When
I began reading chapters 4 and 5 for Monday (and my presentation), I kept
wondering, what is with the obsession of witches killing babies? I mean,
seriously. Why? Apparently, in order to be qualified as a witch you need to
kill children and consume their flesh. Satan’s orders! I’m sure that is what
every witch out there loves to eat, a nice boiled kid with some garlic and
onions, a side of baked potato and possibly some kale to keep things healthy.
Everyone loves kale. It’s a nutritious and leafy food. Yum yum in the tum tum.
Now I’ve gone off tangent…
Anyways,
in several of the excerpts including Bernardino of Siena, Johannes Nider,
Claude Tholosan, and Nicholas Jacquier, the action of infanticide are
described. While we will discuss the issue of infanticide during my group’s
presentation on Monday, I figure I’d touch upon some of it now. I find it
fascinating how the writers carry the idea that witches set out to kill
children in order to create balms/salves to kill people. Wouldn’t it be just as
easy for them to slip some nightshade berries into their pie?
The
psyche behind blaming witches for the deaths may be resulting from the high
child mortality rates. People wanted to blame ‘witches’ for killing their child
instead of blaming natural causes or themselves. They latched onto the witch
hysteria and automatically used them to disguise their anger towards God for taking
their child. It probably felt like a sin for people to even consider blaming
God for their misfortunes. After all, he was the being they feared, admired and worshiped to help guide them through the tough times.
One
of my favorite lines from Johannes Nider is, “We then remove them secretly from
their graves and cook them in a cauldron until their flesh, cooked and
separated from the bones, is made into a powerful liquid” (157). The detail
paid into how the witches prepare the children is slightly disturbing. While
Johannes is recounting what a captured and accused witch told him, it remains
an interesting segment of thought. Even the accused corroborated with this idea
of witches devouring children.
Another
rather humorous action the followers of Satan needed to do was kiss the ass of
the devil (160) or drink his urine (164). These actions would show their
obedience to Satan and their utter disrespect and hatred of the Christian
religion. I have to admit I laughed when I read this because of the absurdity
behind it. Yet, people during the time probably felt this was a very real
action committed by the devil’s followers. I mean, if they ate children and
participated in orgies, they must also willingly kiss the ass of the devil.
