Witch-hunting in Early Modern Scotland - A Peasant Movement or Governmental Initiative - BA Major Thesis by Tomáš Zahradníček (2006).pdf - Magia - historia magii - morefaya2006

MasarykUniversity

FacultyofArts

DepartmentofEnglishandAmericanStudies

WitchhuntinginearlymodernScotland:

apeasantmovementorgovernmentalinitiative?

B.A.MajorThesis

ByTomášZahradníček

Supervisor:PhDr.LidiaKyzlinková,M.Litt.

Brno2006

Acknowledgement:

Iwouldliketothankmysupervisor,Dr.LidiaKyzlinkováforhertimeandheradvice.

IdeclarethatIhaveworkedonthisthesisindependently,usingonlythematerialslistedinthe

bibliography.

Contents:

IntroductionÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ...È......4

I. Popular witchcraft-beliefsÈÈÈÈÈ..ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.5

I.1.GeneralBackgroundandDistinctions………………………………..5

II.2. C harmers……………………………………………………….….....6

I.2.1.Ritualsofthecharmers………………………………………9

II. Demonization of the with-beliefs and the Demonic Pact..ÈÈÈÈÈÈ13

III. Witch-hunting and Prosecutions of WitchcraftÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ...È19

III.1.HistoryofWitchhunting………………………………………….19

III.2.TheProcess…………………………………………………….….21

III.3.SocialControl……………………………………………………...30

IV. VictimsÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ..ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ...ÈÈ.32

IV.1.ClassificationoftheScottishWitches…………………….……….32

IV.2.GenderingtheWitches…………………………………………….33

V. Decline of the Witch-huntÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ38

VI. ConclusionÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ42

BibliographyÈÈ.ÈÈÈ...ÈÈÈ..ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.44

Introduction

TheHistoryofearlymodernScotlandwascloudedbyextensivewitchhunting.Inmythesis

IexploretheperiodofScottishwitchhuntingfrom1563,whenwitchcraftofficiallybecame

anoffencedejurepunishablebydeath,to1736,whenitceasedtobeacrime.Ifocusonthe

witchcraftbeliefsinScotland,itspractitionersandhowthesepeoplebecametargetsofthe

prosecutions.Ipayspecialattentiontowhatcausedthewitchhuntsandwhytheyoccurred

whentheydid.I’mnotpresentingthoroughstatistics,discussingindividualtrialsorindividual

panicsindetailsasthiskindofresearchwouldpresentenoughinformationforabook,rather

thanthesis.Instead,IwanttoexploregeneralcontextofScottishwitchhuntingofearly

modernperiodwithaspecialattentiontooneofthisparticularlyintriguingandoften

neglectedaspects.

ThepopularliteratureandmoviessuchasThe crucible(1996)oftenpresenthewitch

huntsaspeasantmovementsdrivenbysuperstitionofcommonfolks.Thisviewisalsoshared

bymanyscholarsadvocatingthebottomupprocessofwitchhunting.Mytaskandmain

themeofthisthesisistopresentaninvertedconcept;onethatexploreswitchhuntinginterms

ofhighlycentralizedgovernmentaloperation.

Idividemyworkintosixchapters.InthefirstchapterIofferabackgroundtoScottish

witchbeliefsoftheperiodexplored.InthesecondchapterIfocusonthedemonizationof

thesepopularbeliefsbytheProtestantChurch.InchapterthreeIdescribethelegalstructure

responsiblefortryingthecrimeofwitchcraft,andtheprocessfromanaccusationtopassing

ofasentence.Chapterfourexploresthenatureofthetargetsofthewitchpanicsandthefifth

howthewitchpanicscametoanend.TheSixthchapteroffersaconclusionandasummaryof

thepointsImadethroughoutmythesis.

I.PopularWitchcraftbeliefs

I.1.GeneralBackgroundandDistinctions

Theideaofwitchcraftisnotuniversalinprimitiveorpreindustrialsocieties,butitiswidely

present.Inattempttoidentifyauniversalelementofwitchcraftinsuchavarietyofcultures

acrosstimeandspace,Larnerdefineswitchcraftasanevilpower.Furthermorethispoweris

distinguishedfromphysicalforceoranyothermechanismornaturalphenomenonwithinthe

technologicalunderstandingofthesocietyconcerned.Witchcraftisasupernaturalevilandits

practitionerswerethereforeevilpersons.(Larner,7)

AbeliefintheexistenceofthefiguretraditionallyunderstoodasawitchintheEnglish

languagecanbefoundineveryinhabitedcontinentoftheworld.RonaldHuttoninhisessay

The global context of the Scottish with-huntidentifiesfivegeneralfactorsofthisfigurethat

haveacertaindegreeofuniversalitydespiteoftensignificantdifferencesbetweenculturesand

theirideologies.First,itisapersonwhousessupernaturalpowerstocausemisfortuneor

injurytoothers.Second,thepersonusuallyharmsneighborsorkinratherthanstrangers.

Third,thispersonworksnotforstraightforwardmaterialgainbutfromenvyormalice.Heor

sheiseitherinherentlyevilorpossessedbyevilforce.Fourth,theappearanceofsuchafigure

isnotanisolatedevent.Thewitchworksinatradition,eitherbyinheritance,trainingor

initiation.Fifth,thispersoncanbeopposedbyusingcountermagic,orbyforcinghimorher

torevoketheirownmagic,orbyeliminatinghimorherdirectly.(Hutton,4)

Ofcourse,thereisanumberoffactorsthatmodifytheseconstantcharacteristicssuch

associalstatus,gender,whetherheorsheworksasanindividualorasapartofasecret

society,actsdeliberatelyorinvoluntarilyandothervariables.Itisvirtuallyimpossibletofind

Witch-hunting in Early Modern Scotland - A Peasant Movement or Governmental Initiative - BA Major Thesis by Tomáš Zahradníček (2006).pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: