Witchcraft

1. Witchcraft History, superstitions, fears and prejudice

2. Definition of a Witch According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary 1:one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; especially: a woman practicing usually black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar : sorceress— compare worlock 2:an ugly old woman : Hag 3:a charming or alluring girl or woman 4:a practitioner of Wicca http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witch

3. What are some stories of Witchcraft you are familiar with? Is a “Fairy Godmother” different from a “Witch”? Why? Are witches always bad? Hansel and Gretel of Grimm’s Fairy Tales

4. A Brief Overview of the History of Witchcraft The trials in Salem were a specific example of a worldwide hysteria. The witch was a respected member of the community in more primitive times (to 1000 A.D.), and they were valued, not feared, since they helped ease pain and healed people and their animals. The fear factor came much later. Witches were feared because they could do things that the majority of other people could not do (Glass, 19). For example, witches used hypnosis to make childbirth pain free. The Christian Church taught that such powers could only come from the Devil. Telepathy, faith healing, pre-cognition, clairvoyance, and astral-traveling was all part of witchcraft in the past, as was the knowledge of plants and healing herbs. In primitive times religion and magic were virtually the same. Priests were magicians and magicians were priests.

5. Native American Midewiwin Congregations of healers in Native American tribes. Are sometimes called “Shaman” but that is a term that was not used by Native people and can be considered offensive by Native American tribes. It was often believed that they could cure the sick, locate game, or see the future. They could prescribe specific plants that could be worn by the afflicted in a medicine pouch that would ask for the mercy and protection of the four sacred directions as well as the protection of the Great Spirit to heal the sick or wounded. A religious leader who knows about both the spirit world and herbal remedies.

6. African Witch Doctor Originally a healer who treated ailments caused by witches. Today the term is usually used to refer to third-world healers who use traditional healing methods to heal the ill rather than contemporary medicine. In Africa, Shamans were first referred to as “Witch Doctors” in 1836 by Robert Montgomery Martin. It is not considered the correct term for a healer among African tribes. In Africa, the tahkathi, is a spiteful person who uses powers to cause harm to others. A Sangoma, similar to a fortune teller, detects illness and predicts the future. The inyanga(sometimes mistaken for a witch doctor) heal illness and injury.

7. Japanese Kitsune-tsukai and Kitsune-mochi Witches in Japan were known to employ animals such as snakes and foxes as their familiars. These animals were bribed to do the witches bidding. In Japanese folklore foxes had the ability to change shape, create allusions, and posses human forms. The fox its-self is not a fearful creature, but it’s abilities are fearful. Once in the control of a human the fox can become a fearful creature because of the way the human uses the foxes’ power. The Tale of the Grateful Foxes

8. Family spirits are often called Louaand can come to people in dreams and show their displeasure by making people sick. Haitian Voodou The word for voodoo does not exist in rural Haiti A religious system that is a combination of voodouloa(spirits) became interchangeable with various Catholic saints. Adherents of Voodoo consider themselves Roman Catholic. They have a strong connection to their ancestors. They distinguish between service to their family spirits and the practice of magic and/or sorcery. Many believe that Loua can take over the bodies of children. They are also known to cause trances in adults when they show themselves. The Loua of one family cannot help or hurt people belonging to another family Spelled Voodou or Voodoo

9. History of European Witchcraft