Witches in Sixteenth-Century Germany: The belief in witches, what they were accused of and why 'The witch trials demonstrated fear of the power of women’s sexuality. The female witch was understood to be a product of woman’s excessive carnal lust who were affiliated with fornication and orgies with the Devil. This made them more susceptible… Continue reading Halloween Compilation 2022
Tag: Devil
How did people transform into werewolves: from antiquity to popular culture today
Keywords: Arcadia mythology, Jean Bodin demonology, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Petter Stump (Peter Stumpp, Peter Stump), Gilles Garnier Ancient GreeceOne of the earliest werewolf fables originated from the ancient festival of Zeus in Arcadia, Greece. Participants would choose a piece of meat from a mixture of both animal and human sacrifices. Those who unwittingly chose and ate… Continue reading How did people transform into werewolves: from antiquity to popular culture today
The Werewolf Debate: How Pre-Modern Thinkers Debated the belief in Werewolves
Keywords: metamorphoses, werewolves, witchcraft, Malleus Maleficarum, Johann Weyer, Jean Bodin Scepticism existed in the ability of man to transform into wolves in antiquity as stated in Pliny’s Historia naturalis in c.77A.D (Pliny, 1962, p. 95). However, it did not become the subject of wide debate until early Christian saints such as Saint Ambrose (339-397), Saint… Continue reading The Werewolf Debate: How Pre-Modern Thinkers Debated the belief in Werewolves
Demons of David Teniers the Younger’s Alchemists
Keywords: Alchemy, David Teniers the Younger, devil and demons, The Temptations of St. Anthony Alchemy was resisted by both the Catholic and Protestant Church. Protestant reformers in northern Netherlands dealt with the threat by declaring magic as false and inefficacious as the true God could not be manipulated into revealing his secrets of nature (Tambiah,… Continue reading Demons of David Teniers the Younger’s Alchemists
Witches in Sixteenth-Century Germany: The belief in witches, what they were accused of and why
Keywords: Malleus Maleficarum, infanticide, metamorphosis, witchcraft, Witchcraft in sixteenth century, What caused the witch craze in Europe, Witch hunt in Europe, Witch trials Early modern Europe is known for its climate of fear as highlighted by the moral panics surrounding the witch trials (Roberts and Naphy, 1997, p. 1). Repeated war and death from disease… Continue reading Witches in Sixteenth-Century Germany: The belief in witches, what they were accused of and why
Dana K Rehn 