By the Dot.Coms

1. By the Dot.Coms

2. WHO WERE THEY? Really, anybodycouldv’ebeen a witchin Elizabethan timesbutwomen were mostlyaccused of biengwitches. There were 270 Elizabethan witchtrials and 247 were women and only 23 were men. The peoplewho were usuallyaccused of witchcraft were : • Old • Poor • Unprotectedbyfamily/friends • Singlewomenorwidows • SometimesSuccesful

3. WHO WERE THEY - CONTINUED InElizabethantimes, menruledwomen. Womenschances to attend the doctorswere minimal sotheyusuallylooked ill andwitch-like. Womenwereexpected to growherbsmedicinesfor the doctors wich included; canabis, mandrake, datura, monkshood, cannabis, belladonna, henbaneandhemlock. Sincewitchesweretakenasseriouslyaspoliticsaretakennow, ifsomeone had somekind of proofthatsomeone was a witch, theywouldusually be believed! Shakespeare andWitches Somepeopleused to question is Shakespeare himself was a witch, sincehe was a verysuccesfulplay-write. Theyused to thinkthat his success was an act of witchcraft.

4. What powers were they supposed to have? • During the Elizabethan era, it was believed that there were two kinds of Witches – good and bad. The good were known as White Witches, and the bad were known as Black Witches. The White Witches were capable of healing people of their ailments through the use of herbs. The Black Witches were usually seen as those who used their powers to inflict harm on people, animals, and properties. During that time, people accused of being Witches were usually, the unprotected, dirty or filthy women, the poor women and widows. Some widows were accused of killing their husbands!

5. Whatpowersweretheysupposed to have - continued • Witchesingeneralwerepsycholigicalyidentifiediftheycouldfly ( ormovequicklyaccross long distances ), beingan ‘oldhag’, livingalone, keepinganimalssuchas a cat, frog, goat, raven, pig orcrow. • Ifwomenwhowereaccused of being a Witchowned a black cat, peoplebelievedthattheywoulddicsuisethemselves INSIDE their cat! • Witcheswereexecutedifany of thesereasonsmadepeoplebelievethattheywereWitches. Peoplewouldaccusewomen of beingWitchesifthere had beenrecentstorms, cropfailureorothernaturaldisasters.

6. Pictures of theirpowers

7. Whathappened to the Witches? InElizabethantimes, ifyouwereaccused of being a witch, therewereseriousconsequences. The menwereprobablythenluckiestbecausepeople at the timewereverybiased, andusuallyaccusedwomen of beingwitchesinstead of men. Usually, the womenwhowereaccusedweresingleandkeptpetsforcompany, the animalsarethought to havebeenhelpfulandwereinvolvedinwitchcraft. Onewoman, , Elizabeth Francesadmitted to being a witchbecauseshegave a Black cat to her daughterand called itSathan, Whensheadmitted to being a witch, she was hungand her daughter was injailforoneyear. At the time, peopletookWitchesveryseriouslyastheywerethought to havecausedanillness, plottedmurderandmany more.

8. Whathappened to the witches - continued • Sometimes, the peoplewhowereaccused of beingwitcheswereheldunderwater, andifshedrowned, thenshewouldhavebeenfalselyaccused. But, ifshesurvived, she was a witchand had to be killed. Also, some of themaccusedweretied to a stakeandburntalive. Also, aswitcheswereoftenllyaccused of murder, andiftheywerefoundguilty, peoplehangedthem. Giles Corey, was a man who was accused of being a witch was strippednakedand was crushed to deathbystones. The processtook 2 days. At firstsixmen led him down andlifteduprocksand placed themon to him. Ashewouldntadmitbeing a witch, the mentoldhimeveryhour to admitbeing a witchbuteverytimehereplied; • ‘’MORE WEIGHT!’’ andeventually, hedied

9. What did theylooklike? Witchesare a commondressupforhalloween, wich includes a blackcloak, pointyhat, wartsand a atatchablepointy long crockednoseand not forgetting the broomstick. Becauseshakespearewroteplaysaboutwitcheshe was aloud to makeupanythingscaryenough to scarepeople. Inthosedayspeoplewouldbelieveinwhattheyheardandseenonstage, soShakepeare was able to makethingsup wich everyonewillbelievein.

10. QI – Quiteinterestingfacts QI: QuiteInterestingFactsAboutElizabethanwitches Factno◦ 1 A lot of peoplethoughtthatwitchesexisted. Theyweresofrightenedthaytheystarted a witchfinderagency to findwhatpeoplecomplained to be witches. Peoplewerescared at the thought of witchesthatifsomeonecomplainedthattheyknew a witch, the witchfindeswould go andcapture the so called Witchandeitherburnthemor do otherhorriblethings to ‘witches’. Factno◦ 2 Witchesweretakenveryseriouslyin the Elizabethanera, ifyouwereblamedforbeingawitchyouwerealmostcertinlygoing to dietheseare the whatthey did to inocentpeopleinthaterawhowereblamed of beingwitches: Theywereburnedalive, putin the stocks And had peoplethrowrotten fod at you, putinjailforlifeandmanyotherthings.

11. QI - Continued QI: QuiteInterestingFactsAboutElizabethanwitches Factno◦ 1 A lot of peoplethoughtthatwitchesexisted. Theyweresofrightenedthaytheystarted a witchfinderagency to findwhatpeoplecomplained to be witches. Peoplewerescared at the thought of witchesthatifsomeonecomplainedthattheyknew a witch, the witchfindeswould go andcapture the so called Witchandeitherburnthemor do otherhorriblethings to ‘witches’. Factno◦ 2 Witchesweretakenveryseriouslyin the Elizabethanera, ifyouwereblamedforbeingawitchyouwerealmostcertinlygoing to dietheseare the whatthey did to inocentpeopleinthaterawhowereblamed of beingwitches: Theywereburnedalive, putin the stocks And had peoplethrowrotten fod at you, putinjailforlifeandmanyotherthings.

12. The laws Lawscreateddue to Witches Witcheswerehunted down andsentenced to deathby a hangingorbyburning to death. All sorcery, spellcastings, charmsetcweremadeillegal. The catholicchurchclaimedanyonewho had knowledge of herbsthat can help clear did sowith a pactwith the devil – andwereburnedalive. Anyonewhocouldcommunicatewithspiritswereconsidered a witch. A witchwhocommited a minor act weresentenced to 1 yearinprison. Witchcraft was considered a pettytreason.