ANST - previous threads ... keltoi / religion / holy-days

[Paul Mitchell]

Galen here!

cougar17 at swbell.net wrote:
> 
> My apologies for any inaccurate context of the last post, I only got the
> information from a magical box sitting on my dresser, and relayed the
> message through another magical box sitting on my desk! :) hehehehe!
> just thinkin about how *WE* would have been perceived....back then!
> Thank you for your input on this. Most Americans think that the Witch
> hunts STARTED in Salem. I did...until last week. I knew it had european
> influence, but didnt know the whole story. I had always thought that the
> Salem witches were burned as well. Please tell more...for some reason,

There are a lot of myths about witches and witchcraft, including
that they don't exist, that they're all women, or that only women
were ever persecuted for witchcraft.  Likewise, only a tiny minority
of those persecuted for witchcraft were actually trying to practice
any sort of witchcraft.

In fact, Salem is one of the last "major" witch persecutions, only a 
few years after the SCA period.  To get us back on-topic a bit, I 
recommend a look at a series of witchcraft trials that involved 
men almost exclusively.  Find it at: 
<http://www.trantex.fi/staff/heikkih/knights/portcull.htm>  This is a 
page about the Knights Templar, who were destroyed by a series of 
witchcraft trials as vile as any you've heard of, probably politically-
motivated.  Click on the "dungeon" button.

> this has peaked my interest, and I would like to learn more. You appear
> to be knowlegable on the subject. Do tell, Do tell! :) I love learning
> about history. (Uh....well DUH!!...I'm an SCAdian, and watch the History
> and Discovery channels on a regular basis!! hehehhe!! :)
> 
>                                                 Cougar!!
> 
> P.S.---> I received your response within 2 munites of sending that post,
> how the HECK did you get it so fast??

The internet is just that fast.

It wouldn't have taken that long, but I had to stop and consider whether
to involve myself in a topic that for many is highly-charged
emotionally.
Back when I was a pagan, I realized that while pagan ritual could be
very beautiful and spiritually satisfying, pagan scholarship,
particularly
regarding history or etomology, often left much to be desired.  

It's rarely safe to get the history of a movement from the
movement itself, or from its enemies.  I wouldn't trust a 
Vatican history of the Catholic Church, nor a pagan history of
the Church, to be especially accurate.  Likewise, I don't have
so much faith in either the Republican _or_ Democrat parties to
give me the history of either.
 
> Paul Mitchell wrote:
> > A minor correction.  No alleged witches were burned at Salem.  19 were
> > hanged.  One was pressed to death.

And for anyone who really is where Wolf pretends to be, "pressed to
death"
means they lie her down on a platform of stone or wood, put a board on
top of her, and start putting rocks on the board.  And keep it up until
she dies.


> > >                                                 Cougar!!
> >
> > - Galen
> > pmitchel at flash.net

- still Galen
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