Witchcraft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Witchcraft - Essay Example There are various cases in which this supernatural aid is usually invoked, to awaken the compassion of love that are desired, to compass the death of any obnoxious person, to call up a dead person, or to bring calamity upon rivals, enemies and opponents. Witchcraft has been done by numerous people in nearly all the periods of world’s history. The traditional belief is that not only of the dark ages but also the witches and wizards of the post-reformation times were addicted to such practices and they entered into a compact with the Satan, adjured Sacraments and the Christ, observed ‘the witches sabbath’; they paid divine honor to the ‘king of darkness’ and in return they got from him supernatural powers like harming their chosen victims, doing what they desire to, for instance, riding through the air on a broomstick, and willing to perform any service which is needed to fulfill their nefarious purposes. (Thurston, H. 1912) During the Middle Ages and even today at times, witchcraft is performed by witches as an act of healing and curing illnesses. These Witch-healers were at times the only general medical practitioners for people who had no facility of doctors and hospitals and were terribly affected with poverty and diseases. Even the church itself had very less to offer the suffering peasantry yet the Witches healers were even killed as well as accused of helping and healing. A witch-hunter puts it as: â€Å"For this must always be remembered, as a conclusion, that by witches we understand not only those which kill and torment, but all Diviners, Charmers, Jugglers, all Wizards, commonly called wise men and wise women†¦and in the same number we reckon all good witches, which do no hurt but good, which do not spoil and destroy, but save and deliver†¦It were a thousand times better for the land if all Witches, but specially the