Why was the high time of the witchesburnings in the years 1600 to 1699 and how d

Question:Hello,

why was the high time of most witches process and executions with fire in the years 1600 to 1699, a time when America was discoverd the second time, new science appeared, new understanding, philosphy, etc. Shouldn`t had the timespirit led to LESS executions instead of MORE?

And what was the protestants attidude against witches. I know Martin Luther was against witches, but maybe in countires with most lutherian confession less executions or didn`t had it any affect?

And how does the roman-catholic church conscience to judge witches by clerical courts, but let done killing by secular executors???

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Hello,

why was the high time of most witches process and executions with fire in the years 1600 to 1699, a time when America was discoverd the second time, new science appeared, new understanding, philosphy, etc. Shouldn`t had the timespirit led to LESS executions instead of MORE?

And what was the protestants attidude against witches. I know Martin Luther was against witches, but maybe in countires with most lutherian confession less executions or didn`t had it any affect?

And how does the roman-catholic church conscience to judge witches by clerical courts, but let done killing by secular executors???

No witches were ever burned in the US.

The answer to your question is rather complex actually.

Lets start with a fundamental misconception: The bible (at least, the original writings) never said "witch". They said Apothecaria, which translated to "poisoner". (Never suffer... live).

So, somewhere along the line, that got translated into "witch".

The Church used the term "witch" to confiscate lands and property, and that movement peaked in the time period you are referring to, along with the Spanish Inquisition, burning/torturing of heretics, and the like. It can probably be explained, at least partially, by a confluence of mass conversion (by force if necessary), paranoia, and a move by the Church to gain wealth.

You have to remember, at the time, the Church was not just a figurehead sitting in Rome like it is now. It had armies, waged wars, and ruled an Empire. (read about Pope Julius sometime, or the Hapsburg Empire).

"witch" was an extremely easy term to throw at someone, and one impossible to "disprove" if questioned. Much like "communist" in the 40's during the McCarthy era, it was an easy accusation to take out your political, business, or other enemy. People were encouraged to turn in their friends, family, etc.

Probably the most famous of American WItch hunts was Salem, which was sparked by a couple of kids lying about where they were and what they were doing, so they wouldn't get in trouble. (Read: The Crucible).

In reality, there are many reasons that people have been mistreated under the label of "witch" over the years, and there is probably an entire college career worth of study involved in really understanding the minutiae of the situation.

The main period of the witch trials in Europe was from 1450-1750, with the peak period being from the 1580s-1620s. The witch trials declined during the later part of the 17th century.

In America, the Salem witch trials in 1693 were the largest ever held, with the largest ever number of executions, twenty people altogether. Before that time, there had been only 16 executions for witchcraft altogether in New england. In america, as in England, witches were hanged, not burnt.

Whether in Europe or America, courts were generally reluctant to try witches, because of the difficulty of obtaining proof. Overall, about 50% of those put on trial for witchcraft were acquitted. Witch hunts generally occured at times when there were outbreaks of diseases, bad harvests, and other misfortunes that led to people looking for scapegoats to blame for their situation. People were usually accused of witchcraft by people in their own community. The greatest number of both accusers and accused overall were women, though in some areas there were more men charged than women.

Witch hunts occured in both Catholic and Protestant countries. The largest number of executions for witchcraft were in Germany. Some Catholic countries like Italy and Spain had a very low number of witchcraft trials. 'The church' was not responsible for witch hunts, which usually occured at a local level.