Witch Finders and Accusers
In Sixteenth century Europe older children comprised a special category of witch hunters, They brought accusations of witchcraft against adults. In 1525, the traveling judge in the Navarrese witch hunt utilized two "girl witches" whom he felt would be able to identify others as witches. He hanged about forty "witches" based on the testimony of the two girls.
Child witch hunters sometimes accused their parents, grandmothers, or other people as witches. Children would either bring charges of witchcraft themselves or exhibit symptoms of possession or bewitchmen resulting in panic among adults. The adult relatives would subsequently begin making accusations of witchcraft.
The most renowned trials caused by child accusations occurred in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Children were viewed as having a significant role in convicting witches due to their being able to identify people impulsively and without compulsion. Children who made such false allegations often directed them at adults with whom they had strained relationships such as teachers, puritanical neighbors, or mothers' boyfriends.
Read more about this topic: Witchcraft And Children
Famous quotes containing the word witch:
“Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead.”
—E.Y. Harburg (1898–1981)