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HowtoStartaWitchHunt

byIsabelleFrancke

Etymology
AccordingtotheOxfordEnglishDictionary,thewordwitchmeans
awomansupposedtohave
dealingswiththedevilorevilspiritsandtobeablebytheircooperationtoperformsupernatural
acts.Thewordwasfirstdocumentedin1000CE.ItcomefromtheOldEnglish
wicce
,which
itselfisderivedfromanOldEnglishverbmeaningtoenchantorusesorcery.

Thewordhunt(asanoun)meanstheactofchasingwildanimalsforthepurposeofhuntingor
killingthemthechase.Alloftheformsofthewordhuntcanalsobetracedbackto1000CEas
theOldEnglishword
huntian.
(hunt,n.2.)

Sobothwordsoriginatedabout1000yearsagoandbothcomefromOldEnglish.Their
definitionshavenoconnection.Butwhencombined,theyproduceaphrasethathasbeenusedto
describeaprocedurethathasabodycount.Thephrasewitchhuntmeanseitheraliteralsearch
forwitchesorAsinglemindedanduncompromisingcampaignagainstagroupofpeoplewith
unacceptableviewsorbehaviour,especiallyoneregardedasunfairormaliciouspersecution.
(witchhuntn.)Bothareimportantforunderstandinghowwitchhuntsbecamesoprominentin
ourlanguageandsociety.

History
ThefirstEuropeanwitchtrialsbeganinthe15thcentury.Periodsofwitchhunthysteriausually
cameafterdisasters,asthefrightenedpeoplewouldsearchforascapegoat.Thesetimesofterror
cameandwentinwaves,withnoperiodlastinglongerthanseveraldecades.Contrarytopopular
belief,witchtrialswereimpartialtoageandgender.Insomecountriesitistruethatmore
womenwereconvictedthanmen,butinmany,atleastinEurope,menwereconvictedasoftenor
evenmorethanwomen.Witchescouldbesentencedtodeathwithoutanycredibleprooffor
allegedlydancing,feasting,havingorgies,eatingbabies,andvisitingvictimsinthenighttohurt
themwhiletheyslept.Supposedlythewitcheswoulddothisinsecretmeetingscalledsabbaths
orsynagogues.TheconnectiontoJudaismisnotcoincidental.Muchofthemythofwitcheswas
basedoftheactionsofJewsandotherheretics,thoughthetrialswerenottargetedatthem.
(Midelfort)

Infact,therearemanyconnectionsbetweentheSpanishInquisitionofJewsandhistoricalwitch
hunts.ItbegansoonafterthedeathofJesus,whenEuropeanCatholicleadersbegantoblame
Jewsforhisdeath.TheyalsospreadmythsaboutJews,likethebloodlibel,whichstatedthat
JewsusedthebloodofChristianchildrenintheirrituals.Christiansarguedthatpracticing
JudaismwasthesameasservingtheDevil,whichisthesameaccusationusedagainstthe
townspeopleofSalem.Likewitches,Jewswereoftenblamedfornaturaldisasters.Forinstance,
manypreachersheldJewsresponsiblefortheBlackDeath,sayingthatGodwaspunishingthem
fortheirblasphemousways.(Antisemitism)


ButJudaismwasnotacrimedeservingofawitchhuntuntiltheestablishmentoftheRoman
CatholicInquisition.TheInquisitionwasestablishedin1233tocounterhereticsinFrance,but
soonitspreadthroughoutCentralandWesternEurope.Itwasntuntil1242thattheInquisition
begantargetingJudaism.Soonafter,thefirstmassexecutionofJewsoccurred.Itwasaburning
onthestake.Thefactthatinthepresentburningonthestakehascometoonlybeassociatedwith
witchesisstartling.(ChristianJewishRelations)

TheantisemiticprosecutionsonlybecamemoreintensewhentheInquisitionbeganinSpain.
TheinfamousSpanishInquisitioninitiatedinvestigationsintoConversos,orJewsthatpretended
tobeChristianorconvertedtoChristianitywithouttrulyadheringtoChristianrules.Supposedly,
theydidthistogainthemanybenefitsofbeingaChristianintheRomanEmpire.Inquisitors
almostalwaysusedtorturetoextractconfessionsfromtheaccusedandlikeinotherwitchtrials,
theInquisitorsdidnotneedhardevidencetoprovethatsomeonewasaJew.Over12yearsmore
than13,000ConversoswereputontrialandthousandsofnonChristianswerekilled(Murphy).

Wecanassumethatthedeathcountrisesevenhigherifyouincludethemurdersatthehandsof
commonpeoplewho,fueledbythechurchspreadfearandhatredofJews,tookjusticeinto
theirownhands.Somepeople,believingthatJewshadswallowedgoldandotherpreciousmetals
tokeepthemsafe,killedthembyslicingthemopensotheycouldsearchforthehiddentreasure.
ItjustshowsthekindofhatredthatwasfelttowardsJewishpeopleiftheycouldbeviewedas
nothingmorethanasackofpotentialmoneyjustwaitingtobeopenedbyaluckycommoner.


Eventually,fearofthespreadofJudaismgrewsostrongthatallJewswereexpelledfromSpain
in1492.ManyoftheevictedJewsfledtoPortugal,butPortugalestablishedtheirown
Inquisition,somostendedupconvertingtoChristianityanyway.Intheend,eventheJewsthat
hadstayedtruetothemselvesthroughalltheprejudicesofSpaingaveintoconformityinthe
faceofanothermigration.(ChristianJewishRelations)

Atsomepointinhistory,Jewishandblackpeoplewerebothslaves.Butthatisnottheonlything
theyshare.Bothgroupsweresubjecttowitchhunts.In1793,CongresspassedtheFugitiveSlave
Act,whichallowedslaveownerstotrackdownescapedslaves,sometimeswiththehelpof
bountyhunters.Ownerscouldevensearchfortheirmissingslavesinfreestates.Additionally,if
aresidentofafreestatewasdiscoveredtohavebeenassistingaslave,theycouldbeharshly
penalized.

TheFugitiveSlaveActresultedinmanyfreepeopleinfreestatesbeingfalselyaccusedofbeing
runawayslaves.ThemostfamousexampleofthisisSolomonNorthup,afreemusicianwho
spent12yearsasaslavebeforehewonhisfreedom.Slaveownersneededonlyasignedaffidavit
toprovethattheslavewastheirs.Thatmeantthatjudgeswouldrelyonthetestimonyofthe
accusersandpaynoattentiontoanydisagreementoftheaccused,whichisexactlyhowsomany
peoplewereconvictedinotherwitchhunts.In1850,theactwasmodified,forcingallcitizensto
assistslaveownersinhuntingdownrunawayslaves.Thefineforhelpingarunawayslaveescape
wasincreasedto$1000dollars,anunacheivableamountatthetime(LongRoad).Theycould

alsofacesixmonthsinjailandcouldpotentiallybechargedwithtreason.Soonafterthe
governmentbeganhandlingindividualcaseswithfederalemployees.Agentswerepaidmorefor
returningaslavetotheirmasterthanlettingtheslavebefree,soofcoursetheyalmostalways
sentthemtotheslaveowners.Finally,therighttoatrialwascompletelyremoved.Inadditionto
freepeoplebeingtoldthattheywouldnowbeowned,theyweredeniedeventherighttodefend
themselvesincourt.Withtheoddsstackedagainstthemsomuch,itisnosurprisethatthesearch
forrunawayslaveswascalledawitchhunt.Ithinkthat,likeinotherwitchhunts,therunaway
slavehuntswerefueledbyfear.Theslavemasterswantedtokeeptheircheaplaborandpreserve
theirpositionofpower.Iftheslavescouldleave,themasterswouldhavetohirenew,more
expensivelaborandactuallytreatthemlikehumans(!).Sothefearfulslaveownersorganizeda
witchhuntforwhotheyassumedwastheirproperty.(Fugitive)

Thethreehistoricalexamplesthathavebeenpresentedallsharecommonelements.Inallofthe
witchhunts,theaccusedhavebeenprosecutedforsomethingthattheycouldnotfightagainst.In
allofthesecases,innocentpeoplecouldbefoundguiltywithnoproofotherthanatestimony.
Oneaccusercoulddecidethelifeordeathofmany.Themaindriverofwitchhuntswasalways
thesame.Witches,Jews,andslaveswereallfearedorhated.Whentheseemotionsareinvolved,
orevencombined,peopletendtolosetheircommonsenseinfavorofactingpurelyonemotion.
Oftenthevictimswereconvictedonchargesthatshouldnothavebeencrimesinthefirstplace.
Aslongastheydonthurtothers,peopleshouldbeallowedtoactfreely,withoutfearofbeing
prosecutedinatrialtheyhavenocontrolover.Thatiswhywitchhuntsaresoupsetting.Not

onlywerethevictimssubjectedtotortureanddeath,buttheycoulddonothingtomakea
differenceintheresultsoftheirtrials.

Connectionsto
TheCrucible

Ofallofthewitchhuntsthroughouthistory,themostfamousaretheSalemwitchtrials.One
versionoftheeventswasdocumentedinArthurMillersplay
TheCrucible
.Theplayfollowsthe
manipulativeactionsoftheteenagegirlswhoservedasthemainaccusersinSalemandthe
innocentvillagerswhodiedatthehandsoftheirneighbors.
TheCrucible
isthestoryofawitch
huntandsoitcontainsthesamecharacteristicsaswitchhuntsinhistory.

Theeventsin
TheCrucible
aresetoffbyfearofwitches,anideathatisspreadmainlythrough
thePuritanchurch.Asatheocracy,thechurchwasthemostimportantpartofvillagerslives.By
therulesofGodandtheirsociety,thevillagerswererequiredtobelieveeverythingtheirpastor
said,includingaccusationsagainsttheirneighbors.Disagreeingcouldbeconsideredheresy.So
whenthepastorbeganspreadingfearofwitchestothepeopleofSalem,oneofthemuseditasa
weapon.Abigailandhergroupofotherteenagegirlsgaininfluenceinthetownbyaccusing
townspeopleofwitchcraft.Nothingtheaccusedsayordocaninfluencethejudgesandintheend
allthosewhoareaccusedareleftwithtwooptions:confesstobeingawitchandspendtherestof
theirlifeinjailornotconfessandbehangedforwitchcraftandlying.

TheCrucible
isthestoryofawitchhuntinthemostliteralsense.Theonlyevidencethecourt
receivesistheaccusationsoftheteenagegirlsandthosewhoconfesstosavethemselves.They
hardlyeversuspectit,theonlyexceptionbeingwhenoneofthecharacters,JohnProctor,openly
confrontsthemaboutAbigailslies.Additionally,theyarefueledbyfearofwitchcraft.Witches
aresaidtobeincommunicationwiththeDevil,whichthetownspeoplefearaboveallelse.Most
ofthepowerwassharedamongindividuals,namelyAbigail,thejudges,Parrish,andHale,sothe
accusedhadnopowerintheirowntrial.Finally,thechargestheyweresentencedforwerefalse.
TheywereactuallyliescreatedbyAbigailtofulfillherownwishes,whichweremainlytokill
thewifeJohnProctor,whoshehadasecretrelationshipwith.ArthurMillerincludedallofthe
previouslyidentifiedelementsofawitchhuntwhenhewrote
TheCrucible
.

ContemporaryConnections
Fewerthan1%ofsexualabusetakesplaceatdaycare,yetinthe1980smainstreammediatolda
differentstory(Cox).Itstartedin1983inasuburbofLosAngeleswhenamotherstarted
noticingthathersonwashavingnightmares.Afterquestioningherson,shebecameconvinced
thatthedaycareprovidersatMcMartinPreschoolweresexuallyabusinghersonandshe
accusedthemofthecrimesbeforecourt.Soon,theentireMcMartinfamilywasontrialfor
rapingandsodomizingatleast60oftheirstudents.Childrenfromthepreschoolwerequestioned
bytherapistsabouttheirteachers,buttheirmethodswerenotappropriate.Ifthetherapistsdidnot
receivetheresponsetheywanted(onethatcorroboratedwiththeprosecution),theywouldrepeat
thequestionuntilthechildmadesomethingup.Oneclearexampleofthisiswhenapolice
officerwasaskingachildifhehadeverplayedsexualgameswithhisteachers.Afterthechild

answeredthathedidntknow,thepoliceofficersaid,Didhetakeyourunderpantsoff?Canyou
sayyes?Pleasesayyes.(Cox)Becauseofrepeatedinterrogations,manychildreninvented
bizarreaccusations,liketheSatanicsacrificeofsmallanimals.Onceagain,prosecutorsrelied
onlyontestimonyinsteadofphysicalevidence(Egan).Therewasnophysicalevidencetorely
on.(Haberman)

Thisisonecasewheretheaccusedwerenotfoundguiltyoftheirallegedcrimes,thoughthetrial
tooksixyearsandwasthemostexpensivecriminaltrialever.However,fearofdaycare
providersresultedinthefalseconvictionsofmanyothers.Thewaveofsexualabusecaseswas
basedsolelyonthetestimonyofchildren,whowerehighlysuggestibleandwereimproperly
questioned.Today,manyoftheformerchildreninvolvedhavestatedthattheywerenotactually
abused.Butsomestillclaimthattheywereabusedatayoungage.(Haberman)

Eveninthecurrentera,whenwearesupposedtobeatourmostenlightenedandreasonable,we
canbecomesoconsumedbyemotionthatwecanbelieveanaccusationwithoutanyreliable
proof.Evennow,weorganizesearchesbasedonprejudicethatwehavelearnwithoutquestion.
Itseemsthatwitchhuntsarenotover,andtheymightneverbe.

Synthesis
ThisprojectwasinspiredwhenInoticedthesimilaritiesbetweenscenesin
TheCrucible
and
scenesinthebookImreadingforthissameEnglishclass,
PeopleoftheBook
.Onesectionof
thebookfollowsaJewishfamilyduringtheInquisition,oneofwhomhasconvertedto

Catholicismsohecanmarry.Itremindedmeofwitchhuntswhenthesonisaccusedofbeinga
Conversoandhisfamilymembersareinvestigated.ThatswhyIchosewitchhuntsformytopic.

WhenIbeganresearchforthis,Ihadmanypreconceivednotionsaboutwhattheyentailed
(mainlypitchforksandfire).ButIsoonrealizedthatnotonlyhavewitchhuntshappenedin
almosteverypointinhistory,buttheyallhadthesamecharacteristics:hatefueled,relyingsolely
ontestimony,withnopossiblerebuttalfromtheaccused.Itshockedmehoweventsthathave
causedsomanydeathscouldbedescribedinjustthreecharacteristics.Itsmentionedsooftenin
anytopicinvolvinghistory,butthisisoneofthefirsttimeswhereithasbecomeapparenttome
howoftenhistoryrepeatsitself.

Bibliography

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