Monday, August 22, 2022

Question from Nathan - Witches and warlocks

In Tudor times, what did the people think of witches/warlocks? Did some people even think they existed, did some revere them, or did many of them demonize witchcraft, and persecuted those who they supposedly thought were warlocks/witches?

Related previous threads:
https://queryblog.tudorhistory.org/2009/04/question-from-liz-malleus-maleficarum.html
https://queryblog.tudorhistory.org/2010/11/question-from-marie-witchcraft-and.html

9 comments:

Peter said...

God Bless You! I’m a Christian church pastor and if I could I’d like to give you my take on this. Witchcraft is definitely a sin, it even says so in the Bible, in reality, none of it is like the comedy, fun, and innocence like you see on “Bewitched” or “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” Call me a hypocrite if you will, but I actually love both of these shows and I’ve watched them both, I always laugh at the comedy and adventures the characters get into. In fact, I was only 13 when “Bewitched” premiered. Having said that, what a coincidence, yesterday at my sermon, I was talking to everyone about the part of the Bible about witchcraft, and its sinfulness. So to sum it up, absolutely, the people back in Tudor England knew very well about witches and warlocks, and so did the people of colonial Salem, Massachusetts (about a century later). Even though in either eras, I think it’s sad, though, that so many innocent men, women, and even children were so sadistically tortured/punished through “so-called” methods that supposedly “proved” if someone was a witch or not.

Howard said...

Howdy! I was just about to answer this, but I think you, on top of previous blog posts from a long time ago, that Lara put up, took care of it. It’s also nice to see a church pastor who’s not preachy in his behavior, and is even willing to “sin” just a bit! Lol!😅 And God bless you, as well.

Nathan said...

God bless you, too, Peter, I appreciate your response. I love anything too, that has to do with magic, witches, and warlocks, as long as it’s just something funny, innocent, and fictional, like in a tv sitcom, and not something that has to with hurting Our Creator.

Peter said...

Thank you Howard. That really means a lot to me. As the old joke goes, “if even a good, virtuous person doesn’t sin, just a little, then Jesus basically has died on a cross, for nothing!⛪️😆

Alicia said...

Hey everyone, I just came across this and wanted to say, yes witchcraft is a sin. However, personally, at least after watching shows like “Bewitched” or “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”, I believe that more or less, it should depend on exactly how someone uses their “magic” that makes them either a good or bad person, just as us mortals. There are both good/virtuous and bad/evil people of every group, unfortunately there is always a “bad apple” within any group. E.g., it’s one thing to be a good witch/warlock like, say, Samantha from “Bewitched” or Sabrina, but it is a whole different ballgame to use/take advantage of one’s own magical powers in order to do evil things/make bad things happen/do Satan’s work! But that’s just my opinion.

Reverend Peter said...

Exactly Alicia, I just read this last response and I couldn’t have put it better, myself. I’ve preached in my last sermons, that at the very least, magic/witchcraft is a certainly a sin, unless, maybe, it’s being used for something good/good reasons, and NOT to worship/show love for Satan.

Peter said...

P.S. , For example, I love reading/watching a good macabre horror story/film as much the next person, as well as have a glass of wine every now and then. Jesus even turned water into wine! However, I only drink wine in moderation, and I’m okay with creepy stories/a bit of dark humor, as long as it doesn’t hurt others/at the expense of others/or directly serves and has anything to with Satan. Then, it absolutely becomes a sin, at least in my book. (Pun intended)!⛪️

Lara said...

(Posting for Jill since I accidentally hit 'delete' because I was attempting to do some comment moderation on my iPad while I was cooking dinner and I hit the wrong thing!)

Comment from Jill:

Considering the rules of sorcerery, witchcraft, and immortality, I’m planning on writing a rather creepy story about immortality. The story starts all the back to the B.C. era, when a baby girl is born. One day, however, on her 30th birthday, circa, 22 A.D., she becomes insecure about getting older, and no longer being of childbearing age, and she makes a wish that she could stay young(er) forever. A witch/sorceress comes down to her, grants her wish, and puts a curse on her, then she gives her some immortality, non-aging potion to drink, and tells her, “I’m giving you enough of this potion to last you for over the next 2,000 years!” “When the 2,000 years have passed, you’ll need to try to get more of the potion, or if you don’t, since technically you’ll be so old, you will suddenly shrivel up, your skin will peel off, and you will finally die a horrible death!” Fast forward to 2022, historians begin to discover the disturbing truth about this lady, and the fact that it’s true, and not just some rumor that she’s been alive, over 2,000 years, but she still looks like she’s only 30, because technically, she still only is! As long as she’s had a glass of that drink everyday, she’ll have immortal life on Earth.

John said...

Woah, now that is creepy, but cool! That would make an excellent story, thanks for sharing! I’m surprised no one has thought of this kind of a storyline sooner!