The persecution of people suspected of practicing witchcraft, began in ancient Rome. There was created a special document that determines the penalty for such actions. He was called the "Law of the Twelve Tables," according to him, the crime was punishable, in part, by the death penalty.
Witch Hunt Reasons
The greatest development was the persecution of the spellcasting people in the Middle Ages. At this time in Europe, there were mass executions of those who were accused of this crime. Historians studying this phenomenon argue that the causes of this deed were the economic crisis and famine. According to available data, witch-hunting was a peculiar way of reducing the population of European countries.
The surviving records of those times confirm that in a number of countries there was a demographic rise. In the same period, a change in climatic conditions began, which ultimately led to a shortage of agricultural products and a decline in animal husbandry. Hunger and dirt provoked outbreaks of plague. The reduction in the number of people with the help of mass executions partially solved the problem.
What is a witch hunt?
In the Middle Ages, this term was understood as the search and execution of spellcasting people. Witch hunt is nothing but the extermination of a man of a dissident who is suspected of having connections with evil spirits. According to historical reports, accusatory evidence was often lacking in order to render a verdict. Often the only argument was the confession of the accused, obtained under torture.
In the modern world, the term witch-hunting is used somewhat differently. It is used to denounce the persecution of various social groups without due proof of their guilt, which are disagreeable with the existing system, and dissenters. This concept can often be found in the discussion of political events, when one state tries, without having arguments to imply responsibility for any situation to another country.
Witch Hunt in the Middle Ages
European countries during this period actively destroyed the population. Initially, witch hunts in the Middle Ages were carried out by the servants of the church, but later, the Holy Inquisition allowed to consider cases of witchcraft secular courts. This led to the fact that the population of villages and cities became subject to local rulers. According to historical data, the persecution of witches in the Middle Ages developed into personal revenge against disliked people. Local rulers could receive their favorite land plots and other material values by simply executing their rightful owner.
Hunting for witches in Russia
Researchers believe that the process of the Inquisition has not received such development in ancient Russia, as in Europe. This phenomenon is connected with the peculiarities of the people's faith, when greater importance was attached not to the sinfulness of the flesh, but to thoughts and interpretation of weather and climate phenomena. However, in Russia there was a hunt for witches, which means:
- Similar trials were. They were conducted by elders of the clan or leaders.
- With proven guilt, the punishment was the death penalty. It was carried out through burning or burial alive.
How were the witches executed?
The commission of these crimes was punishable by death. The executions of witches during the Inquisition were conducted publicly. Litigation also gathered a lot of spectators. In a number of European countries, the accused was tortured immediately before burning or hanging. The execution of the second type witch was used much less often than the first, a number of clerics believed that only the fire of the Inquisition could overcome the impure force . Quartering and drowning, too, were used, but less often.
Nowadays, criminal prosecution on charges of witchcraft, or witch-hunt, is supported by a number of states. In Saudi Arabia, these crimes are still punishable by death. In 2011, on charges of performing magical rituals, a woman was beheaded there. In Tajikistan, for the same crimes, imprisonment for up to 7 years is provided.