Why were witches burned and not executed in some other way? History itself provides the answer to this question. In the article we will try to figure out who was considered a witch, and why exactly burning was the most radical way to get rid of witchcraft spells.
Who is this witch
Witches have been burned and persecuted since Roman times. The fight against witchcraft reached its apogee in the 15th-17th centuries.
What had to be done to make a person accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake? It turns out that during the Middle Ages, in order to get accused of practicing witchcraft, it was enough just to be a beautiful girl. Any woman could be blamed, and quite legally.
Witches were considered those who had a special mark on their body in the form of a wart, a huge mole or just a bruise. If a cat, owl or mouse lived with a woman, she was also considered a witch.
The sign of involvement in the witch world was both the beauty of the girl and the presence of any bodily deformity.
The most important reason to be in the dungeons of a saintof the Inquisition, there could have been an ordinary denunciation of blasphemy, bad words about power, or behavior that aroused suspicion.
The representatives of the Holy Inquisition arranged the interrogations so skillfully that people confessed everything that was demanded of them.
The burning of witches: the geography of executions
When and where did the executions take place? In what century were witches burned? The avalanche of atrocities falls on the Middle Ages, and the countries in which there was a Catholic faith were mainly involved. For about 300 years, witches have been actively exterminated and persecuted. Historians claim that about 50 thousand people were convicted of witchcraft.
Inquisitorial bonfires burned across Europe. Spain, Germany, France and England are the countries where witches were burned en masse, by the thousands.
Even little girls under the age of 10 were considered witches. Children died with curses on their lips: they cursed their own mothers, who supposedly taught them the skill of witchcraft.
The legal proceedings themselves were carried out very quickly. Those accused of witchcraft were interrogated quickly, but with the use of sophisticated torture. Sometimes people were condemned in batches and witches were burned at the stake en masse.
Torture prior to execution
The torture used on women who were accused of witchcraft was very cruel. There are cases in history when suspects were forced to sit for days on a chair studded with sharp spikes. Sometimes the witch was shod in the shoes of a bigsize - boiling water was poured there.
In history, the test of a witch with water is also known. The suspect was simply drowned, it was believed that it was impossible to drown a witch. If a woman, after water torture, turned out to be dead, she was acquitted, but who felt better?
Why was burning preferred?
Execution by burning was considered a "Christian type of execution", because it took place without the shedding of blood. Witches were considered criminals worthy of death, but since they repented, the judges asked to be “merciful” to them, that is, to kill without bloodshed.
In the Middle Ages, witches were also burned because the Holy Inquisition was afraid of the resurrection of a condemned woman. And if the body is burned, then what is the resurrection without the body?
The very first case of burning a witch was recorded in 1128. The event took place in Flanders. The woman, who was considered an ally of the devil, was accused that, after she poured water on one of the rich men, he soon fell ill and died.
Initially, executions were rare, but gradually became widespread.
Execution procedure
It should be noted that the justification of the victims was also inherent in the Middle Ages. There are statistics indicating that the number of acquittals of the accused corresponded to half of the trials. A tortured woman could even receive redress for her suffering.
The condemned woman was to be executed. It should be noted that the execution has always been a public spectacle, the purpose of which is to frighten and intimidate the public. The townspeople hurried to the execution in festive clothes. This event attracted even those who lived far away.
The presence of priests and government officials was mandatory during the procedure.
When everyone was assembled, a cart appeared with the executioner and future victims. The audience had no sympathy for the witch, they laughed at her and made fun of her.
The unfortunate were chained to a pole, covered with dry branches. After the preparatory procedures, a sermon was obligatory, where the priest warned the public against communication with the devil and engaging in witchcraft. The role of the executioner was to light the fire. The servants watched the fire until there was no sign of the victim.
Sometimes bishops even competed among themselves to see which of them could carry out the most executions of women accused of witchcraft. This type of execution according to the torment experienced by the victim is equated with crucifixion. The last burnt witch was recorded in history in 1860. The execution took place in Mexico.
