Witchcraft is the practice of magic and sorcery to positively or negatively influence a situation or person, which over time has had an influence on Greek, Buddhist, and Hindu mythology. Although stereotypical concepts of witches still persist in modern media, there is more to the concept than an evil old witch and her black cat practicing black magic.
The term also refers to witch hunts in the early modern period, as well as the modern practice of witchcraft, known as Wicca. The derivation of the word witchcraft comes from the Old English wiccecraeft, meaning the craft of someone who practices witchcraft. Due to different cultural interpretations of the term and its changing meaning over time, it remains problematic to define clearly.
Witch hunts
According to the Malleus Maleficarum, a book written by a Catholic clergyman, Heinrich Kramer, in 1487, witches needed to be tortured and executed. The title of his book translates as The Hammer of Witches, and his work had a major influence on the thinking of the time regarding witchcraft. Alleged sorcerers were accused of entering into pacts with the devil, according to Kramer, along with general beliefs that they killed babies, danced naked, and had orgies.
From the 11th century onwards, witchcraft began to be associated with heresy and evil. In the 14th century, witches were accused of maleficium, meaning malevolent sorcery, along with the additional charge of diablerie. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, witch trials were at their peak, and according to scholars, approximately 12,000 witches were executed in Europe during this period.
In the Americas
The Salem witch trials of 1692-93 are perhaps the best-known account of witch persecution in America. More than 300 people were accused of witchcraft, but surprisingly, only 29 were convicted and executed.
In North America, indigenous tribes, such as the Navajo, are believed to be able to transform themselves into animals when dressed in the skins of dead animals. They are called skin walkers and are capable of performing acts in secret in their alternative form.
In Chile, indigenous people known as Mapuches believe that witchcraft is used to gain an advantage in a situation or conflict or can be used to cause harm through the use of evil forces. Scholars report that the Mapuches have been accused of using witchcraft to destroy the livestock or crops of neighboring tribes.
In Europe
In ancient Roman times, witches were burned alive when their spells caused someone’s death. During the imperial period, which ended around the 4th century AD, Rome was said to be home to many occultists. Although many of the emperors banned magic at that time, they were still known to have a magician and an astrologer in their service, whom they consulted daily.
With the arrival of Christianity in Europe, believers in witchcraft were considered superstitious, and practitioners of this craft became heretics. In the High Middle Ages, after Christianity had begun to take root, a strange combination of magic and Christian practices existed for a time.
Even monks practiced magic, especially in the form of healing with medicinal herbs. Magic was mixed with the healing process through potions and charms. This gave way to the late Middle Ages and the era of witch hunts.
In the Philippines
White and black magic are practiced in the Philippines. Folk magic, called kulam, has its origins in pre-colonial religion and is said to be mixed with Catholicism. One of the islands, Siquijor, is known for its witchcraft even today. The witches of Siquijor prefer to be called traditional healers and are renowned for their psychic and telekinetic abilities.
In Japan
In Japanese culture, the existence of witchcraft is an ancient belief. Witchcraft was blamed for things such as natural disasters, illness, and bad luck. People believed that evil spirits, called tsukimono, took the form of animals and possessed people, resulting in terrible misfortune for those possessed. The fox was the most common animal used in witchcraft. According to scholars, the magical fox may have been owned by a single person or kept as a pet in a family.
Unfortunately, those who had a tsukimono were feared and often ostracized as a result. Since the creature was passed down through the female side of the family, it was almost impossible for women to marry. This may have been a possible reason for them being labeled as witches.
In Russia
Since Russia was one of the last pagan strongholds before the introduction of Christianity, witchcraft has a strong influence on the country’s history and the lives of its people today. People depended on witches for healing the sick, harvest rituals, midwifery, and marriages. The witch’s spells even included keeping their partner faithful and changing shape!
Witches summoned a wolf to perform shape-shifting spells. During witch trials in Russia, three-quarters of those accused were men, and there were no accusations of devil worship, unlike what happened on the witch trails in Western Europe.
In Africa
In Africa, witchcraft is deeply rooted in many regional cultures. One might expect to find traditional diviners or inyanga, witches or thakathi, and traditional healers or sangomas who continue to practice in many countries today. A thakathi is a person who wishes malevolence upon others.
Sangomas and inyanga deal with spiritual and emotional healing, births, deaths, and communication with ancestors. They connect with African cosmology, which includes ancestors and spirits, and act as mediums by communicating with these worlds, usually by entering a trance.
In Central Africa, some cultures believe that diseases such as AIDS are the result of evil magic. Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo are expelled from their homes if accused of witchcraft and subjected to violent exorcisms by false pastors. In Ghana, women suspected of being witches are expelled from their homes and sent to camps where hundreds of other accused witches are held.
According to traditional beliefs in Malawi, a witch can be driven away with money. The country still adheres to a witchcraft act established in colonial times, and some people believe that when witches see money, they strip naked and become confused.
On the African continent, murder by mutilation remains common. Muti refers to the use of human body parts in traditional black magic. The best muti apparently comes from living victims. The victim’s screams supposedly make the organs more powerful. Albinos are frequently killed, as they are believed to provide even more powerful muti.
Modern Witchcraft
Modern witchcraft exists today in the form of Wicca, part of the Neo-Pagan movement. Practitioners draw from ancient pagan beliefs and worship a goddess and a god. The spiritual system asserts a harmonious relationship with nature and believes that there is divinity in all things. Wiccans celebrate the cycles of nature and perform spells to enhance healing, wisdom, love, and harmony.
Witchcraft has existed for over a thousand years, predating organized, monotheistic religions such as Christianity. It has been an intrinsic part of everyday life, providing guidance, healing, protection, communication with spirits, and bringing harmony with nature. This peaceful way of life was only feared under the influence of Christianity, when the perhaps sanctimonious Christian viewpoint labeled witchcraft as evil and heretical.
