The question of "which came first" is a common topic of debate and curiosity, touching upon various aspects of life, culture, and history. From the origins of the universe to the development of technology, many different subjects can be explored through this lens. In terms of the origins of the universe, the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, is often pondered. While there is no definitive answer, the question serves as a metaphor for the concept of cause and effect and the cyclical nature of existence. Moving to the realm of biological evolution and the natural world, the debate about which species came first is another intriguing topic. Evolutionary theories posit that life on Earth began with simpler organisms, such as single-celled organisms, and gradually evolved into more complex life forms over millions of years.
Evolutionary theories posit that life on Earth began with simpler organisms, such as single-celled organisms, and gradually evolved into more complex life forms over millions of years. This suggests that the first life forms to emerge would have been simpler, and more advanced species developed later. Another area where the question of "which came first" arises is in technological advancements.
History Of The Witch: Her Story
Halloween can be traced back to the celtic festival of SAMHAIN, which marked the end of harvest and to prepare for the hard winter ahead. There are many traditions around this time of year, some that go back hundreds of years. A part of Halloween season is dressing up, and witches seem to go hand in hand with halloween - but why? I wanted to look at where the term “witch” came from and what is the history of this feared being.
One of the first places we see witches come into recorded history is the Bible (931 B.C. and 721 B.C.) The story is of King Saul who looked for the Witch of Endor to summon the dead prophet Samuel’s spirit and to help him conquer the Philistine army. The witch did show up, and did indeed rouse Samuel’s spirit, but she foretold the death of Saul and his sons. And the next day, Saul’s sons died in battle, and Saul committed suicide.
In other Old Testament verses, it cautions and warns against witches “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
These stories may have likely made worshippers question and fear witches, seeing that witchcraft was evil and associated with the Devil.
In the 400s, Saint Augustine of Hippo, who was influential in the church, argued that only God had the divine power and witches or Satan did not have the power to match. The church had decided that they need not fear witches or bother investigating witchcraft further.
Then came along Thomas Aquinas in the 1200’s , who believed magic existed. He spoke of Satan and his demons could tempt people into harmful magic, using sex. Upon reading some of this history, it’s frankly disturbing how fascinated the church was with sex and seeing it as dirty - better blame the women then! This act was linked to witches.
Later, we see that the people in power who prosecuted witches, had often quoted Aquinas more than any other source.
This delightful rulebook (please note my sarcasm here!) was written by Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer and first published in 1486. Malleus Maleficarum - translation - “Hammer of Witches” agrees with Aquinas’s beliefs and its purpose was to gather up Satan’s tempted humans, who were used sexually and now they are all demon-y and yucky and must be destroyed….or something to that effect!
This book argued that the weaker gender a.k.a women - were more likely to succumb to the temptations of the flesh and demons far easier than men.
After the publication of this rulebook, about three quarters of the people prosecuted as witches were women.
Now came the witch hunt - everyone was scared/intrigued about witches, that during the 1400s the pursuit of witches was in full force. Across Europe this spread, using the book as a reference - women were accused, under torture and then executed. We see from accounts that in particular the women who were targeted were either opinionated, single women, widows, healers, and midwives too!
Between the years 1500 and 1660, up to 80,000 suspected witches were put to death in Europe. Around 80 percent of them were women thought to be in cahoots with the Devil and filled with lust. In Scotland, from 1500s to the 1700s, the number of accused witches reached four to five times the European average. Shocking! I used to live in a coastal town on the east coast called Pittenweem, which aside from its beauty is known as a place that trialed witches. Also if anyone has been to Edinburgh, we see their blood thirsty history does have witch trials also. I think in Scotland we are a god-fearing people, or at least we were a god-fearing people! So even though the idea of witches started off from the Catholic Church, during this time of the high witch trials - Scotland was moving to Protestantism. As people were urged to convert to the faith, witch hunts were encouraged by King James who ruled at the time, stating that he himself was a subject of witchcraft when he came back from his wedding voyage.
For example, in the field of telecommunications, the question of whether the telephone or the radio came first is a subject of interest. Some may argue that the telephone, with its invention by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, came before radio communication, while others may point to the experiments of Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi and their work on wireless communication as evidence that radio came first. Similarly, the development of other technologies, such as the light bulb, the automobile, or the computer, presents similar debates about the chronology of innovation. In the realm of historical events, the question of which came first can shed light on causality and the interconnectedness of events. For example, the complex web of events that led to World War I, including the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, can be analyzed to determine the causal factors and the sequence of events that ultimately led to the outbreak of war. Understanding the chronological order of events can provide insight into the causes, consequences, and potential future outcomes of historical events. In conclusion, the question of "which came first" is a fascinating topic that can be explored from various angles and perspectives. Whether it be the origins of the universe, the development of life, the advancement of technology, or the sequence of historical events, pondering the order of occurrence can lead to a deeper understanding of the world around us..
Reviews for "The big question: Which came first, the Big Bang or the universe?"
1. Sarah - 2/5 - I really tried to get into "Wktch Came First" but unfortunately, I found it to be quite confusing and disjointed. The plot seemed to jump around without much explanation, leaving me feeling lost and disconnected from the story. The characters were also poorly developed, making it difficult to engage with their journeys. Overall, I was disappointed and couldn't finish the book.
2. John - 1/5 - This book was a complete letdown. The writing style was choppy and hard to follow, making the story feel jumbled and unclear. The lack of a coherent plot made it difficult for me to stay engaged and I ended up abandoning the book halfway through. The author's attempt at suspense and mystery fell flat, leaving me underwhelmed and disappointed. I wouldn't recommend "Wktch Came First" to anyone.
3. Emily - 2/5 - I was excited to dive into "Wktch Came First" based on the intriguing synopsis, but I couldn't help but feel let down by the execution. The pacing was incredibly slow, dragging the story along and making it a struggle to get through each chapter. While there were moments of intrigue, they were overshadowed by the lack of character development and poor dialogue. As a reader, I found it difficult to connect with the story and ended up feeling unsatisfied with the overall experience.
4. Michael - 2/5 - "Wktch Came First" promised a thrilling and captivating read, but unfortunately, it failed to deliver for me. The writing style was too convoluted, making it hard to understand the main plot and subplots. The author seemed more focused on trying to be clever with his prose than telling a coherent story. The lack of clear direction and weak character development left me disinterested and uninvested in what was happening. Overall, I found "Wktch Came First" to be a frustrating and confusing read.