Witchcraft

It is a delicious word, don't you agree?  'Witchcraft' is one of those words that stokes the imagination, tantalizes the mind and stirs up stereotypes like potions in a bubbling cauldron!  Anyone reading this page is likely familiar with the stock definition of the word. Witchcraft simply means 'craft of the wise.'   Most people don't have trouble with the 'craft' part of the word.  It is the "wise" part that makes them pause and scratch their heads.  "What does that mean exactly?" they ask.  Well, 'witch' comes from the word wicca or wicce, meaning "wise."  The wise man or woman knew the secrets of medicinal herbs and natural remedies, said remedies often being superior to the methods of the university trained physicians of the time.

The old wise ones, aka "witches," were women more often than not.  This means they had two strikes against them.  First, they had country smarts and knowledge doctors did not.  This naturally put them at odds and in competition with their educated "betters."  Second, they were women, the inferior "weaker sex."  Add to that the hyper-superstitious religious atmosphere of medieval times and these poor 'cunning folk' were prime targets for accusations that their superior know-how came from ~ you guessed it ~ the Devil!  In fact, any teaching not approved by the Church was viewed with great suspicion.

It was easy to demonize these humble country people.  They couldn't read and even if they somehow managed to learn, books were rare and very costly.  It was all most people could do to keep enough clothes on their bodies and food in their bellies.  More sophisticated people of the time tended to live in or near the cities and towns.  They looked down upon the so-called simpletons and backward minded inhabitants of the countryside.  The cultural divide between Christians and non-Christians was growing ever wider. Most country folks worshiped the old gods in the old ways.  These were the gods of nature, the moon and the sun.  They honored the spirits of the trees and rivers, the great forces of air, fire, water and earth.  Nowadays some people might call them country bumpkins and hillbillies.  The ancients had a name for their own non-Christian country folk.  They called them "paganus" or "Pagans," a word meaning "country dweller."  Like our modern word hillbilly, pagan was a derogatory term used to indicate this person was somehow less educated or beneath your station.  In time the word pagan as well as witch, together with related words like wizard, and shaman became inseparably connected with magick, demonic knowledge and Devil worship!  All thanks to a Christian Church that did not hesitate to propagandize its parishioners using misinformation, lies and the threat of an eternity burning in the ultra-hot fires of Hell!

On this page we'll see various forms of Witchcraft considered.  Feel free to comment and add to the discussion.