Why are Pagans and witches looked on as being Evil

[Pagan Man]

I am Pagan and I consider that my path goes back to the beginning of time unlike many of the more popular Christian religions. Witches of the medieval and Neoclassical Era's were in the main the village wise women who again did far more good than evil as the Most Haunted team would like us to believe.

I believe most of those persecuted and murdered had little if anything to do with witchcraft and many were nothing more than scapegoats and others getting revenge after fall outs name them as a witch and revenge is yours.

[3littlecats]

I realise this may make me sound a little odd, but hey, I am, so it doesn't matter! I am fascinated by crime/punishment from the 1600's onwards, and I have read about people, mainly women, being accused of witchcraft and murdered as such, simply for caring for animals, having a family member that has been ill recovering, or even having chickens that laid more eggs than is usual! On top of that I think you are spot on right Pagan Man, with people getting revenge for fall outs and the like.

[openminded irishwoman]

I was VERY interested in listening to what Chris Conway said - as a previous poster above said - this Robert was saddened as his acts meant that the accused was sent to death... even though some members of the team were getting concerned due to "witchcraft" Chris didn't take the bait and remained true to his own gifts.. hats off to him... as always I am amused and bemused of people who are scared in meeting those in spirit who only did good works... I'd be far more terrified in meeting those in spirit that ended lives through torture and inhumane executions...

[openminded irishwoman]

blackannis - the Fellowship of Isis is based at Huntingdon Castle in the village of Clonegal in Co Wexford (not on an island!) Here is the link for their group which I hope you find as interesting as I have done.

http://www.fellowshipofisis.com/

[blackannis]

(02-15-2010 08:56 AM)Pagan Man Wrote:  I am Pagan and I consider that my path goes back to the beginning of time unlike many of the more popular Christian religions. Witches of the medieval and Neoclassical Era's were in the main the village wise women who again did far more good than evil as the Most Haunted team would like us to believe.

I believe most of those persecuted and murdered had little if anything to do with witchcraft and many were nothing more than scapegoats and others getting revenge after fall outs name them as a witch and revenge is yours.

I know an aweful lot about the history of witchcraft and of neopagan religions (i'm a spiritualist) even though they are connected to something much older, they are still relatively new religions. They are also not 100% the same religion of the predecessor, especially seeing as many of the neopaganist religions were prehistory. (for anyone who doesnt know what i mean by that, history is considered to began when the written language emerges and things start to get documented. Anything before is considered archaeology, and the religions of the Neolithic, Bronze age and Iron age are archaelogical.) As Archaeology was a science that truely and passionately grew in the 19th century, most of what these religions were in the past, and what we know of them now, are interpretations that grow from analysis during the 18th. Archaeologists still only interpret what they believe were the customs and beliefs of the past, and our idea's today are a lot different to those of our 19th century counterparts. archaeological findings of the 19th century along with an interest in Theology, spiritualism, heritage and anthropology is what made interest in ancient beliefs grow and the reemergance of old religions. Wicca emerged in the early 20th and was popularised in the 1950's and is the newest of the lot. its a form of modern witchcraft with differenciates it from the Witchcraft of the past.

Most of the witches killed during those two periods were innocents caught up in jealousy and hatred. The history of Edinburgh can give you an insight into the ideals that made people accuse others of witchcraft. Some were only the local wise woman or herbalist that a member of a village might have simply disagreed with or didnt take their meds properly and accused them of witchcraft or trying to kill them to get rid of them. But it is important to remember that there is evidence of satan worship during these era's that were not just conjured up by the church or the legal jurisdictions. There are evidence of horrific crimes done through an abuse of wtichcraft and rituals. Not everyone who gets involved in witchcraft have good intentions. I'm sure the most haunted team arent trying to make witchcraft nothing but evil, they are just going in search of the ones that were considered to be evil.

[blackannis]

(02-15-2010 08:49 AM)Pagan Man Wrote:  

(02-11-2010 10:52 PM)blackannis Wrote:  There's an island in the west of Ireland that houses an Isis community. They did a documentary a few years back on it. fasinating!

Oh and the nitpicky Archaeologist in me needs to point out that if you are refering to "pagan gods" as in the Tuatha De Dannan, their origin is in Celtic era (Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age) which is 2500-3000 years old. Isis and the Egyptian gods origin is somewhere around 3000BCE, (Late Neolithic, early Bronze Age), which would make it way over 5000 years old. If you mean Gaia, her origins are mainly greek, and Mycenaean Greek ( if i recall correctly) which was c1300BCE (Mid Bronze Age)...
Sorry Pagan i hope i dont come across a rude by pointing this out. I'm just finicky when it comes to time frames and dates etc.

I think you will find paganism goes back long before Ireland had man living on it as far back as the stoneage man worshipped Pagan gods or so I have read I was not around at the time.

Isis was a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshiped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the patron of nature and magic. She was the friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, the downtrodden, as well as listening to the prayers of the wealthy, maidens, aristocrats and rulers.Isis is the Goddess of motherhood, magic and fertility.

I would have liked to have seen the documentary I would have been very interested.

No you do not come across rude at all. Sharing information is how we learn and I welcome your comments.

Thats Paganism Pagan Man, not Neopaganism. There is a major difference when discussing the two. And i know who Isis is. (just wrote a big rant on it in your other thread on witchcraft/ evil.

Wexford! thats right! thanks for that OI! Dont know where i got the island in west from. I've seen that many documentaries i've probably gotten two mixed up!

[openminded irishwoman]

Thank you blackannis..

I don't know where I "fit in" amongst beliefs - currently reading the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche which I have found very interesting, and also mirrors your comments on written language and also as to WHO wrote those documents... (their own beliefs, not yours or mine..)!!

[blackannis]

(02-15-2010 12:46 PM)openminded irishwoman Wrote:  Thank you blackannis..

I don't know where I "fit in" amongst beliefs - currently reading the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche which I have found very interesting, and also mirrors your comments on written language and also as to WHO wrote those documents... (their own beliefs, not yours or mine..)!!

Yes its very difficult to interpret historical documents too. They can be very biased.
The Dalai Lama's Art of Happiness is a good book.

[Believer2009]

A few good points there blackannis and ive learned more about witchcraft from you guys than reading any books! But it still keeps me guessing as to why the team seem to be looking mainly for the "evil witches" i.e. the pendle witches and why when people mention witchcraft they instantly think of them as being evil old hags who want to cause misery - i know that many members on here havent said this, but i few people ive come across have. What alot of people seem to forget is that its not only evil witches that have done terrible things over the years, we only have to look at the Christian Crusades and some of the things we did there or look at the Roman Catholic Church and the things they did to silence people who were against the ideas of God. Could it be because of the church alot of people were killed - heretics who said there was no god, thereby being accused of witchery and then being burned simply to keep the churches "ideal"? Sorry if i went of an a tangent there but im just curious to know.

[blackannis]

the church was a major factor in witch hunts across Europe. What separates parts of Britain and Ireland from the rest of Europe was that we have always remained quiet superstitious and influenced by Myth and legend.