|
{Also, most of the modern Bibles, today, are based on the King James Version. Regardless of "otherwise" claims, no modern bible is actually translated from the original Aramaic [language that Jesus and the apostles spoke].}
The misanthropic part?
It seems that a rather large number of founding and medieval church fathers, writers, and elders - of both the Catholic and the Protestant Churches - didn't like women very much. Since witchcraft was usually considered a woman's calling, naturally, those women who still worshipped in the pagan or Old Religion way got some bad press.
But witches weren't the only women picked on. ALL women, during those times, were considered weak and naturally sinful and carnal - because of the concept of original sin in the Garden of Eden. In other words, women were considered very bad characters, at any moment ready to tempt men into evil and sexually entrapping ways. And, of course, with witches having the SECOND bad habit of still worshipping in the old way, well, you've got a situation ripe for persecution.
The religious hysteria part?
With the Catholic Inquisition kicking in about a millennium ago - and it wasn't just witches who were drawn, quartered, hung, & burnt at the stake {later just burnt alive} - the religious fervour of both the Catholic and Protestant Churches went into full overdrive. Basically, both Churches felt that they were in a fight for their lives - against heretical beliefs and Old Religion beliefs - and the Protestants also against the corruption of the Catholic Church. Both Churches felt it was their sacred and holy duty to wipe this stuff out. The upshot was that, at least, 100,000 people were executed as witches - many of them women {but men, too}.
The food poisoning part?
This actually is my "favourite" part about this whole, very negative issue. "Food poisoning" provides a "reasonable" reason as to why all kinds of people behaved in such a fearful, hysterical, frightening, and unbelievably violent manner towards heretics, witches, and just simple, everyday people in general.
During this time in Europe {and still for some time to come} the major grain crop was rye {rather than wheat}. Rye, unfortunately, can get a disease called ergot. Ergot is a fungus and it has hallucinogenic properties. {In fact, it was from the ergot fungus that US Army researchers developed LSD.} In the case of ergot, all you need is a little bit to have hallucinations, to froth at the mouth, to feel strange and weird, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum. So, a strange disease, all of a sudden happening - what on earth could be the cause? Of course, it's the witches causing it. {Sad, but true in so many of the witchcraft trials.}
Recently, some researchers have traced geographically the where and the when of a number of the witch hysteria outbursts in Europe. Interestingly, the "when" coincided with an overabundance of wet, cool weather {known as Europe's Little Ice Age} - perfect growing conditions for ergot. In a few of the cases, there was specific evidence to support ergot poisoning. The rest had circumstantial evidence. And, recent research of the Salem, USA witch trials indicated ergot poisoning as well. {They actually found the ergot but couldn't pinpoint the distribution of the rye to all of the "affected" Salem residents.}
|
|
