become swollen scars on their small backs, shoulders and arms. One young girl had very hot water and soda poured over her head and body after a prophet of the church accused her of being a witch and killing one of her younger brothers. Another 13 year old girl was bound head to foot and extremely tightly around the ankles and left to die in the bush. When she was found, the ropes had eaten into her flesh and taken all the flesh off her ankles, she will be marked for life. Her father is being charged.

On TV the 12th of November 2008 Channel Four programme Dispatches brought our attention to the plight of the children in Akwa Iboma province province of Nigeria, where an English volunteer, 29 year old Gary Foxcroft was trying to do his best at stopping the children being stigmatised by the Preachers and Pastors of the Christian Pentecostal churches in this down trodden, yet oil rich country.

We were shown traumatised children from the ages of 3 months old being accused of being witches. The mother, who was scared they might be killed by the villagers had placed her two daughters of 3 months old and 5 years old at this place of refuge.

At the helping care community Gary Foxcroft has Nigerian volunteers and teachers helping 150 young boys and girls who are being helped to lead a normal life and to get away from their indoctrination of believing they are all witches who have been possessed by the devil.

One young girl Uma Eke who is about 8 had had a nail driven 3 inches into her skull and it had ruined her brain and now that poor unfortunate girl was mentally disabled.

Another girl was burned with acid and buried alive, but survived and managed to get to the Stepping Stones place of safety.

Another young girl had been placed on a fire by her own Christian father because he was told she was a witch.

There are at least 5 to 6 young children each day being accused of witchcraft by the Christian Pastors and preachers of these Christian Churches.

We saw about six very frightened children who were locked up by another Christian Pastor being accused and abused.

On the Dispatches programme there was a smug Christian Bishop who bragged at killing 110 witches. After getting money he was shown dropping a dark liquid into the eyes of a young child so he could block the devil and see better spiritually, this he informed us had to be done over a period of time. He said he had had money from 400,000 by healing them.

On the outside of some churches, it was seen they had chains around posts, which were around the legs of two very scared boys who had been accused of witchcraft.

Another child had their little arm broken by the beatings they took, and had the bone sticking out from his arm when found may days later.

Gary told of hearing about children being thrown off bridges into rivers after being bound, he also told of children being hacked to death and chopped up with a machete.

There was an incident in the programme where a man from the village with his machete actually came up to the crew and the volunteers who were trying to get the mother and the village to accept the young 5 year old girl back into the community. Menacingly he would have none of it and said if she was left there now, tonight he would kill her as she was a witch.

The organisation that Gary Foxcroft is involved with is called Stepping Stones, Nigeria. If you want to know what they do and want to help these unfortunate children or vulnerable children in this country, Channel 4 has placed an information line on 0845 6041 444

A follow up programme was on TV the 23th of November 2009 Channel Four programme Dispatches

Eleven elderly people accused of being witches have been burned to death by a mob in the west of Kenya, police say. A security operation has been launched to hunt down villagers suspected of killing them in Kisii District. The BBCs Muliro Telewa in the region says the gang had a list of the victims and picked them out individually. The area has witnessed similar attacks in the past when people suspected of engaging in witchcraft have been killed or ostracised. But our reporter says that this is a surprisingly large number of people to be attacked at the same time. Witches meeting, Anthony Kibunguchy, the provincial police officer, told the BBC that the eight women and three men were all aged between 80 and 96 years old. The mob dragged them out of their houses and burned them individually and then set their homes alight, our correspondent says.
Residents have been ambivalent about condemning the attacks because belief in witchcraft is widespread in the area, he says. But local official Mwangi Ngunyi spoke out against the murders. People must not take the law into their own hands simply because they suspect someone, he told AFP news agency. Villagers told reporters that they had evidence that the victims were witches. They say they found an exercise book at a local primary school that contained the minutes of a witches meeting which detailed who was going to be bewitched next.

The victims families have gone into hiding, fearing for their lives.

'Witch' Burned Alive in Papua New Guinea

Posted Jan 7, 09 4:00 PM CST in World. Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)

The Elizabethan Period - Elizabethan Witchcraft and Witches
The Elizabethan Period and the intellectual era of the Renaissance introduced English persecution of Elizabethan Witches and Witchcraft. Ironically, this period of great learning brought with it a renewed belief in the supernatural including a belief in the powers of witchcraft, witches and witch hunts! Ironically the introduction of the printing press, one of the greatest tools in increasing knowledge and learning was responsible! Johannes Gutenberg introduced the printing press c1456. The first printed books were bibles or contained religious themes. Unfortunately many of these books promoted ideas about witches and witchcraft which in turn led to the intensified witch hunts of the 15th and 16th centuries! Additional new renaissance thinking and books about Astrology, Alchemy and Magic increased the interest in witchcraft, witches and witch hunts even further. The 1562 Elizabethan Witchcraft Act was passed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was an act 'agaynst Conjuracions Inchauntmentes and Witchecraftes'.

The Elizabethan Belief in Witches
During the Elizabethan era people blamed unexplainable events as the work of witches. There were frequent outbreaks of the deadly Black Death (Bubonic Plague) for which there was no cure. The fear and anger about this terrible disease had to be directed at someone - witches were the obvious target. When people died from terrible diseases, when animals died, when there was a bad harvest, when houses were burnt down in fires even when foods curdled - witches were the obvious targets. During the Elizabethan era there was limited medical knowledge or facilities and there was no form of insurance. Such events as those described above were devastating and there was no means of minimising their terrible effects on the lives of Elizabethans - someone had to be blamed - witches were the obvious targets.

Who were the people accused of being Elizabethan Witches?
Women were those most often accused of being witches! There were 270 Elizabethan witch trials of 247 were women and only 23 were men! Those accused of witchcraft were generally:

Old, Poor, Unprotected, Single women or widows (many kept pets for company - their familiars)

The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft 1563-1736
By Julian Goodare, Lauren Martin, Joyce Miller and Louise Yeoman
January 2003

This is an electronic resource for the history of witchcraft and witch-hunting in Scotland. It is in two parts: an interactive database, and supporting web pages.

The database contains all people known to have been accused of witchcraft in early modern Scotland—nearly 4,000 of them. There is information on where and when they were accused, how they were tried, what their fate was, and on a wide range of themes relating to social and cultural history. You can use the database to conduct all sorts of searches. For instance, you can find all known cases involving neighbourhood quarrels, or demonic possession, or fairies. You can find all the male or female witches. You can create graphs or maps showing how witchcraft cases were distributed; this is important because prosecutions tended to come in short bursts in particular localities.

There is also supporting material. An 'Introduction to Scottish witchcraft' explains some of the findings from the database and puts them in context. The 'Further Reading' section is also important; the database won't tell you everything on its own. However, it will tell you some things that you could find out in no other way. We hope you find it a useful tool. All this should help you think about the history of witchcraft and what it means to us today.

Here are some details of witches written by Angus Council of happenings in Angus, Scotland.

This is a joyous, religion, combining nature with everyday life in the quest for balance.
Peace of mind is needed by us all, and what better way to find it than by Enjoying a full Life...
Relax, Rejoice and Celebrate your Precious Mortality, Our Blessed and Worthy Gender.

WORK TO HARM NO-ONE AND NO HARM SHALL BEFALL YOU.
BLESSED BE

The word WITCH has many connotations. It is a label stuffed full of stereotypes and misconceptions. Those of us living out of the broom closet have had many opportunities to experience these misconceptions firsthand.

At worst these misconceptions are based on fear and ignorance. At best they are rooted in stereotypes and bad made-for-TV movies. Though I have been openly Pagan for the past six years, I have been fortunate thus far to escape the nastier side of religious intolerance. I have taught open classes, led open circles, done Pagan radio shows on commercial radio stations, and written Pagan articles credited with my real name. I have had ample opportunity to encounter all flavours and shades of misconceptions.

The single most obvious misconception is that there is a connection between Satanism and Paganism or Wicca. The confusion is understandable since Satanists often call themselves Witches. However, Witches are not Satanist. When someone calls me a Satanist I have a simple response. I don't believe in Satan, therefore I am clearly not a Satanist.

TYPES OF MISCONCEPTIONS
Most of the other misconceptions I have encountered fall into several categories. The first is that there is no such thing as a practicing Witch -- that the only Witches you ever see are fictional media Witches. This misconception is followed closely by the idea that there are good Witches and bad Witches who practice "White" and "Black" magic respectively. The next most common misconception is that Witches are more powerful than "normal" people. Other misconceptions involve the way a Witch is supposed to look or behave.

THE IMAGINARY WITCH
The imaginary Witch who can twitch her nose and make dirty dishes disappear is, alas, complete television fiction. Fortunately, Witches who suck the life out of children or exact bloody revenge for some social slight are also B-grade fiction. Most distressing is the complete lack of brains exhibited by these media "Witches." The pettiness of their concerns is matched only by the short-sightedness of their methods. The less people believe in these caricatures the better off we all are. How harmful are these stereotypes? Do these portrayals affect popular opinion or merely reflect it? As a practicing Witch and mom, my concerns are dictated by my scope of influence. I'm not the head of a major production studio. I can't prevent Hollywood from creating stupid, fictional Witches. Children seem perfectly able to separate fictional cartoon witchcraft from what Mom does on the Full Moons.

GOOD WITCH, BAD WITCH
The whole idea of good Witches with white magic and bad Witches with black magic is a huge misconception, just like the myth of the good guys with white hats and the bad guys with the black hats. I have yet to meet anyone who was totally aligned with good or evil. It has been so long since I thought of witchcraft in those black-and-white terms that the last time somebody asked me if I was a good Witch I said, "Yes, I am. If I was bad at being a Witch after all these years why would I bother with it?" There are good and bad Witches just like there are good and bad teachers, bookkeepers, cooks, plumbers, and doctors.

THE POWER OF WITCHES
The simplest misconception is the idea that Witches are more powerful than they really are, especially when it comes to money and gambling. However, if I was any good at picking lucky Lotto numbers I would have done it for myself a long time ago.

Misconceptions also abound around love spells. Love is a magical phenomenon, no doubt about it. Goddess help you when it catches you by surprise. It's not a pretty sight. However, love spells are widely recognized as being foolish and highly unethical. Whether a love spell would work or not is irrelevant. Why would anyone in their right mind want it to work? Who wants a lover who is only there because he or she was be-spelled? I have a Pagan friend who was accused of casting spells to ensnare the object of her affections. She was highly offended. It is more than a little insulting when your beloved accuses you of casting a spell to make him or her fall in love with you, as though your appearance and personality were so dreadful that you had to resort to magical coercion to find a mate.

WHO IS A "REAL" WITCH?
Sadly, the most consistent misconceptions I personally have encountered have come from some other Witches who were concerned about my "right" to call myself a Witch. It's the One Right Way syndrome: the idea that only a Witch initiated and trained by the right person in the right way is a real Witch. My feeling is that witchy is as witchy does.

THE APPEARANCE OF THE WITCH
Finally, there is a whole conglomeration of misconceptions about the way a Witch is supposed to look. The popular image of a toothless, grinning hag with warts on the end of her nose and stringy hair has largely been replaced by stunning young vixens dressed all in black with intense gazes. Men can be Witches, as can perky blondes in blue jeans, harried parents of toddlers, bank tellers, salespeople, programmers, lawyers, or waitresses.

DEALING WITH MISCONCEPTIONS
When I call myself a Witch I always get a strong reaction (as opposed to when I call myself a bookkeeper). The most common response is curiosity. The next most common is "Oh, so is my friend, cousin, co-worker, etc." Occasionally people couldn't care less, and even more rarely do people react with fear or prejudice. When I describe witchcraft as I practice it I am very open because I am so wary of adding to the giant steaming pile of misconceptions that already exists. I emphasize the similarities between witchcraft and other paths, as well as making it very clear what witchcraft is not.

Witchcraft is not Satanism, it is not a quick path to riches and glory, and it is not something only special people can do. Witchcraft is exactly what each Witch makes it to be. It is the craft of the Witch. It is a dynamic eclectic path with a rich body of lore and (thank the Goddess) no central, controlling priesthood.

We are fortunate to have several excellent books on the market that divest witchcraft of its misconceptions. Among these are "DRAWING DOWN THE MOON" by: Margot Adler and "THE TRUTH ABOUT WITCHCRAFT TODAY" by: Scott Cunningham.

We are also luck to be living in a fairly enlightened age. Witch burnings, though a thing of the past, are still rather fresh in the Pagan memory. We still have a long way to go. There are many Witches who are terrified of being discovered for fear of losing their jobs, their homes, or their children. This is why I encourage my students to be as open about their practice as they can. Every truthful account of witchcraft does a little bit more to drive back the misconceptions that endanger us all. As a practicing Witch you are your own best example of real witchcraft. So if you are ever confronted by misconceptions, take a deep breath, ground and centre, and whenever possible enlighten and educate. You will be paving the way to a time when all Witches can dance sky-clad and fearless under the light of the luminous Full Moon.

The information above was taken from Llewellyn's Witches' Calendar 1999

Salem Witch Trial, artist's reconstruction. Peabody Essex Museum

BRADBURY, Mary Perkins
She was tried for witchcraft in Salisbury, MA; convicted, but not executed. The papers pertaining to the case show the high estimation in which she was held.

DUNCAN, Helen
Think there are no women accused of witchcraft in modern times? Think again. Helen was a simple woman supporting her disabled husband and her 6 children by working full time in a bleach factory and part time as a Spiritualist Medium. Her messages during the Second World War became so accurate that she was arrested and tried as a 'witch' for fear she would reveal the truth about D-Day plans, the Enigma Machine and much more.

GARLICK, Elizabeth Blanchard
As "Goodwife Garlick", Elizabeth was accused of bewitching a woman and causing the death of her child while residing in East Hampton, Long Island. She was, fortunately, acquitted.

GREENSMITH, Rebecca Elson Mudge
Not all "witches" were from Salem, MA. Many were accused and executed in Connecticut and both Rebecca and her husband, Nathaniel Greensmith were hanged in Hartford in 1662.

HOWE, Elizabeth Jackson
One of the women accused and hanged at Salem's famous witch trials. Some of the testimony against Elizabeth is found here.

KNAPP, Elizabeth Warren
Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth was a servant in the house of Rev. Samuel Willard when she became "possessed" in 1671. Rev. Willard left a detailed account of the case.

MARTIN, Susanna North
Accused of witchcraft, Susanna was one of the twenty women and men executed during the hysteria that gripped Salem, MA in 1692.

MARTIN, Susanna North
Another page devoted to Susanna.

NURSE, Rebecca Towne
Rebecca, probably the most famous of the Salem "witches", was one of three sisters accused and imprisoned for withcraft. One of her sisters, Sarah survived. Rebecca and her sister Mary were hanged.

NUTTER, Alice
Long before Salem, there were the "Pendle Witches" of Lancashire, England. Alice was one of the seven "witches" executed August 20, 1612. Her crime was bewitching a man to death.

PARSONS, Mary Bliss
A Springfield, Massachusetts woman and wife of a prominent citizen, Mary went to court twice - once as the plaintiff against a woman who had accused her of witchcraft, and secondly as a defendant when she was again accused of witchcraft.

PUTNAM, Ann Carr
Her daughter, Ann Jr. started the Salem witchcraft hysteria. Ann Putnam Jr.'s testimony is here.

SCHÜLER, Martha
In 1664 in the town of Lindheim, Germany, Martha Schuler was arrested, imprisoned, tortured and eventually burned for witchcraft. Her husband, arrested with her, was able to escape.

WILD(E), Sarah
Having a magistrate for a husband did not prevent Sarah from being tried, convicted and executed as one of the Salem witches.

WILD, Sarah
Here is another biography of Sarah Wild written by another descendant of hers, revealing more of Salem's dark history.

WILSON, Sarah Lord
One of the women in Andover, MA who was victimized by the Salem witch hysteria, Sarah and her daughter, Sarah, Jr. were both arrested, imprisoned and forced to "confess" to witchcraft.

Declaration of Regret - Salem Jurors
We whose names are underwritten, being in the year 1692 called to serve as jurors in court at Salem, on trial of many who were by some suspected guilty of doing acts of witchcraft upon the bodies of sundry persons, we confess that we ourselves were not capable to understand, nor able to withstand, the mysterious delusions of the powers of darkness and Prince of the air, but were, for want of knowledge in ourselves and better information from others, prevailed with to take with such evidence against the accused, as, on further consideration and better information, we justly fear was insufficient for the touching the lives of any (Deut. xvii) whereby we fear we have been instrumental, with others, though ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon ourselves and this people of the Lord the guilt of innocent blood; which sin the Lord saith in Scripture he would not pardon (2 Kings xxiv.4) - that is, we suppose, in regard to his temporal judgments. We do therefore hereby signify to all in general, and to the surviving sufferers in special, our deep sense of, and sorrow for, our errors in acting on such evidence to the condemning of any person; and do hereby declare, that we justly fear that we were sadly deluded and mistaken - for which we are much disquieted and distressed in our minds, and do therefore humbly beg forgiveness, first of God, for Christ's sake, for this our error, and pray that God would impute the guilt of it to ourselves nor others, and we also pray that we may be considered candidly and aright by the living sufferers, as being then under a strong and general delusion, utterly unacquainted with, and not experienced in, matters of that nature.

We do hereby ask forgiveness of you all, whom we have justly offended, and do declare, according to our present minds, we would none of us do such things again, on such grounds, for the whole world - praying you to accept of this in way of satisfaction for our offense, and that you would bless the inheritance of the Lord, that he may be entreated for the land.

Thomas Fisk, Foreman
William Fisk
John Bacheler
Thomas Fisk
John Dane
Joseph Evelith

Thomas Pearly, Sr.
John Peabody
Thomas Perkins
Samuel Sayer
Andrew Eliot
Henry Herrick, Sr.

To learn more, visit the Salem & Witchcraft Trials site.

To view photos of the memorials of the women and men executed for witchcraft during the Salem trials, visit the Salem Witches Memorial.

The Salem Witchcraft Papers The complete court documents - verbatim transcripts.

Associated Daughters of Early American Witches. This organization searches for and preserves the names of those accused of witchery in that portion of Colonial America now the United States of America. Another purpose is to locate the living female descendants of all witches who were accused in the American colonies prior to published records of same.

Read about earlier witchcraft trials and executions in the Medieval Sourcebook - Witchcraft Documents of the 15th Century

17th Century Colonial New England With special emphasis on the Salem Witch Trials.

Salem Witch Discussion Group E-mail discussion list with information on subscribing.

National Geographic's Salem Witchcraft Hysteria Interesting site which allows you to take a first-person "virtual tour" as a condemned witch.

Bibliography of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and America Huge list of books on the subject.

Joan's Witch Directory A nice source of information with links to other related sites.

A web page with a complete list of all Known Executed Witches.

"Witch City Documentary" Filmmakers, Joe Cultrera and Bob Quinn have put together a film which takes issue with the commercialization of today's Salem, and reminds us that the Salem witchcraft hysteria which resulted in many deaths was a very tragic episode in our nation's history.

The Witching Hours A starting point for research into the European witch trials of the medieval and Renaissance periods.

DiscoverySchool Guest Expert Series - Salem Witch Trials Brought to you by the Discovery channel, teachers, students and their parents now have the opportunity to ask and get answers to questions on the Salem Witch Trials in order to understand more about this frightening time in history.

Child Witches in Africa

Extracts from Guardian News and Media

Sunday 9th December 2007

'Witch' Burned Alive in Papua New Guinea

Posted Jan 7, 09 4:00 PM CST in World. Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)

Burn the Witch:

The Forfar Witch Hunts of the 1660’s