Witch-hunt

First of all, let me mention some facts about the background of witch-persecution. A witch-hunt was traditonally a search for witches or evidence of practising witchcraft, which could lead to a witchcraft trial involving the accused person. I must start with woman-hating, which played significant role in that time. The persecution itself lasted from the 15th to the 18th century. The bull of Pope Innocent VIII contained at first that witchcraft must be sentenced to death. It is also related to the reigious wars. During the witchhunt, more than 200 thousand innocent men, women, children, and sometimes animals were burnt at stake, because of being accused of witchcraft.

For another thing, let me speak some words about witches in Hungary. Firstly, I must mention the famous witchlaw of Coloman Beauclerk. This law declared that there aren’t witches so people didn’t need to deal with them. However, in the centuries of the Habsburg Empire, two large witch-hunting waves happened. Altogether there were 1000 Hungarian witchcraft trial. The last burning of witch was in 1756 in Hungary. Maria Theresa forbade these procedures.

Anyway, who were the witches? 99% of the accused and murdered persons weren’t real witches, but they were decent christian people who were suspect due to their beauty, interest, or profession. At this point I mean women who dealt and healed with herbs.

The darkest secret of the persecution wasn’t the sadism, but the benefit. In other words, they killed people with the charge of witchcraft in order to take away their wealth. It often occured that the whole family was evicted when one member of the family was accused of witchcraft. Usually, the benefit was divided in that way that, the Vatican got 1/3, the local inquisitor recevied 1/3 and the city assembly got 1/3. However it may sound incredible, the expenses of the prison and the court of justice must be paid by the relatives.

As regards the ordeal, it had sufficiant role, when they weren’t certain about the the guilt of the accused person. The base of it is that, what human can’t decide, God will know it. Let me list some ordeals that they used. Firstly, there was the water-ordeal when you were fastened and thrown into the river. If you came up to the surface, you were guilty. Secondly, the oreal by fire, which meant that you had to bring a burning-hot iron for a few step. If the wound started to heal in a few days, you were innocent. It’s an interesting fact, that the hand of some serfs was so callous that the hot iron didn’t hurt it. Similarly, the noble could substitute himself with somebody who brought the iron. Thirdly, there was also an ordeal, that a disgusting something was cooked and if you could eat it, that you didn’t vomit, you were innocent. Finally, nobles had the possibility to fight a duel as an ordeal.

In conclusion, more people were executed by witch-hunting than in the first World War. It was the most intensive int he second half of the 15th century. Witches live nowadays as well, but the society doesn’t really believe in them, neither persecute them.