Witchcraft Magic And Superstition In England Summary

In the book, ‘Witchcraft, Magic and Superstition in England, 1640-70, the author, Frederick Valletta, writes about the political and moral struggles that the English people were facing before, during and especially after the English Civil War in 1651. He claims that the social upheaval caused by the war, together with the collapse of censorship provided ample opportunity for the emergence of various religions sects and cults. Running parallel with the social and religious upheaval was an increased belief in the potence, power and influence of the devil and witchcraft(2). The belief in witchcraft received new impulses because of the general agitation of religious ideas and the tendency of participants in the Civil Wars to resort to imagery drawn from beliefs about the devil and witches. Valletta also claims that the use of Astrology also became an issue, especially wives seeking to know whether their husbands were dead or alive during and after the war, as well as people wanting to know what side of the war to fight, Parliament’s or the King’s, or whether it was even safe for …show more content…
Witchcraft victims and accused witches were rarely strangers, They were usually known to each other for many years. Usually, the accusations of witchcraft coincides with the person having a bit of misfortune and needing someone to blame so as not to put the blame on themselves. Valletta uses the example of the story of Mary Childerhouse in 1651. She had alleged that someone that she was once acquainted with and others had plotted the ruin of her estate and of her body by ‘enchantments and witchcraft’(194). Unfortunately for Mary, she did not have the evidence to support her claims so the case was dismissed. Cases like this were very common and even though there might not be enough evidence to support the accusation, the damage was already done. This led to lynch mobs, whose lynchings were often pardoned by the