Witchhunts/Talk

"The witchhunts were part of a larger puritanical culture which was very religiously and socially intolerant."

True in the Salem witchhunts. Largely true in England, I think. Not sure whether this is true in other European countries.

I believe it was. The Catholic Church pretty much ruled religious life throughout Europe at the time. --Dmerrill

Um, I didn't pay enough attention in History lessons, but weren't the puritans anti-catholic? -- DrBob

Yes, but the term puritanical doesn't just mean the Puritans anymore! [later] removed the word since obviously it could lead to misunderstanding, and the sentence stands without it quite well. --Dmerrill

torture was an absolute norm in judicial procedures until quite recently in the entire world. It still is in big chunks of the world. This needs to reflect that. Indeed, our most horrific descriptions of torture are usually NOT witchcraft trials, but proceedings against those accused of treason. The execution of witches was usually also more pleasant (if any execution can be called so) than the execution of traitors (drawing and quartering was not used for witches commonly; the 'drawing' part means extracting the entrails while the victim is still alive and roasting them. Quartering was usually done after death, but they didn't always wait for death before starting.). --MichaelTinkler

I have only one authoratative book, but I added a quote from it in support of witch torture being particularly horrible. If you have another source, please educate me. --Dmerrill

Michael is substantially correct, and particularly so in regard to treason: a good example would be Guy Fawkes, where the torturers had a field day. Fawkes was drawn and quartered whilst still alive. NB: But torture was largely removed from the English judicial process following habeas corpus and legislation introduced during the reign of Henry II which effectively ended the process of trial by ordeal. sjc

DM - try E.F. Peters; he is a first rate scholar who has several books on torture; his short book on the Inquisition is the best thing of its kind. SJC - "largely removed" - for usual criminal cases, sure, but willingness to construe 'treason' broadly (esp. by the Tudors) meant that it was still quite regular (viz., Catholic recusancy, breakaway Protestant groups, etc.). --MichaelTinkler

Thanks Michael, I will check it out. I read a *lot*.

I'm curious about the alleged Soviet archives and what they could have revealed about the McCarthy? investigation. Can anyone corroborate this or give some more information? It would probably belong on the UnAmerican? Activities Commission page. --Dmerrill

The fact that there were witches? Communists under the bed? Well, yet another nail in the coffin of Alger Hiss's innocence, for one. The mere proof (often denied) that the CPUSA was funded from Moscow (I love he suitcases full of cash story from Harvey Klehr).

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By the way, I used the header 'Early Modern Europe' because the witchhunts are identified with the Renaissance and Modern periods, not with the middle ages. --MichaelTinkler