Long before the infamous Salem Witch Trials during the 1690’s, the origin of heresy and Witchcraft exploded onto the scene of European society from the 12th century. The Roman Catholic Church began to concern itself with forms of heresy and witchcraft from the year 800. However, if one were to try and find sources regarding the persecution of heretics and witches before the year 1000 this search may turn up surprisingly little. This doesn’t necessarily indicate that witchcraft was merely a Medieval invention – nor does it imply that there were not many who were ‘witches’; this could indicate that society was simply less concerned with witches and witchcraft until the 11th Century onward. This coincides with the European fascination of the year 1000 and the much-anticipated apocalypse of the year 1000. Following this, heresy and witchcraft was less considered to be merely a secular crime and more regarded as conversing with the Devil.

In preparation for this, Medieval Society began to reform and renovate monasteries, bishops and to a certain extent the papacy itself. The reform sought to establish a new system of justice and rebuild a Christian society by implementing a more efficient ecclesiastical structure in the hope of detecting any unmentioned dissent. This demand placed greater emphasis on the purity of churches and its inhabitants to save the souls in preparation for the apocalypse. Consequently, society began to purge itself of heretical groups who may otherwise jeopardise the sanctity of others.

The Hollywood conception of witches and their activities tends to perceive them in a more innocent manner. Witches and their craft – in a modern light – are perceived to be riding on broomsticks in the middle of the night, as well as having black cats as companions and cohabiting as equal members of society. Generally, witches are viewed to be an ancient phenomenon that has is no longer considered a valid threat. During the Middle Ages, however, witches and sorcery was as real as gravity is to us now; one must not forget that European society during what is accepted as the ‘Middle Ages’, was an extremely religious society. Ones aim in life was simply to be a devout Christian to prepare for the next life. Anything that presented itself as a threat to the souls of Christians and upsetting the religious and social hierarchy, such as the continued existence of heretics and witches, was severely punished.

The stories surrounding witches were written to include the most abhorrent language according to the established vocabulary of the Middle Ages. These stories were purposely written to sound so offensive and dangerous that all ranks of society would immediately possess a unified hatred of said group of peoples. One such author is Guibert of Nogent who was a Benedictine historian and theologian. Although his works weren’t widely circulated among his contemporaries his memoirs, written in 1115, featured many stories concerning witchcraft and heresy. One of such stories is the activities of heretics and witches in Soissons. Guibert claims that ‘these people’ would meet in cellars of a house, all possessing a lit candle when suddenly someone would shout the word “chaos”. Following this, everyone – regardless of gender or relation – would begin to fornicate with each other. If any woman were to become pregnant because of this process they would meet again once the baby was born and begin to toss the baby over a fire. When the baby died they would then use its ashes to create bread and eat it. Several questions immediately arise from this story, one being “Was Guibert there?” and if so, “What business did he have in that cellar?”. A story such as this would make a modern reader shudder in disgust; so, one can begin to imagine how this story would sound to a person who genuinely believed these activities to be true. Several variations of this story are told from the 10th century onward, however, one key and consistent factor among of these stories is the consuming of infant babies and incestuous activities. When one begins to read the same story repeatedly however subtly different, the consensus appears to concentrate on these witches and, in turn, heretics living in a manner which is deemed to be completely the opposite of how a God-fearing Christian should live during the Middle Ages.

When one begins delving further into the sources regarding the accusations of witchcraft, most of the actions of the men and women who were used as inspiration for these stories appear to be completely innocent. Among the several forms of magic that witches were accused of performing one was the power of healing. To do this, many of these women could have used herbal remedies that may have been passed down for generations. The only way in which people should be healed during the Middle Ages, however, was through the power of prayer and other methods of healing which the Church prescribed to. Naturally, this means that these women were blaspheming and acting against the Church and by extension, God. When one consults other methods of healing that the Church recommended, however, one can begin to see why members of the public began to seek alternative means of healing. For example, when the notorious Black Death engulfed Europe and is estimated to have killed up to 60% of the population, as part of their care the Church recommended ‘bleeding’ or ‘blood-letting’ to rid the body of disease and evil spirits; a method which was passed down from Galen because of the study of the humours of the body. With the advancement of medicinal practice, we can confirm that bleeding, in most cases, was a method which could not have prevented or cured disease and could have advanced its symptoms. Therefore, from the modern perspective, the herbs and remedies which the witches may have prescribed for whatever ailment may have proven a better choice in terms of medicine.

Regarding the methods of punishment for a witch, people usually assume they were burned to death, and one would be correct to assume that this was, mostly, the punishment for all witches. But few people know why this method of punishment was far more symbolic than, for example, hanging. As we have mentioned preciously, the purpose of this life is for the next; one must live accordingly to the Church as a Christian and on the day of Judgement we will resurrect to be judged. If you are nothing but ash you are not, therefore, able to be resurrected. Your eternal punishment for crimes against the Church and God, therefore, was to be burned to death and forbade the right to be resurrected on the day of Judgement and to spend the rest of time in an eternal void.

So how did inquisitional squads and members of the Church decide who and who wasn’t a witch? There are many tactics that were used to determine who was a real witch, however, we shall just embark on discussing a few. One such method was through the touching a burning iron; a suspected witch would be forced to grip a red-hot iron. If the wounds healed within 7 days then you were cleared of all charges. If there was evidence of the burns still on your body then you would be formally sentenced as a witch. Another method is through blemishes on the body. In the modern era, everyone knows someone with a birthmark, or a mole on their body. Inquisitional squads believed that the devil would kiss or fornicate with you and you would be left with a random mark on your body; if you were suspected of witchcraft and you were found to have one of these then you were sentenced as a witch. These are but 2 of the many absurd methods used to decide whether anyone was a witch. It is almost possible to suggest that these methods were merely tools used to predetermine that someone was indeed a witch purely for creating a body of fear in the hope that no one else would involve themselves in the activities of heretics and witches.

Before one begins to criticize the dogma of the Church during the Middle Ages, I must reiterate that whether one believes in superstitions in the present day, witches and their capabilities were a real problem. Ultimately, the purpose of this life, per sources from the Middle Ages, was for the preparation of the next life. Witches were allegedly a threat to the sanctity of everyone’s souls during the Middle Ages. Was the persecution of witches and heretics, therefore, for the benefit of everyone’s souls or a stepping stone used by the Church to establish itself as the overall judicial body to continue its existence?

References:

Ariès, P. (2008). The hour of our death. New York: Vintage Books.

Kieckhefer, R. (2009). Magic in the middle ages. Cambridge u.a.: Cambridge Univ. Pr.

Moore, R. (2008). The first European revolution, c. 970-1215. Malden, Mass: Blackwell.

Russell, J. and Alexander, B. (2007). A history of witchcraft, sorcerers, heretics & pagans. London: Thames & Hudson.