Female Witch Hunters: Examining their Motivations and Methods

Witch hunting has been a dark and disturbing part of history, where countless innocent lives were lost due to superstitions and fear. In the majority of these cases, women were the ones who suffered the most and were targeted as witches. These women were often accused of using dark magic to harm others or control them. The main idea here is the plight of women engaged in witch hunting, highlighting their unfair treatment and the unjust social systems that allowed these accusations to flourish. During the witch hunts, women were subjected to brutal methods of interrogation and torture in order to extract confessions. The fact that they were women made them easy targets for suspicion and blame.

The authorities, including King James VI, saw her as a new super-weapon in the war on Satan, and soon terrified Glaswegians were being led out in front of this desperate individual. People were being strangled and burned at the stake because of her evidence.

Dr MacLeod said A lot of times when we think about women in the early modern religious context we think of this quiet, meek kind of devotion but that is not Marion Walker. She became a prominent supporter of the Jesuit, John Ogilvy, who was eventually martyred, but despite being linked to him by multiple witnesses she survived that too.

The fact that they were women made them easy targets for suspicion and blame. Women were seen as inherently vulnerable and weak, making it easier to believe that they could succumb to the temptation of dark forces. In bold: The vulnerability of women made them easy targets in the witch hunting era.

The woman who stood up to a witch-hunt

Marion Walker used the methods of the modern day whistleblower. She obtained, copied and leaked documents. She wanted the guilty held to account for the horrors of the Glasgow witch-hunt, a shocking miscarriage of justice even by the standards of the day.

We know more about her thanks to Dr Daniel MacLeod of the University of Manitoba. He came across Marion as he researched the networks of resistance of the city's Catholics.

"She's a clear and active resister of the new Protestant religion over three decades," Dr MacLeod says.

"She's a widow, she's not wealthy but she's got an ability to be heard."

Marion was not afraid to take on any foolhardy minister who dared to upbraid her.

Her Glasgow wasn't like Glasgow today. For one thing, says Dr MacLeod, it was tiny, "maybe even half the size of modern day Fort William".

Yet it became the stage for one of the worst excesses of the Scottish witch-hunt.

Innocent people were being falsely accused by an utterly bogus witch-finder and put to death.

The witch-finder was also a woman - the so-called "Great Witch of Balwearie", Margaret Aitken.

She'd been arrested for witchcraft in Fife and tried to save her skin by claiming she could identify other witches just by looking in their eyes.

The authorities, including King James VI, saw her as a new super-weapon in the war on Satan, and soon terrified Glaswegians were being led out in front of this desperate individual. People were being strangled and burned at the stake because of her evidence.

Then as the witch-hunt went on, someone had a bright idea. Take the people Margaret condemned one day and bring them back the next in different clothes and a different order. The great witch turned witch-finder failed to recognise them, condemning and exonerating a different selection.

It dawned on the ministers and magistrates that what they really had was a horrifying fraud. They'd killed people for nothing. They ran for cover.

And this is where Marion stepped up. She wasn't going to let the ministers get away with this, particularly not John Cowper, the Great Witch's most zealous promoter. Cowper was a thin-skinned vengeful individual.

"He was not very popular" says Dr MacLeod. "But I think he did a lot of it to himself."

Marion wanted to take him down. Through her networks of resistance she managed to get her hands on the most incriminating document of all, the final confession of the Great Witch herself where she pointed her finger at Cowper and blamed him for all that he had done. The church wanted to hush it up - so Marion circulated it.

Cowper was livid. Thanks to Marion, the confession was passing hand-to-hand, making sure Glaswegians knew exactly who to blame for the deaths of their innocent friends and relatives. To strike back at her, he mobilised his fellow ministers to back him up.

According to Dr MacLeod: "The presbytery passed this act threatening the branks for any who blamed the ministry of the city for putting to death the persons lately executed for witchcraft."

The branks were literally a gag - the scold's bridle - with a metal cage for the head and often with a prong to stop the mouth. But in the end they backed off. They didn't dare gag Marion.

"It would go on almost a cycle," said Dr MacLeod. "Marion would 'slander' Cowper, he would call her before the presbytery and it would go on like that, but the root of it was this confession and her role in passing it around."

But wasn't Marion putting herself in danger of being prosecuted as a witch?

Dr MacLeod thinks people were a bit more sophisticated than that.

"They knew she wasn't a witch but a defender of wrongfully-accused women," he said.

Marion lived to fight another day against the Protestant ministry. She became a prominent supporter of the Jesuit, John Ogilvy, who was eventually martyred, but despite being linked to him by multiple witnesses she survived that too.

In the fevered religious environment of the time, it took courage to harbour a hunted man.

Dr MacLeod said: "A lot of times when we think about women in the early modern religious context we think of this quiet, meek kind of devotion but that is not Marion Walker."

In patriarchal societies — including our own — post-reproductive women have often been scapegoated as threats and burdens.

Furthermore, the witch hunts provided an outlet for society to express their fears and frustrations towards women who deviated from societal norms. Independent and outspoken women, healers and midwives, and those who didn't conform to the traditional gender roles were often accused of being witches. These accusations allowed society to control and suppress women who challenged the patriarchal hierarchy. In bold: Witch hunting was a means to suppress independent and non-conforming women. It is crucial to understand the socio-cultural context in which witch hunting occurred. The witch hunts were fueled by religious beliefs and a deeply ingrained fear of the unknown. Women were singled out as convenient scapegoats due to the dominant ideologies of the time. In bold: The religious and cultural beliefs at the time made women easy scapegoats. The witch hunts had devastating consequences for women and their communities. Innocent women lost their lives through execution or died due to the harsh conditions they faced while imprisoned. The fear and paranoia created by the witch hunts tore communities apart, breeding mistrust and division. In bold: Witch hunting caused immense suffering and destroyed communities. In recent years, efforts have been made to acknowledge and remember the victims of the witch hunts. Memorials and educational initiatives aim to shed light on this dark period in history and challenge the gender inequalities that allowed such atrocities to occur. In bold: Efforts are being made to remember and learn from the horrors of witch hunting. In conclusion, the witch hunts were a horrifying chapter in history, with women being the primary targets. The vulnerability of women made them easy targets, and societal fears and control over women played a significant role in perpetuating these atrocities. The consequences were devastating, but efforts to acknowledge and remember these victims are a step towards a more just and equal society..

Reviews for "Hidden Figures: Women in Witch Hunting Throughout History"

1. Jane - 1/5

I could not stand "Woman engaged in witch hunting". The storyline was incredibly weak and I found the characters to be very one-dimensional. The protagonist's actions were often unbelievable and the dialogue felt forced. Furthermore, the pacing of the film was all over the place, making it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, I was disappointed by this film and would not recommend it to others.

2. Michael - 2/5

"Woman engaged in witch hunting" had an interesting concept but failed to deliver. The execution of the story was messy and confusing, making it hard to follow along. The acting was average at best, with many of the performances feeling wooden and lacking emotion. Additionally, the film relied too heavily on clichés and did not offer anything new or original. I was left feeling underwhelmed and wishing for a better cinematic experience.

3. Sarah - 2/5

I was intrigued by the title of "Woman engaged in witch hunting" but unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. The plot was convoluted and lacked depth, leaving many unanswered questions. The pacing was slow, and I found myself losing interest throughout the film. The special effects were subpar and did not enhance the overall experience. Overall, I was disappointed by this film and felt it had the potential to be much better.

4. David - 1/5

I was highly disappointed by "Woman engaged in witch hunting". The storyline was predictable and offered no surprises. The characters were poorly developed, making it hard to connect with any of them. The dialogue was cheesy and cringe-worthy, and the acting felt forced. I found myself constantly checking the time, hoping the film would end sooner. All in all, this film was a complete miss for me.

From Accused to Accuser: The Transformation of Women in Witch Trials