THE DARK ERA OF WITCH HUNTS

Throughout history, ignorance and fear have caused people to do cruel things. One of the most tragic examples of fear and misinformation was the witch hunts. Witch hunts, historically, were the trials and punishments of women accused of witchcraft in Europe and the Americas during the Middle Ages and the early Modern period. This is the period from the 15th to the 18th century, in which tens of thousands of people were accused of collaborating with the devil. People suspected of being witches were tortured and killed.

The background of this problem lies in humanity's ignorance. Diseases and natural disasters could not be explained due to a lack of awareness. People were afraid, and they were looking for a culprit for an explanation. Superstitions, unexplained deaths, or animal diseases were directly linked to witchcraft and curses. People believed that witches used dark magic to harm others.  Other than that, religion was playing a crucial role in daily life. The scholastic thought that was dominant at that time prevented people from questioning and hindered the development of science.

Throughout the history of witch hunts in Europe, approximately 75-80% of those accused of witchcraft were women. Back in the Middle Ages, gender discrimination was seen all around the world. Women were considered inferior to men in society. Medieval scholarship, inheriting from the Greeks, viewed women's bodies as more exposed to the outside world; medieval theology saw women as being more sinful. Generally,  women who were living alone, people interested in medicinal herbs, and those who seemed different from society, or sometimes completely innocent people, were accused of being a witch.

The most famous event occurred in a town in America named  Salem in 1692. The Salem witch trials were local court trials held in the counties of Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693, in which a group of people accused of witchcraft was tried. After the strange behavior of the young girls, panic spread rapidly throughout the town, leading to accusations against many innocent people. Throughout the trials, more than 150 people were arrested despite not being sought by the authorities. 29 of the accused were found guilty and burned at the stake. 14 of them were women among all.

In conclusion, witch hunts were not only terrifying events of the past, but also powerful lessons showing how fear and misinformation can drive people to cruelty. Even today, people are still blamed without any evidence. The cancel culture on social media can be considered a “modern witch hunt”.