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Witch


Witch:
A witch could be classified in two different ways: the religious kind of witch who is linked with the Devil/demons and then the maleficium type of witch. According to the Bible it is believed that, “demons are the angels who fell from heaven,” and that these demons have the power to do things we cannot (Copenhaver 2015, 341). And so, the people who “lead demons to do such things are called witches” (Copenhaver 2015, 341). In the Christian religion, you have powerful figures like, God and Jesus, and you have angels who were considered good and connected to heaven and devils who were the scary negative figures associated with hell. Witches were often classified as Christians and individuals who made a deal with the devil. Through the late seventeenth century these witches who were associated with the devil were viewed as individuals who might have had “actual demons living inside of them” (Copenhaver 2015, 339). They would “work with demons to produce actual effects and do harm” (Copenhaver 2015, 342). The second category that a witch could fall under was maleficium. This type of witch took part in conducting “satanic spells” (Copenhaver 2015, 338), and was a “potion-maker” (Copenhaver 2015, 17), who intently wanted to hurt others and bring bad fortune unto them.

Matthew Hopkins who was famously known as being a witch-hunter believed these witches had “sacrifices offered to the Devill” and that they had “Devill’s marks,” which were most commonly three teats on them which was a way to identify them (Hopkins 2015, 543). If individuals had any association with the devil, did magic, had familiars etc. they were categorized as witches and were to be put to death. According to Hopkins, during that time most of the victims were women, however, the “condemned were not always female” (Copenhaver 2015, 17).
Other philosophers like Joseph Glanvill believed in the presence of witches as well, but thought that the imps of witches were “not always devils” (Glanvill 2015, 561) it could be other demons or spirits.
Philosophers like Margaret Cavendish didn’t believe in witches at all, but believed there was a devil. Also, there were theologians like Augustine and Aquinas who believed there were witches, but were not pleased with the presence of them saying that witches “must be killed in God’s law,” they are hurting the faith. They made their argument clear that, “demons are real and that witches are their accomplices” (Copenhaver 2015, 341).
Key words: Maleficium, Familiars

                                                            Bibliography


Copenhaver, B. P. (2015). The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment. London: Penguin Classics.
Glanvill, J. (2015). A Demon Witnessed by Multitudes: Joseph Glanvill to Lord Brereton. In B. P. Copenhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (561). Penguin Classics.
Hopkins, M. (2015). Proof Positive: Hopkins, Discovery of Witches. In B. P. Copenhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (543). Penguin Classics.

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