Witches

Referat
SCHLöGL Yvonne Witches Inhalt: The history of Witchhunt Important things to know about witches The ethics of Love Spells What is Witchcraft? Is Witchcraft the same as Wicca? The Sabbats of Wicca The Pentagram 1. The history of Witchhunt The word witch comes from the Old English verb wiccian meaning : to practise sorcery. By this definition there have been sorcerers in all times. Graeco-Roman law prescribed severe penalties for witches, and at the height of Roman Empire witchcraft was as feared on the frontiers as the marching legions themselves. The coming of Christianity failed to erase the fear altogether, and it was probably during the 7th and 8th centuries that the belief in the witch´s ability to fly was established, though the Romans had thought that certain women had the power to turn themselves into owls and fly through the air to do mischief. In the 9th century the Church passed an edict declaring these beliefs to be an illusion and condemning those who mistakenly believed in the power of sorcerers. This rational confidence of the Church authorities lasted until the 13th century. But at the popular level the belief seems to have grown rather than faded. In 1307 the Knights Templar, one of the most famous crusading orders of chivalry, were accused of heresy and the practice of magic and devil worship by Philip IV of France. Many of them were tortured and executed and their great wealth was confiscated. Thereafter in the belief that witches worshipped Satan at their ...