In the Levack readings on pages 134-140, 163-165, and 175-182, the major factor that he points to in the causation of witch-hunts is the changing economic landscape in which Europe found itself at the time. The transition from the traditional feudalistic rurally based economies in Europe began to transition to a somewhat proto-capitalist economy caused massive amounts of social unrest. This compounded with plague outbreaks, climate change, and famine created a perfect storm for witch accusations and belief in the supernatural. The demographics and population distribution at the time helped to contribute to witch-hunts in certain areas as well. Most witch hunts took place in rural villages suspicious of outsiders where most people knew everyone else and those disliked were hard to ignore (Levack 137). Interestingly enough the few urban areas that existed at the time had a disproportionate number of people accused of practicing witchcraft. In Poland and Finland Levack gives the example that even though no more than five percent of the population of either country was urban in Poland nineteen percent of accused witches came from urban areas while in Finland an even larger twenty-six percent of witches came from urban areas. This is attributed by Levack to the use of sorcery for political gain which was something of little use in villages, that cities were more affected by the changing style of economy, and the fact it is easy to whip up a town or city in hysteria over witch-craft where people don't know each other and panic can spread quickly.
What do you think of witches-hunts being a potential byproduct of the the origination of capitalism? Or what do you think of the standard perception of the village witch may be less true than previously thought?
That's a really interesting question. I think that you can actually see correlation between this new rising economy and the witch-hunts. As you pointed out the suspects of the witch-hunts weren't very well revered and were likely not affluent. Where as the Inquisitors and those at the top of the socioeconomic chain were doing all the persecuting. Capitalism is typically seen as a top down system and in the witch-hunts that is what we see, the top going after the bottom.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to consider that witches came from more populous areas, but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. If there are more people in an area, of course there would be more witches accused. Also, if you're in a larger population, you would be more inclined to basically send someone to their grave because you don't know them very well. The nature of capitalism is such that it breeds a sense of competition and for some, a sense of greed. Since the idea of witches were so well laid out, it seems pretty simple to successfully accuse someone else of witchcraft, especially if you were in a position of power like the executioner mentioned in Witch Craze who used his influence to essentially murder a midwife that he felt didn't come assist his wife in birth on purpose.
ReplyDeleteGood second question. Social control through the Reformation and changing economy is good to think about here, and that's what the urban environment does well in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. During the Reformation, esp. in Germany, cities shift towards controlling religion.
ReplyDelete