Richard Chao

November 1, 2008
P. 4

Witches DBQ

From the Middle Ages onward until the 1700s, a witch craze ran rampant throughout

Europe. Witches were isolated and persecuted, mostly with torture. Over 100,000 “witches” were

tried, with most of the number concentrated in southeastern Europe. They were viewed

negatively with their perceived connection with the Devil, and many punishments and sanctions

were imposed on the accused. Three major reasons for the persecution of witches were religion,

the social tendencies and prejudices of the people, and the peoples economic greed.

The witch craze took place between 1480-1700, encompassing both the Protestant and

Catholic Reformations. The religious philosophies and the influence of the prevalent religious

leaders of the time played a crucial role in the progression of the accused. Religion dominated

the time period and it’s easy to see how many opinions were shaped by the religion.

In Document B3, religious icon Martin Luther preaches that witches are “the Devil’s

whores who…torture babies in their cradles…force people into love and immortality.” He then

states that the Devil himself is capable of doing these by himself, but chooses to use humans to

carry out his dastardly deeds. As he was a very influential leader, we know that he shaped the

thoughts and beliefs of his followers, and this would cause them to believe in the same mindset

that he possessed. This would cause many to question people around them and if they’re

possessed or not. Likewise, John Calvin, another major power in Religion during this period,

stated that the witches were “great armies, which wage war against us…we have to wage war

against an infinite number of enemies.” (Document B4). Even the most influential power in

politics, the Pope (Pope Innocent VII), stated in his “The Witch Bull”, that the people should

“remove all impediments…..to exercise their office of inquisition and to proceed to the
correction…punishment of the aforesaid persons for their said offences and crimes” (Document

B2). The fact that the highest ranking power in religion acknowledged the existence of witches

led to the whirlwind of accusation and pandemonium.

Ultimately, all three religious leaders had a strong influence on the people’s beliefs. They

are obviously biased towards their cause, and therefore are not necessarily believable or reliable

in their observations. They basically scared the people in order to gain loyalty and a following.

Their effect is exhibited in Document B5, a diary entry of a young Protestant boy, dated in the

late 16th Century. He basically states his fears of the devil and hell, as a result of the beliefs

instilled into his head by religion. This is reliable because a diary entry generally shows true

emotions and beliefs.

Socially, we see that Europe held many prejudices, mostly against older women. In

Documents D1, D2, and D3, we can derive that most of the accused were poor (laborers and

farmers, D1), elderly (D3), females (D2). The studies are definitely reliable as they are academic

studies of the time period. About 80% of the accused were women, and most were over 55 years

of age, showing that they were powerless. In Document C1, W. Fulhecke states that “The bodies

of aged persons are impure…by the Devil whetted for such purpose to the…destruction of

others”. Kramer and Sprenger, two Dominican Monks, took it a step further and stated that

women are the target because they are weaker and are formed at the very core from sin

(Document B1). These both show the obvious bias towards women, especially the elderly. The

accusations towards the witches mainly occurred as a result of the people observing the

unexpected or unknown. For example, in Document A1, Walpurga Hausmannin, a midwife and

widow, was tortured into confessing to lust, adultery, and death of her children. As a result of the

children dying, the people immediately suspected witchcraft. This testimony is not very reliable

as she was tortured and when people are tortured, they have a tendency to lie. Also, in Document
A4, we see that the accused also purportedly cured ailments through the use of charms and

magic, baseless observations that led to the death of many accused.

The economic aspect to the witch trials was also apparent. In Document A2, the canon

Linden, from Trier, Germany, tells of how people used the trials for financial gain. He wrote that

“The movement was promoted by many in office, who hoped for wealth from the persecution”,

and “the executioner rode…like a noble of the court…clad in gold and silver…the children of

those convicted and punished…their goods were confiscated.” This showed that people of high

position used the trial for their own monetary greed, and also to gain goods. This was shown in

Document A7, where the mayor of Bamberg, Germany, Johannes Junius, was jailed and forced

and wrote a letter to his daughter. He was tortured and lied in order to prevent the torture. His

social status definitely made him a target, and this could be seen as a major motivator. The

judges also were under pressure, as evidenced in Document A6. Roger North, the brother of the

chief justice in Exeter England, stated that if a judge questioned the “opinion” of the public, he

himself would be accused. Both these sources are reliable because the canon Linden was an

eyewitness and a member of clergy, who surely had many connections and knew much about his

surroundings.

Ultimately, the witch craze was started and continued as a result of people’s beliefs at the

time. Their philosophies were greatly influenced by religion, the social climate of the time, and

economic greed. These three factors all contributed to the death of over 100,000 innocent people

between 1480 and 1700.