Witchcraft historical records provide fascinating insights into the beliefs, practices, and persecution of individuals accused of practicing witchcraft in the past. These records document a dark chapter in human history, where thousands of men and women were falsely accused, tortured, and executed for alleged connections with the devil and the ability to perform supernatural acts. The earliest known records of witchcraft date back to ancient Mesopotamia, where clay tablets were found detailing rituals and incantations designed to either summon or banish spirits. Throughout history, witchcraft was intertwined with religious and cultural beliefs and practices. For example, in ancient Greece and Rome, witches were seen as independent practitioners of magic, often using herbs and potions to create spells and charms. In the Middle Ages, however, the perception of witches changed, and they were seen as malevolent individuals who had made pacts with the devil.
In the Middle Ages, however, the perception of witches changed, and they were seen as malevolent individuals who had made pacts with the devil. One of the most infamous periods in witchcraft history occurred during the European witch-hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries. Thousands of men and women, mostly women, were accused of witchcraft and subjected to horrific trials and executions.
A brave and plucky witch
In 1939, the alien Neuroi invaded, seizing control of most of Europe by 1944. Conventional weaponry simply cannot handle their tech, so special leg-mounted flying units were designed for use by witches, whose magic allows them to penetrate the Neuroi's defenses. Squadrons of witches from around the world were formed for the ongoing battles against the Neuroi, and one such squadron is the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing. Hikari Karibuchi's elder sister is a famous hero from that squadron, and as a witch herself, she seeks to follow in her sister's footsteps. Unfortunately, she's barely competent with only stamina on her side, so she must defeat an ambitious classmate to earn the right to battle. Brave Witches is an original anime work and can be found streaming on Crunchyroll, Wednesdays at 2:05 PM EST.
How was the first episode?
Nick Creamer
Rating: 2.5
The Strike Witches franchise is so deeply imbedded at a certain crossroads of otaku interests that it can be bewildering just to sit back and take stock. The fact that this is technically a WWII-era drama, but that all the complexity of that era has been funnelled into “everyone versus the nebulous CG monsters.” The fact that magic exists in this world, but is only relevant to magical teen girls, who do all of this world's meaningful fighting. The fact that those girls must wear ridiculous propeller-legs modeled after actual WWII planes. The fact that none of this world's scientists have invented pants or skirts suitable for women, and thus all combat must be conducted in swimsuits or underwear. The fact that witches spontaneously sprout animal ears and tails whenever they don their mecha musume kink-suits.
It can be a lot to take in, and the butt parade is very good at robbing the series of any potential emotional impact. Fortunately, this episode provides plenty of time to digest the inherent assumptions of the Strike Witches universe, because nothing that actually happens is at all interesting or unpredictable. This premiere is an extremely basic “hero hears the call” prologue, where our new lead Hikari fights to prove she can fly alongside her war hero sister in Europe. Hikari is the worst in her class, she's taunted by the class ace, they ultimately have a race-off to determine who goes to Europe, and Hikari's unique skills (in this case, apparently knowing how to get wet without losing speed in the air?) cause her to be chosen as the special deployment. It's a functional but entirely unexciting opening to the series - a basic genre setup told without flair or distinction.
Brave Witches ’ aesthetics are also largely just functional. The character designs are a mix of cute young girls and grizzled old military men, and the backgrounds aren't much to speak of. The direction and animation are unremarkable, and the CG used for the flying sequences is pretty bad. CG is traditionally terrible at depicting human characters instead of just machinery, so the fact that the “airplanes” here are little girls with no pants means the limitations of CG are constantly on display. In particular, the sequence where Hikari and her rival flew between some battleships looked like something out of a past-its-prime videogame.
But I'm not sure how much of that really matters, in the end. This is the new Strike Witches series - if its particular blend of butts, biplanes, and basic storytelling is your jam, then it is here for you.
Paul Jensen
Rating: 2.5
While the two shows are pretty far apart in terms of genre and tone, Brave Witches has at least one thing in common with WWW.WAGNARIA!! besides airing in the same season: both shows are franchise sequels that can be approached with little or no background knowledge. There's a new cast of characters for this latest witchy outing, and the story looks like it stands on its own. I've only seen a few episodes of the original Strike Witches , but I didn't feel like I was missing anything here. Aliens bad, witches good, pants conspicuously absent. As long as you've got those three pieces of information in your head, you're up to speed.
As an alternate history action series, Brave Witches is off to a decent start. Hikari isn't the most complex heroine in the world, but her persistently earnest personality makes her fairly easy to like. She's also got a plausible motivation in wanting to emulate her older sister's wartime heroics, and I like the decision to put the two of them together early on instead of making her sister into some sort of abstract goal for Hikari to chase. This episode gets off to a Slow Start with Hikari only getting the green light to go to Europe at the very end, but the training exam does at least help establish her personality.
My primary complaint at the moment is with the questionable fashion choices that this franchise is known for. The whole “no pants ever” thing doesn't really bother me when the characters are zipping through the sky and blasting aliens; the airplane leg ensemble is hardly the silliest outfit an anime character has ever worn into battle. It's in the rest of the series that it starts to get on my nerves. The show plays it straight in terms of plot and character development, and there are a couple of scenes that are emotionally compelling right up until the moment that a wide shot reminds us that nobody finished getting dressed that morning. The visuals get so out of sync with the tone that it's hard to take anything seriously.
Of course, looking to a relative of Strike Witches for serious wartime drama is a bit of a fool's errand. If you're going to watch Brave Witches , watch it for the mix of action and fanservice . It's a reasonably good-looking series, and it has a good grasp of how to make the act of flying look exciting. There's also a strong possibility that the story will get more interesting once Hikari finds some supporting characters to fly with. If you're able to meet the show on its admittedly odd terms, it should be a reliable source of entertainment.
Theron Martin
Rating: 3.5
Although Brave Witches is a spin-off of the well-established Strike Witches franchise (which focused on the 501st JOINT FIGHTER WING rather than the 502nd), its first episode suggests that it is intended to be a gateway for newcomers to the franchise . After all, it takes its first couple of minutes to explain the setting and scenario which was laid out in the original series and its eyecatch fills in the necessary details on the nature of magic in this world (or does it as well as the original series did, anyway). The story progresses smoothly on its own, with the only reference to the original series being a newspaper article about Mio Sakamoto which also shows Yoshika (the protagonist of the original series) in the background. And really, you don't even need to know who they are to get the point of the scene: that Hikari has spotted someone roughly her own age from her own country who is involved in the war effort and takes some inspiration from that.
The first episode entirely focuses on establishing Hikari and the basic scenario, so there is no combat and the actual action is limited to a couple of innocuous flight scenes and the qualifying exam against the other girl who wants to be sent to Europe. This reveals that Hikari, while every bit as plucky as Yoshika was, is also an entirely different character rather than just a rehash. What she lacks in raw power and skill she makes up for in exuberant stamina and she doesn't seem averse to the notion of fighting. She also volunteers instead of being recruited and is seeking to follow in her sister's footsteps rather than succumbing to the call of duty. That should mean that we'll get some at least somewhat different personality dynamics once Hikari joins up with, and starts interacting with, the 502nd.
Evaluated strictly as a stand-alone, the first episode does an efficient job at establishing its story, characters, and premise while also giving viewers tastes of what to expect. The technical merits are also pretty sharp, with the exam in particular being an impressive display of moving perspective as the contestants zoom between and around naval ships. The fan service that the original series was known for is back, though at least in this episode it takes a more modest approach. And yes, the “no pants” thing which is the central conceit of the whole franchise is still around.
Overall, this is looking like a pretty promising start. I wasn't a huge fan of the original franchise but I am cautiously optimistic here.
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A vision of grace, wisdom and strength of character, Queen Elinor is fiercely dedicated to the well being of her family and kingdom. As the measured, diplomatic counterpoint to her more impulsive husband, King Fergus, Elinor carries the weight of the kingdom on her shoulders in order to maintain the fragile peace between the volatile clans. Elinor strives to instill in Merida the knowledge and manner of a royal, expecting complete commitment to Elinor’s standards. But her vision of her daughter’s future is at odds with Merida’s rebellious spirit and desire to forge her own path, which ultimately causes Elinor to face calamitous consequences.
These witchcraft records provide valuable insights into the social and political environment of that time, as well as the methods of prosecution and the mindset of those involved. One particularly well-known collection of historical records related to witchcraft is the Malleus Maleficarum, or the Hammer of Witches, published in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger. This influential book served as a guide for identifying, prosecuting, and punishing witches, and it fueled the hysteria and persecution of alleged witches during the witch trials. Witchcraft records also shed light on the methods used to extract confessions from accused witches, which often involved torture and inhumane treatment. These records indicate that confessions were often coerced through physical and psychological torture, leading to false admissions of guilt. While witchcraft historical records paint a grim and disturbing picture of the past, they also allow us to understand the beliefs and fears of the people who lived during those times. They serve as a reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria and the importance of fair and just legal systems. In conclusion, witchcraft historical records provide valuable insights into the beliefs, practices, and persecution of individuals accused of witchcraft throughout history. These records reveal the social, religious, and cultural contexts in which witchcraft accusations and trials occurred. They also highlight the methods of prosecution and the mindset of those involved, offering a somber reflection on human history and the need for justice..
Reviews for "Witchcraft in Colonial America: Insights from Historical Records"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Witchcraft historical records". The book made a lot of bold claims about the history of witchcraft, but I found the evidence to be lacking. The author seemed to rely on anecdotal stories and rumors rather than solid historical research. I was hoping for a more scholarly approach to the topic, but instead, I got a book full of sensationalized tales. As someone interested in learning about witchcraft's true historical origins, this book fell short for me.
2. Michael - 1 star - "Witchcraft historical records" was a complete waste of my time. The author's writing style was all over the place, making it difficult to follow the narrative. It felt like a jumble of random facts and opinions thrown together without any coherent structure. Additionally, there were numerous spelling and grammatical errors throughout the book, which made it even more frustrating to read. If you're looking for a well-researched and well-written book on the history of witchcraft, I would recommend looking elsewhere.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Witchcraft historical records", but unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. The author seemed to have a biased perspective on the subject matter, presenting witchcraft as purely evil without acknowledging its cultural significance or historical context. The book lacked depth and failed to provide a well-rounded understanding of witchcraft throughout history. I was left feeling dissatisfied and wanting more from this book.