In history, the concept of witches has been a subject of fear and fascination. Witches were often seen as evil beings who possessed supernatural powers and used them to harm others. This fear led to the widespread belief in witchcraft and the subsequent persecution and extermination of those accused of being witches. During the witch trials of the late medieval and early modern periods, individuals, mostly women, were accused of practicing witchcraft. These accusations were often based on superstitions, misinterpretations of natural events, or personal vendettas. The accused were subjected to harsh interrogations, torture, and often executed.
- Sitting or Walking Witches.
- Melee only.
- Teammate Attack
So even though grains of wheat mortally wounded winter, it is Easter spring equinox which is when people can start singing Ding dong the witch is dead. So even though grains of wheat mortally wounded winter, it is Easter spring equinox which is when people can start singing Ding dong the witch is dead.
The accused were subjected to harsh interrogations, torture, and often executed. The methods of extermination varied across different regions and time periods. In some cases, accused witches were burnt at the stake, a punishment believed to purify their souls and prevent their return as evil beings.
Old European culture
This Serbian folk belief is very very interesting and contains in itself a lot of encoded information.
In the past in Serbia witches were actually respected and seen as protectors of community and preservers of sacred medical and magic knowledge.
I talked abut this in two of my posts: "The skilful one" and "Wrach".
If witch-hunt was not a common theme in Serbian folklore, who is the witch who is being killed in this folk belief? Well the same one which is being killed every year in all Slavic lands: Marzana, Morana, The Goddess of Death, The Hag, The Witch, Winter Earth.
The Climatic Spring starts at the beginning of February. As part of the End of Winter - Beginning of Spring celebrations, Slavs make effigies of Morana/Marzana, The Goddess of Death, Winter Earth, and parade them through villages.
These effigies are then burned, or drowned in flowing water, or both (to be sure to be sure) symbolising warming of the earth and melting of snow. The departure of winter and the arrival of spring.
Christians at the same time celebrate the beginning of Lent, so eventually these beginning of Spring celebrations became beginning of Lent celebrations. But for Slavs the purpose of the celebration stayed the same: Kill the Witch of Winter.
That the witch which is killed is Winter, can be seen from the ammunition recommended for killing it: three grains of wheat and Easter candle beeswax. I will first talk about grains of wheat.
Most grain cultivated by the farmers today belongs to the so called "winter grain". This grain is sown in October-November and is harvested in June-July. It has high yields, thin husks, short bristles and is resistant to low temperatures.
But in the past it wasn't like this. Most grain cultivated by our ancient ancestors was the so calls "spring grain". This grain is sown in February-March and is harvested in July-August. It has lower yields, thick husks, long bristles and is resistant to high temperatures.
The spring grains are the original old grains of the first farmers. They grew better in poor quality soil. They were resistant to diseases and were very good in completing with weeds for nutrients. Basically much better suited for primitive agriculture. As can be seen from this next chart is from the book "Local, intensive and diverse?: Early farmers and plant economy in the North-East of the Iberian Peninsula (5500-2300 cal BC)" by Ferran Antolín.
In my post about Early Neolithic Starčevo culture site Blagotin, I talked about how Serbia seems to have been the place where first farmers from Anatolia learned how to grow grain in continental climate of Europe. Pic: clay grain seeds from Blagotin temple.
Serbia is full of alluvial plains formed along rivers, which are flooded every year, and are ideal for primitive agriculture. And the schedule of annual floods which replenish nutrient on these Serbian floodplains favours spring grains.
In "Farming regimes in Neolithic Europe: gardening with cows and other models" by Valasia Isaakidou, we can read that:
" Sherratt and Kruk rejected slash-and-burn cultivation for Early Neolithic temperate Europe, partly because of growing evidence that early (LBK) settlements (as opposed to individual houses) were much long-lived and partly because concentration of habitation along rivers removed both the opportunity (scope for repeated clearance) and need (rapid depletion of soil fertility) for such a farming regime (Sherratt 1980, 315–16). As well as expanding the geographical scope of the fl oodplain cultivation model, Sherratt also now elaborated on how it would have worked. Annual flooding in late winter-early spring replenished nutrients and water supply. As the ‘self-cultivating’ soils dried out, cracking promoted aeration and seeds were spring-sown by broadcasting in the cracks, rendering digging to plant and cover the seed redundant. Labour-intensive weeding, manuring, digging, and even initial forest clearance would have been unnecessary. "
Sooooo, right at the moment when Winter (The Witch) gets killed, right at the beginning of Spring, is the time when spring grains are sown. So grains of wheat do seem to kill the Witch.
In the Balkans, even though spring starts in February, cold weather can last until well into March. Witches are hard to kill. So even though grains of wheat mortally wounded winter, it is Easter (spring equinox) which is when people can start singing "Ding dong the witch is dead".
Oh and guess who gets resurrected every Easter? The "bread of life" of course.
- 1 Real Teammate
- All Witch positions
- All Gamemodes
Other methods included hanging, drowning, and even crushing under heavy stones. These brutal methods of extermination were carried out in public, serving as a warning to others and reinforcing the fear of witches. The belief in witchcraft and the need to exterminate witches was deeply ingrained in society. It was often fueled by religious beliefs, particularly in areas where the Church held significant influence. The Church considered witchcraft as a form of heresy and a pact with the devil, making it a sin against God. This further facilitated the persecution and extermination of witches. The witch trials reached their peak during the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in Europe and the American colonies. It is estimated that tens of thousands of individuals, mostly women, were executed during this time. However, as skepticism and rationality began to prevail, attitudes towards witchcraft gradually changed. The Age of Enlightenment and advancements in scientific knowledge reduced the belief in witches and led to the eventual abolition of witch trials. Today, the concept of witches has lost much of its terrifying connotations. Witches are often associated with folklore, mythology, and popular culture rather than being seen as real threats. However, the brutal history of witch persecution serves as a reminder of the dangers of superstition, intolerance, and mass hysteria. The extermination of witches stands as a testament to the darkest aspects of human nature and a lesson in the importance of critical thinking and justice..
Reviews for "Witchcraft and Economic Development: Exterminating Barriers to Prosperity"
1. Jane - 1 star - I found "Exterminate the Witch" to be a complete disappointment. The plot was predictable and lacked any originality. It felt like a cheap attempt to cash in on the witch trend that has been going around. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth or complexity. Overall, it was a waste of my time and I would not recommend it.
2. Mike - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Exterminate the Witch" after hearing so many positive reviews, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The writing style was dull and lacked the descriptive language needed to bring the story to life. The pacing was slow, and it felt like the plot dragged on unnecessarily. I also found the dialogue to be stale and uninteresting. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not read it again.
3. Lisa - 2.5 stars - "Exterminate the Witch" had potential, but it failed to deliver. The story started off promising, but it quickly became repetitive and cliché. The main character was unrelatable and made decisions that were frustrating and unrealistic. Additionally, the world-building was lacking and left me with more questions than answers. Although the writing was decent, it wasn't enough to save the book from its overall mediocrity.
4. Mark - 1.5 stars - I really struggled to get through "Exterminate the Witch". The plot was convoluted and confusing, with too many unnecessary twists and turns. The author seemed to rely heavily on shock value and violence, which I found off-putting. The characters were poorly developed, and I didn't care about their fates at all. Overall, this book was a disappointment and left me feeling unsatisfied.