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Witches and early modern stereotypes of women

When looking at other interpretations of witches, forms of the arts are how early depictions of literature showcased what a witch would look like. In early modern forms of books, much of what was displayed about witches was because of interest taken in Circe, an enchantress in Greek mythology. Because female nudism could only be depicted in a small and very few contexts, an interest in witchcraft grew. With this in mind (and an interest in the nude female body at the time), witches were depicted as such.

Other mentions of different early interpretations of women occurred when discussing pagan practices and other rituals. Many made mention of pagan festivals in which individuals dressed as women and drank from a type of potion , because of this many early interpretations of witchcraft were stemmed from such practices. As well, Russel Burton, author of Witchcraft in the Middle Ages, makes mention of behavior that was condemned in early Rome, with many believing that women only came to church on Sundays to participate in pagan activities. These included such mundane activities like dancing, singing, etc.

Women who were thought to be involved with witchcraft were often considered to be involved in activities with the Devil, such as acts like sexual intercourse. However, before women were considered to be involving themselves with the Devil himself, many witches were instead thought to be in accordance with the Roman goddess Diana. Diana, the guarantor of fertility, was also the virgin huntress and protector of animals. Even with these factors in mind, though, Diana was thought to be in close accordance with the underworld, where she was identified with Hecate. This darker, more twisted, version of Diana was the early leader of witch craft in the Middle Ages, and was another projection of women during the time period.

When looking at the witch trials themselves, the accused were often female and made up a large chunk of the total witches from early witch trials. Looking more closely at trials in the New England area in particular, Karlson, author of The Devil in the Shape of a Woman , provides multiple sets of data that show different groups involved in the trials. The sex of witches in outbreak witchcraft cases in New England from 1620 to 1725 recorded a whopping 156 accused females, with only 49 males in the list. In New England alone, at least 344 people were accused of witchcraft between the same years listed above in total, making seventy-eight percent of that group women who had been accused of being under suspicion of witchery. Harsher punishments during this time were also exclusively reserved for women of the time. This included such treatments like banishment from society, imprisonment, house arrest, or death (usually sentenced by hanging).

Adding to the article "Feminist Interpretations on the Early Modern Witch Trials"