The Burning times

 

Ah the burning times, what a contentious topic! What was the period referred to as "The burning times", and what does it mean to the modern Witch? Well here goes my findings & conclusions...

"The burning times" is a period in history when a great many men, women and children were tortured and put to death (often burnt alive - hence the term). There is a great deal of debate as to how many people were killed, and for how many years it went on for. I have read a great deal on the subject, and have concluded the following basic specifics:

	The period when most individuals were put to death was roughly 100 years, from 1550CE - 1650CE. Although it is reported that people were persecuted in this fashion from the 14th - 18th centuries CE.
	All those tortured, drowned, burned, and buried alive were ACCUSED of Being a Witch, or for practicing the craft. In actual fact, most of  those poor souls had no affinity to Pagan practice.
	Men women and children were all victims, with approximately 25% being men.
	Many countries in Europe largely escaped the burning times: Ireland executed only four "Witches;" Russia only ten. The act affected mostly Switzerland, Germany and France.
	Figures vary anything from as few as 50,000, to as many as 9 million individuals put to death. I believe the figure to be around 100,000 - 200,000
	Most of the victims were tried & executed by local/community courts, (not by the Church).
	The reasons to accuse individuals seem varied, from Christian fanatics attempting genocide to further their own agenda's, to political manoeuvres, and even personal vendettas. Fear and superstition also played it's role.

My Thoughts

After reading so many different "facts" on this period in history, and what it means for today's Witches. I have come to believe the following:

The records kept from those times are at best, unreliable and probably biased. Any acts committed such as these are obviously crimes against humanity, and I don't believe you have to be pagan to acknowledge that. What I believe it specifically means to me as a Witch, is to be thankful I have entered the earth at this time and place. In Australia, (and the rest of the free world), freedom of religion, and the right to my own beliefs relatively free from persecution is a privilege I am grateful for, and not something I take for granted. It reminds me what others have sacrificed to afford me this free will. Sadly there are many places in the world where people are still persecuted for choosing a spiritual path that is different with the practice and control strategies of the governing bodies of that country.  We do still however, have a long way to go to dispel the myths, inaccuracies and outright lies spread about Witches, and Pagans in general. I don't believe using this period in our history furthers anyone's "cause", as there are just to many inconsistencies in the facts. The numbers themselves are a big issue. The tragedy is deep on every level, but I do believe reports that the number executed is in the millions to be unlikely. That doesn't make what happened any less heartrending. I urge you to do your own research, and draw your own conclusions.

Note: For those of you who may not be aware, "CE" stands for "Common Era", also referred to as "AD" (Anno Domini). Conversely, "BCE" stands for "Before Common Era", and is also referred to as "BC" (Before Christ)   

BC & AD are especially used as a reference in the Christian community and are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and (the latter succession) Gregorian calendars. This calendar era is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus of Nazareth, with AD counting years after the start of this epoch (reference date), and BC denoting years before the start of the epoch. There is no year zero in this scheme, so the year AD 1 immediately follows the year 1 BC. This dating system was devised in 525, but was not widely used until after 800