A Brief History of Witch-Hunting

The Ordeal of Iron

As early as the 12^th-Century, division was made between magic used for good and maleficia, as practiced by witches and sorcerers. Even under Alfonso the Wise (ca. 1275), any person could accuse another of sorcery before a judge and if that party be found guilty, the sentence was death. It was not for a few more centuries that this would erupt into a national fervor, attributed largely to influential clergymen who insisted the guilty be burned in fiery rhetoric and widely-distributed texts such as the Malleus Maleficarum.

Maleficia refers specifically to the Dark Arts - the diabolical and malignant. While the popular modern notion associates witchcraft with spellcasting, amulets, potions, and poisons were witches' stock-in-trade. The mythology that emerged surrounding witches included the ability to fly, enter homes, shapeshift, and kidnap children. This stereotype may have been holdovers of the Grecian Strigae and other mythical figures.

While there were prior Inquisitions, none were as wide-reaching as the Spanish Inquisition of the late Middle Ages. While it is true that many died during this turbulent period, mostly innocents, reliable sources are sparse - there is a reason it is known as the Dark Ages. The accused were predominantly women attributed abilities such as causing disease, interfering in married couples' relationships, and damaging crops or livestock. Many sources suggest a conspiracy amongst the medical community of the time to uproot midwifery but while this may be generally true, it is hardly the whole story. The average layperson believed in magic being used for both beneficial and maleficient purposes; it was amongst the Ecclesiastical elite that all sorcery was considered diabolical and it was they who called for the deaths of those found guilty of such crimes.

Trials by Ordeal were severe and involved some form of torture, such as The Ordeal of Iron, during which the accused was forced to hold red-hot irons while onlookers assessed the severity of the wounds.The most common in America was the Trial by Water, in which the accused was bound and dunked in a body of water. Important to note that, in many places, if a person was found guilty, her possessions were divided amongst her lord and her accuser - so there is no doubt that some of these accusations were financially-motivated.

Witches came to be thought of as a sect - an organized community directly opposing Christianity which gathered by night to worship the Devil. Pope [antipope] Alexander V condemned them as a secret organization which "perverted Christendom" in his 1409 Papal Bull. There had been at least one trial of a witch in the late 14^th-Century but the craze really took off in the 15^th-Century.

© The Weirding, 2015

Goblin Blamed for Explosion, Housefire

A traditional healer (witchdoctor) was paid $15,000 to dispose of a goblin a local businessman had captured and wanted to be rid of once it started making extreme demands. According to stories collected from the scene of an explosion, the lead witchdoctor beheaded the goblin. As the businessman went to get the money from his car, the witchdoctor called out that the goblin was "fighting back." Shortly thereafter, a mysterious blast rocked the house, damaging a dozen other homes nearby.

The goblin was apparently supposed to improve the businessman's finances. At least one eyewitness claims some victims expired due to the blast and all reports indicate that several were injured.

© C Harris Lynn, 2012

Salem Witches Want to Help Charlie Sheen

Christian Day, a spokesperson for area Salem witches, says the group is going to try to help Charlie Sheen through witchcraft. Apparently, the group took umbrage to Sheen's use of the word "warlock" to describe himself, but decided against cursing him.

"Charlie Sheen is not a warlock, for a warlock is a wise person who understands the ways of the spirit world. No truly wise person would betray their own soul the way that he's done," Day told reporters.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Romanian Witches Face Punishment if Faking It

A proposed law in Romania would find witches in danger of jail time and/or a fine if their predictions prove inaccurate. This year, the Romanian government recognized witch as a legitimate profession. Witchcraft in Romania is an ancient custom still revered in modern times.

The new law would require witches to file for permits and be judged by the accuracy of their predictions. Witches across the country were already disappointed with the ruling change, as it means they are now taxable, but this proposal brought forth spells against the government.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Kenyan Authorities Hunting Serial Killer Cult Leader

"I managed 17 and there were 83 to go," 32-year-old Kenyan, Philip Onyancha, confessed to police.  Onyancha says he was recruited into a cult by a teacher who told him to murder 100 women and drink their blood "for good fortune."  Onyancha has lead police and media around the country for three days, taking them to the sites of unresolved murders, uncovering four bodies, and closing many cases for police -- though many Kenyans are suspect, believing authorities are finding a convenient end in Onyancha to too many unsolved cases.

Meanwhile, the female teacher he claims recruited and instructed him is nowhere to be found.  She no longer works at the school Onyancha attended and was not at work Thursday.  Her whereabouts remain unknown.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Decapitated Body Sacrifice to Blood-Thirsty Goddess

Police say the decapitated head and naked torso of a man found on the steps of a temple to the goddess Kali is a sacrifice to the goddess. Kali is the Hindu goddess of time and change, and is considered a bloodthirsty deity. She is most often depicted wearing a necklace of human skulls. Followers who offer her human sacrifices expect to be rewarded with fertility, health, and wealth.

While human sacrifice is obviously illegal in India, it does occur. Authorities say there is a thriving underground of secret ceremonies in which humans are sacrificed "to propitiate the gods." A three-year old boy was sacrificed to gods just a week ago. It was the second child sacrifice in the region in as many months.

Beliefs in witchcraft and the practice of black magic is predominate in rural areas, where people are poorer, and often desperate to change their plight. However, last October, two high-ranking scientists in Gwalior allegedly attempted to murder a junior co-worker as a sacrifice! In fact, experts say belief in black magic is on the rise, worldwide.

The victim found at the temple had his forehead smeared with vermilion and was surrounded by flowers and incense - certain indicators of a ceremonial sacrifice.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Child Sorcery

Now, child sorcery is a growing problem in the DR Congo. As The OddBlog continues to report, the Congo is one of the areas in the world where claims of witchcraft are not only taken seriously, but often lead to murder. Of course, the Congo is also one of the pockets of the modern world in which proclaimed forms of "witchcraft" or "sorcery" is still practiced; this is one of the places where albinos are dismembered so their body parts can be used in bizarre rituals.

Activist spokespersons say there is no sense of community or family in the Congo, which makes it easy for the disenfranchised to single-out those with few or no rights. In 2008, some 100 cases of "child sorcery" were reported; in 2009, that number grew to 450. Unicef's Alessandra Dentice believes this can be explained by a growing awareness of the situation in the area, but also knows how serious such allegations can be - many accused "child sorcerers" are burnt, exiled, or killed.

Many charities have taken-in children found abandoned on streets and in the wilderness, cast aside by family members, neighbors, and friends because of something as simple as a family member having fallen ill. One child was accused of sorcery after he and a friend saw a zombie movie and began play-acting one of the scenes. The other child ran away and spread the rumor that his young friend was actually a sorcerer. The young movie-goer was forced into exile to avoid death by burning. These orphans are threatened, not only by life on the streets without supervision, but by stoning and attacks from other villagers.

Even though it is now illegal to accuse children of witchcraft, the law is not enforced. Many priests, local authorities, and even government officials not only believe in sorcery, but force the accused into "confessions" through intimidation, trickery, and outright violence. Yes, these are, of course, Christians.

The law took activists eight years to get on the books, but it has not stopped the accusations. Activists say it is helping, though. They hope their media and word-of-mouth campaigns bring serious, and long-lasting, change to the region.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Ancient Magic: Circe

Circe (Oliver Wetter)

Circe is one of the oldest and most powerful of wizards. She was also one of the many evil sorceresses who bedeviled the era's heroes at every turn -- and Circe was particularly vicious. She was a feared sorceress known for her skill with herbs, drugs, and potions, and had a fondness for transforming her victims into animals whom she, in some versions of the legend, then ate.

Circe lived alone on the island Aeaea, which was overpopulated by swine, wolves, and bears -- many of which once were sailors Circe had lured to her island with her singing. In one particularly evil display of power, Circe set upon a beautiful, young nymph named Scylla. Circe desired Scylla's shepherd lover, so she snuck down to the river where the nymph bathed each morning and poisoned the waters there with an emerald-green potion poured from a large, crystal bowl.

When Scylla entered the river, the waters churled! Emerald-green tendrils emerged and pulled her under, where she was transformed into a horrible sea-creature which became the bane of sailors throughout the area. Scylla continued to reign on her wooded isle, later turning many of Odysseus' crew into pigs, but the tale does not mention the coveted shepherd's fate.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

New Series: Ancient Magic

Odin One-Eye

Today's headlines too often center on claims of witchcraft, sorcery, and injustices in the name of various religions which prohibit a belief in or practice of actual "magic." But ancient societies the world over believed in magic as an everyday element, and those who practiced it were considered wise and learned. True, some used their magic for selfish -- and often ruinous -- reasons, but it wasn't until the advent of Christianity and Islam that what was once considered magic became known as "witchcraft," and its practitioners -- both old and new -- came to be slandered as evil.

Ancient society's earnest research into such magical fields as astronomy and alchemy laid the groundwork for the scientific work which followed. Even today, archaeologists and researchers routinely uncover new pieces to ancient history which suggest our ancestors knew far more than modern scholars credit them. Much of this knowledge was considered magic, or sorcery, until about 300 years ago when Western Thought underwent an Age of Enlightenment.
In this series, we will examine some of the stories which comprise the rich mythology of magic in the ancient world, along with lists of spell ingredients and their reputed effects, and more. At various times throughout history, Man has believed we live alongside alternate dimensions, such as Faerun, and men and women possessed of supernatural powers walked between them. 

Ancient Magic will recount some of these tales, and examine these concepts.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Saudi Arabian Sentenced to Death for Witchcraft

From the Vaults:

A Saudi Arabian man has been sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft after he made "psychic predictions" on TV from his home. Arrested over a year earlier while on pilgrimage, the man joins three others awaiting death for the same offense, including a woman who was arrested for making predictions. Two of these were arrested in the same month as the accused, Ali Sibat. Reports indicate officials coerced Sibat into "confessing" to communicating with spirits in return for his freedom, which was never granted; instead, he was sentenced to death for practicing sorcery.

Saudi Arabian law has no specific definition of "witchcraft," and the New York-based Human Rights Watch activist group claims officials use it as a catch-all to unjustly convict anyone engaging in any activity deemed "un-Islamic."

Human Rights Watch accused Saudi Arabia of "sanctioning a literal witch hunt by the religious police" - a practice of which all Islamic countries are guilty. The group is calling for the Saudi Arabian government to overturn these convictions and abandon the death sentence in such convictions. Amnesty International is said to have taken-up the cause, as well.

104 of the 140 people on death row in the country are foreign. One of those convicted of sorcery is an Asian man who "used his powers" to solve a marital dispute. Another is said to have defaced a copy of the abominable Qur'an.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

50 Needles Tall

A Brazilian toddler is in critical condition after his mother rushed him to the hospital. Once there, doctors discovered 50 needles in the child's body! While his mother claims she has no idea how the needles got there, doctors have ruled-out ingestion, as needles were found in his abdomen, lung, and leg. Some reports have suggested the situation may be somehow related to witchcraft or "black magic."

Police are investigating.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Sex Change Curse

A letter recently published in a New Zealand newspaper warned whomever stole a flower pot from outside a home in Gulf Harbour that s/he was about to suffer a gradual sex change. Apparently, the flower pot contains the ashes of the writer's grandmother, who also happened to be a witchdoctor. She surrounded the area with sex change icons which will cause the thief to slowly switch genders.

The author of the letter said he was a medium who was in contact with his grandmother's spirit, but she could not direct him to the makeshift urn because she was unfamiliar with the area to which it had been moved.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Four More Albino Killers Set to Die

The Tanzanian province of Shinyanga found four men guilty of murdering an albino man and dismembering him, then selling his head and limbs to self-professed "witchdoctors," who ground them up and used them in the manufacturing of "magical potions" meant to bring the consumer wealth. The sentence follows that of three others, also sentenced to die, for the similar murder of an albino boy. All parties are expected to appeal.

While some feel the death sentences send the right message, thousands of albinos still live in fear throughout Tanzania and the surrounding regions. Many note a larger crime syndicate is at work and want those men to be arrested and convicted.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Witches in India Beaten, Forced to Eat Excrement

In the remote, Indian village of Pattharghatia, some believe that certain clerics are possessed of the Holy Spirit which grants them the knowledge as to whom amongst them is a witch. Too often, those accused are widows, targeted for their land.

This is believed to be the matter in a case involving five widowed, Muslim women, who were stripped naked and paraded about on a playground in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses - not one of whom lifted a hand to end the women's suffering. A video shows an angry mob viciously striking the accused "witches" before they are stripped, paraded about, and forced to eat human excrement.

When the video came to the attention of the larger population, India was outraged. A police force swept into the tiny village, arresting four and taking the abused women into protective custody. Police filed grievances against 11 people, including six women.

Hundreds of women accused of being witches are killed in India each year.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Tanzania Endangers Another Albino Victim

Corrupt Tanzanian officials have ejected a 28-year old albino woman from a safe house because they claim "no albinos have been attacked in [her village] in the last year." The woman lost both her hands in an attack, then courageously identified her attackers - who have yet to be brought to justice! While the mutilated woman's attackers have been captured, they have not been sentenced and may be released without further notice.

Luckily, a wealthy businessman who heard her story has opened his home to her for a year, Her father and four siblings, all of whom were living in the safe house village with her, are not so lucky; they have no choice but to return to the village where the attack occurred. They fear reprisal - especially since some of the attackers were found "not guilty" and they, and their relatives, live in the village!

The OddBlog has been covering this story for over a year now and I simply cannot believe the rest of the world is allowing this to go on! Tanzanian officials are some of the most ardent supporters of the witchdoctors whose "potions" are made of albino body parts. These officials, and the rest of this country, should be condemned!

This is a heartbreaking saga of mutilation, ignorance, and racism which the rest of the world has chosen to overlook. It sickens me; it truly makes me physically ill.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Death for Albino Witchdoctors

A Tanzanian court has sentenced three to die for the brutal killing of a 14-year old, albino boy. His legs were dismembered and sold for use in spells cast by witchdoctors meant to bring forth wealth and affluence. This is the first conviction since the murders began in earnest a few years ago. Tanzania's legal systems are notoriously corrupt.

While some experts say the sentences might curb some of the violence, others do not. The killers will appeal the verdict, but regardless of their conclusion(s), the market for albino body parts is simply too large and too strong to be stopped by a handful of executions. There have been over 50 albino murders in the region since 2007.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Messages from Dead Lead to Clairvoyant's Arrest

A self-proclaimed sorceress from Nizza Monferraro, Italy has been arrested for defrauding a young seamstress of nearly $35,000 through her cellphone. The young woman was seeking her father's advice and his approval of her upcoming marriage. Unfortunately, her dad was a little dead. So she consulted the Sorceress of Nizza Monferraro, who sent her text messages and claimed they were from her father.

When the young woman confided in a friend as to the amount of money it was costing her to hear her dead father's advice, her friend told her 2 TXT 911.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

War on Drugs Uncovers Human Skull, Blood-Spattered Walls

Police raiding a suspected drug dealer's house in Bridgeport, Connecticut were shocked to find a grisly scene in the basement, where a human skull was found amidst blood-spattered walls. An alligator's head and a dead chicken were also discovered. Police believe the alleged drug dealer(s) were practicing Santeria.

The drug bust was considered routine until the religious site was uncovered in the basement. It shocked veteran policemen, one of whom said he did not want to disrespect anyone's religion, but he had a job to do. The religious artifacts were seized.

A professor of religion and international studies said the owners were likely casting protective spells, most likely protection from police and/or competing drug dealers. Possession of a human skull "isn't that unusual," the professor said, "but actually shows a great deal of respect."

A neighbor added a lot of people in the area practice Santeria or sorcery, and he sees nothing wrong with it.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Tanzanian Albino Trials Begin

12 people are on trial for murdering albinos in Tanzania. The OddBlog has been bringing you reports of the situation: self-proclaimed "witchdoctors" in the African country are concocting and selling potions purported to make the imbiber wealthy. The potions are made of various ingredients, the most gruesome of which is ground bone from an albino. Over 40 regional albinos have been killed in the last 1¹/₂ years, alone.

While there have been numerous arrests, there have been no convictions. Affluential businessmen are said to be the witchdoctors' primary clientele and local police are among the most corrupt in the world. A single potion goes for thousands of dollars in a country where the average annual income is less than $300. Money like that buys a lot of "justice."

Now that the tragedy is getting major media attention worldwide, the ritual killings have abated to some degree these last few months, but albinos are far from safe. Entire families have been hacked to pieces inside their homes, as each part of their body can bring thousands of dollars. Their graves are cemented over to prevent tampering. There are more than 15,000 albinos in the area.

Last month, a similar trial started in neighboring Burundi. It involved a group of 11 men.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Spain Holds Voodoo Pimps

A little over two weeks ago, Spanish authorities arrested some 23 men following raids on 10 houses in which they seized computer equipment, materials used in Voodoo rituals, and passports. The men are accused of supplying the European sex trade with Nigerian women forced into prostitution by threats of "Voodoo curses." The average age of the girls being trafficked is said to be between 12 and 18 years.

In February, Spanish authorities received a complaint from a Nigerian woman who claimed to have been one of the men's victims. She told police the men practice black magickery and frighten their victims with threats of "destroying their souls" or "making them crazy." Some women were transported by roadway into Libya then smuggled into Italy by boat, while others were approached in European hostels from which they disappeared. Some 150+ girls disappeared from hostels in Europe in 2006 and 2007. About a dozen were recovered; the rest are thought to have fallen prey to human traffickers. The money the girls make prostituting is kept by the criminals until their debt (for smuggling them into the country) is paid. The average cost is just under $70,000.00.

Somewhat ironically, many of the trafficked women were branded witches by their villages, who threw them out of their homes and abandoned them. They were promised high-paying jobs and marriage to good men in Europe, but first had to swear an oath in a cemetery. Their fingernails were cut and pubic hair shaved, then their clothes were seized and a sanitary pad with their menstrual blood was collected. These items were ceremoniously placed in a shrine as "wicked incantations" were recited. The girls were told both they and their families would die, should they try to escape or expose the criminals. So fervent was their belief in this magick that few of the girls would leave their lives as European prostitutes when offered escape.

Some of the girls have sex with as many as 30 men a day in an effort to pay off their debt quicker. Madams encourage this by telling them the sooner they paid-off their debt, the better it is for them and their families.

11 men are awaiting trial in the Netherlands for these very practices, following their arrest in March of this year. Arrests involving Voodoo curses used to force girls into prostitution in Europe date back to at least 2007.

The OddBlog will have more on this and will follow the story closely.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009