The Medieval Ages were a time of crisis and misery. This was the time when the Black Death hit Europe. Many people were confused and scared by this phenomenon. The lack of science led to many people to believe superstitions. For example, the witch myth states that witches are worshippers of the devil, greedy, and use sorcery for evil. Europeans were motivated by this idea because they found it unmoral if they didn’t take steps to getting rid of satanic people. Scientific ignorance fueled the growing superstition of witches.
During the mid fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, The Crisis of the Late Middle Ages occurred. This refers to a series of events that halted the growth of European prosperity. The creation of the witch myth developed…show more content… This superstition resulted in torture and misguided policies. The Great Witch Craze has begun and it only ended after thousands have suffered. Witches were considered satanic and unholy. Considering religion played a large role in many peoples lives, they found witches immoral and harmful to society. They were thought to disturb the peace and stability of life. Many people were accused of sorcery after a series of events. If someone was found doing anything thought of as unusual or strange, they were put on trial for crime. Society was so crazed with the idea that witches were worshippers of the devil and they were the cause of the stop in European growth that their accusation methods were beyond unreasonable. The height of European trials was between 1560 and 1630. Although, the peak of the witch hunts began in 1609. Not only were trials limited to people, animals, including insects, were also target for persecution. Now we have a criminal justice system that non-human creatures lack moral agency and so cannot be held responsible for their actions. Many people thought, without doubt, witches used their magic to harm people they despised. Most trials were motivated not because of the love of violence, but because everyone was convinced that it was morally appropriate to rid the world of “witches.” Their beliefs and values led them to take unreasonable steps in ridding so called witches. For example, in the early decades of the 14th century until 1650, Europeans executed about 200,000 and 500,000 witches, 85% or more of them being women. These occurrences happened in early stages during history, resulting in consistent discrimination towards women for just about everything. Women were considered incapable for the jobs in politics and government. This is another instance where human ideas and attitudes can affect everyone as a whole. The witch craze renewed the redefinition of moral boundaries as a result