Hi Ben,
I think there was more to the women-witch connection than just xenophobia
though I agree with you about the connection of the satanic and the other.
Carolyn Merchant has an interesting chapter on women and witches/nature and
disorder in her book "The Death of Nature". Please forgive me if the book
has already been mentioned, I haven't been following this particular thread.
Good luck,
Meira.
>Dear Tina,
>In reply to your letter:
>
>>I'm sure you are already aware of this particular path of investigation
>>but there are quite a few books written about "women-oriented" religions
>>that encompassed the use of natural forces, natural plants, etc. such as
>>the Druids, witches, and many others, who were extremely supressed, even
>>persecuted by mostly male-dominated societal leaders.
>>
>>I believe the men in power, especially during the middle ages, were afraid
>>of the results (healing, etc.) of the women practising these religions and
>>didn't want the knowledge passed on because it would have detracted from
>>their own leadership abilities.
>>
>>Two books that come to mind are "The Crucible" (even more detailed is a
>>specific book I read about Tituba, the Jamaican slave who was using herbs
>>for healing and was the first woman accused of being a witch in Salem) and
>>another book I don't have right at hand but I believe it's called "The
>>History of Feminine Consiousness."
>>
>>Good luck on your paper. There are a lot of resources. Keep in mind that
>>many Native American tribes were/are Matriarchal in composition, as well.
>> As we destroyed the land, we also destroyed the people who used the land.
>>
>
>Although I don't deny anything you have said, I do not know if there is
>proof that the men in power in the middle ages specifically persecuted these
>women because they were women. One simply has to look at the way members of
>all other religions were persecuted during the middle ages to understand
>that there was a basic xenophobia that existed during that time and anyone
>who was different was considered satanic. The case of the Jews is typical in
>that the Jews were persecuted for differing reasons, often as a scapegoat
>for the terrible conditions that people lived under at that time, rather
>than being a specific threat to the leaders of the time. It would seem that
>if men had been practising the same nature-oriented religions as these women
>they too would have persecuted because they were different.
>
>Thanks,
>Ben.
>
>
