by Kylie Fox

Created on: October 07, 2008

Medieval Europe considered witchcraft to be a very real crime and those convicted of engaging in it, more often than not women, usually suffered the death penalty. Significant peaks in the persecution of witchcraft historically follow periods of serious tension and disarray in society, reflecting society's inclination to mass hysteria when under pressure.

Three major peaks in the persecution of witchcraft in Europe followed first, the Crusades, where contact with Eastern religions resulted in a fear of heretic influences; second, the Black Death (plague) where it was commonly believed that Satanic witchcraft was responsible and; third, the sectarian rivalries and escalation of religious intolerance during the Renaissance and Reformation.

In England, this third peak was heightened by the tensions bought about by Civil War in the 1640's. England's only mass witch-hunt occurred in East Anglia in 1645 - 1647, a crusade which would ultimately see in excess of 250 people being tried as witches and at least 100 of those being hanged. (It's important to note that the widespread view of witches having been burned at the stake was common throughout Europe but not used in England - English witches were hanged not burnt.)

Witchcraft has long been present in the folklore of European culture however, the idea of witches being magical practitioners in league with the devil to whom they owe their evil powers, was not established until the witch trials in Switzerland in 1427. It was during this era that the "Malleus Maleficarum" (The Hammer of Witches) was published, detailing a code of procedure for the detection and punishment of witches. This document was relied upon heavily in the subsequent which trials in England more than two centuries later.

According to this document, and essential to prosecuting persons accused of witchcraft were five basic principles.

MALEFICIA The Latin term to describe individuals in possession of extraordinary and mysterious powers to perform evil deeds. Characteristically this meant that these deeds were magical, not religious; and harmful not beneficial.

PACT WITH THE DEVIL Witches were said to have entered into a pact with the devil, empowering her to perform maleficia and initiating her into the Devil's service. It was believed that the Devil would leave a distinctive mark on the witch's body as a sign of allegiance. This pact enabled the Church to punish the witch for heresy as it was a renunciation of the Christian faith.

THE WITCH"S SABBATH It

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