Paper Topic:

Witches

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Witches

I . Introduction

Witchcraft is the practice of magic by a person known as witch . When used for evil purposes this magic is called black magic , or sorcery when used for good purposes , it is called white magic . Person who practice witchcraft believe (or pretend to believe ) that they have supernatural powers . At one time the term witch was applied to both men and women , but eventually the name came to be used almost exclusively for women . In Great Britain and the United States

, a male witch is usually called a warlock , sometimes a sorcerer or wizard (Alderman 2001

The most common concept of a witch is that of a woman who exercises supernatural power through the aid of the devil or evil spirits . She has the power to cast harmful spells (or hexes ) on persons , who are then said to be bewitched . Such persons may go into convulsions , be afflicted with boils or a dread disease , or suffer some other harm . She also has the ability to fly , to disclose future events , or hidden matters , to transform herself , and to conjure (summon up by incantation ) any object she wishes . Each witch is thought to belong to a coven , a band of 13 witches (Bird , 2003

This intent to prove the witches really exist in the past and up to the present

II . Background

A . Witchcraft in the Past

The belief in witchcraft is both ancient and widespread . The ancient Egyptians believed in witches . Witchcraft was practiced in Israel although forbidden by Hebrew law . Witchcraft also existed among the ancient Romans , despite laws against it

In Europe

The early Christian church soon identified witchcraft with heresy , and condemned its practices as survivals of pagan evil . After 1258 one of the duties of the Inquisition was to suppress witchcraft . In 1484 , Pope Innocent VIII issued a bull directing that witches be put to death During the 16th century , the movement against witchcraft reached its greatest intensity , with Roman Catholics and Protestants competing with each other in the display of antiwitchcraft zeal (Guiley , 1999 . It is estimated that 300 ,000 European women were put to death as witches between 1484 and 1782 , the year the last official death sentence was put into effect . Most who died were persons innocent of any attempt to practice witchcraft by their enemies . A few of the victims actually believed they were witches

Persecution of witches was especially prevalent in England in the mid-1600 . It is estimated that at least 150 supposed witches met their deaths at the hands of the authorities during a six-month period in 1645 (Harrison , 2000

During the Middle Ages , it was thought that witches met with the devil on certain nights , called sabbats or witches ' sabbaths , to reaffirm loyalty to him , plan evil deeds , and revel until dawn . On sabbats , the devil was reputed to conduct the Black mass , a parody of the Christian Mass

In America

The campaign against witchcraft spread to America , reaching its peak...

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