Sneaky, Creepy, Freaky.

 Witchcraft and its relation as an agent of the powerful.

For a long span of time, and through out various different times in history, accusations of witchcraft have been flung over and over again. The targets of such accusations being mainly woman- yet another way in which societies have undermined women and placed them at a level below that of men. As you might know, it was specially during this time that women, most of them single and independent women that were looked down upon by society.. Of these women, I think it was mainly those of lower classes that had no real importance or way of defending themselves, that were accused. The possibility of maybe some single slightly successful women being accused and condemned by men of power that saw them as threats, is also quite possible because, who wants a woman, someone of a lesser sex and intelligence, to be successful and maybe take away the spotlight of a powerful male??

Although I wasn’t part of the group that was assigned to read the reading on witchcraft, from the activity we did in class of sharing ideas on the readings done, I was able to get an idea of the reading itself from the sharing my partner did, and from what I was able to hear from other group's conversations. I came to a point of general understanding on the subject and to the conclusion that the trials of witchcraftery were used as a form of demonstration of power. So if this was the case, who held the power? The judges, the ones with the ability to condemn and to accuse and to decide who was and who wasn’t under the influence of the demonic possessions of souls, under the control of the devil, and what not. They had their way one way or another, with no limiting to their decisions. I think that this is one of those things that can be seen time and time again among the characteristics considered in one way or another as a form of acquiring and maintaining power, the act of having the final and only word. From what I understood, witchcraft trials seemed to be almost inaccurate and unjust. From my knowledge on such trials, or lack thereof, I know that in some cases, if one agreed to repent their sins and confess to the world of their role in serving the devil, they would be let off the hook, otherwise, they would be executed by burning at the stake, hanging until dead, etc. But what is the point of this?  To be honest, I don't know. Maybe it’s just to show that these actions are possible and that proof is only existent in the head of the believer of such accusations. While in this post, I am not neglecting nor denying the existence of people of such magical powers; it was the case that in these trials, those killed were more often than not, innocent.

So what is the relation between witchcraft and power? Easy. Magic. You can’t prove something you cannot deny. You can’t accuse powerful men of lying without being told it is the devil inside you saying so. You cannot live without succumbing to the humiliation of having million ignorant people believe you a confessed witch, and few knowledables knowing you lied. The idea of wichcraftery is an idea brought upon by the religion and those powerful in the religion as a form of almost brainwashing the public with fear and hate and as a solution to confusing events or unsuspected success.