After reading ““The Malleus Maleficarum” I wasn’t
shocked, but impacted by the hypocrisy that women of the time faced. First,
lets take into account the fact that if an accused person admitted to
witchcraft they would be sentenced to death (209). It seems natural and necessary then for the
accused to keep quite in hopes of self-preservation, however that only goes so
far because they have reasons as to why a woman will stay silent. Kramer and
Sprenger explain, that in regards to silence they attempt to get a confession
with a threat of torture. They believe that the only way a witch will confess
is either by “God compelling the devil to withhold his help from the witch”, or
by “the devil sometimes of his own will permits them to confess to the crime…” (210).
If these women do not confess to the crime of witchcraft, then they will be
questioned and tortures in attempt to extract the “truth” (212). The most puzzling
question that I cannot figure out is how can they be innocent? If they are
silent because their innocent or silent because they are guilty, how can they
be found to be anything but guilty at all?
The same situation is present in
regards to crying. In “The Malleus Maleficarum” Kramer and Sprenger claim one
of the standards of being a witch is the inability to cry when asked, believing
that the Devil will not allow a person involved in witchcraft to cry (215).
There is a credibility issue among this situation when Kramer and Sprenger
claim witches may be able to cry on occasion, stating “But it may be objected
that it might suit with the devil’s cunning, with God’s permission, to allow
even a witch to weep; since tearful grieving, weaving and deceiving are said to
be proper to women” (215). So how can women be witches if they cry, and witch
if they don’t?
I’m curious as to how the women of
the time felt about the situation. Were they scared that if they spoke out they
would also be accused of witchcraft? Or were they involved in accusing, not
knowing the dangers until they themselves are accused?
To me this seems like the biggest
damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. The people being accused are
in a lose/lose scenario since regardless of how they respond to the test, they
could keep being tested until they could be exposed as a witch.
This was seriously a scapegoat!!!! It's so disgusting and so freaking true. I feel so bad for the innocent people that must have been charged with witchcraft. You could easily get accused if you weren't liked, but you had an even better chance if you were just a woman. Ridiculous.
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