Control and Othering: Witch Trials During the Renaissance

Journal TWO

The Renaissance period is notable for its immense social, political, and intellectual changes in Europe. Alongside advancements in science, art, and philosophy, this era also witnessed significant upheaval and unrest. From the Hundred Years’ War to the reformation and counter-reformation, people’s pursuit of meaning and justification led to an inception of mass witch hunts. In search of blame in a tumultuous time, “... around 50,000 people were executed for witchcraft in Europe and North America” from the 14th to the 18th centuries (The History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult, 178). The witch hunts targeted women, particularly women who were considered outsiders or "others" in their communities. The system of prosecution followed similar patterns throughout the globe. Women were targeted and accused as witches for the unexplainable hardships for those within the community. The women would then be interrogated and tortured until she confessed and named more suspects. This system bred a bulk of trails operating on a perpetually corrupt premise - torture in the name of truth. Some witch identification methods included “... the witch’s bridle (an instrument with four iron prongs that pressed into the accused face), gresions (which crushed her toes), or a strappado (a pulley that jerked their body upward, while weights of up to 440 lbs/200 kg dragged at their feet)” (The History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult, 181). 

By examining the dynamics behind these witch trials, we can gain insight into key aspects of human psychology and social order during times of turbulence. First and foremost, humans have an innate desire for control. Many times when external circumstances are out of control, humans tighten control over areas of their lives where control is possible. During the Renaissance, I believe witch trials operated as a method of enacting control under the guise of traditional beliefs. It offered peace and stability within a world that was increasingly out of one’s control. Additionally, women ‘othered’ by their communities became an easy target of these witch trials. Othering is a natural human response to rapid social change. It involves a community defining qualities to attribute to members of society. Therefore, othering involves identifying individuals as either similar or different to the community. This process prompted members of the community to accuse women who were ‘othered.’ Contrary, when individuals ignore the socially-acceptable process for accusation (i.e. choosing ‘othered’ individuals as targets), the process is at risk of complete collapse. This is seen at the conclusion of the Salem witch trials when accusations of witchcraft touched the Governor’s wife (The History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult, 189).   

Nonetheless, skepticism regarding the validity and morality of these witch trials quickly grew. Many politicians and scholars attacked witchcraft on the basis of its validity, claiming that witchcraft was simply not real. Few individuals went as far as to critique the nature of the women accused. For instance, Reginald Scot, member of the English Parliament in 1584, concluded most magic “... was a matter of trickery perpetrated on the gullible, and most witchcraft accusations were directed at poor women ill-equipped to defend themselves” (The History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult, 185). However, it was not until 1736 in Great Britain when witchcraft as a crime was abolished with the Witchcraft Act of 1736. In 1782, the last woman accused of witchcraft was executed in Europe for crimes unrelated to witchcraft.