Medieval wizards and witches were regarded with caution. The medieval age’s cultural and theological beliefs strongly ingrained the view and treatment of people believed to possess supernatural skills or affiliations. Although there was a certain amount of intrigue and dread associated with both wizards and witches, there was a clear difference in the way society and authorities perceived these two groups. Wizards were regarded and treated better than witches.
Medieval Wizards and Witches
People frequently associated wizards with smart men and intellectuals, believing them to possess magical knowledge and intelligence. Their skills were often associated with astrology, natural history study, and the search for esoteric knowledge. Despite the mistrust surrounding their methods, wizards frequently found acceptance and even reverence in some areas, especially among the nobles and educated elite. People periodically sought them out for their competence in divination, alchemy, and the interpretation of cosmic happenings. People saw their skills as a source of direction and insight (Lehotsky, 2016).
Conversely, people viewed witches with far greater fear and animosity. People primarily associated witches with women from lower social classes, believing them to form alliances with evil spirits and engage in evil deeds such as hexing and cursing people. People feared witchcraft due to its perceived threat to society’s moral fabric and its close association with certain religious beliefs. Both secular and religious authorities viewed witches as a threat that required elimination, leading to widespread persecution and the historic witch trials that erupted throughout Europe (Castle, 2005).
There were other circumstances that contributed to the unequal treatment of wizards and witches. First, women’s perceived vulnerability to seduction and the power of malevolent forces underscored the importance of the idea that witchcraft was primarily a feminine phenomenon. The belief that witches constituted a threat to the established order and the identification of witches with lower social classes also influenced the harshness of witches’ persecution. Conversely, people from higher social classes more frequently associated wizards with men, viewing their skills and knowledge as less dangerous and sometimes even advantageous.
The notion that witchcraft was inherently wicked and the pervasive misogynistic views of the era encouraged the persistent hunt for and harsh treatment of accused witches. Authorities frequently used torture and execution to apprehend and punish individuals suspected of practicing witchcraft. However, despite occasional disdain, authorities typically granted wizards greater discretion and less severe penalties for their deeds.
Many famous historical figures faced accusations of witchcraft or magic during the Middle Ages. Roger Bacon, an English philosopher and Franciscan friar, faced accusations of sorcery despite making significant contributions to disciplines such as optics through his scientific pursuits. Some blamed Gerbert of Aurillac, later Pope Sylvester II, for supposed necromancy because of his sophisticated mathematical understanding and inventions that he had taken from Arabic experts. When Scottish scholar Michael Scot wrote books on astrology and alchemy, some claimed that his knowledge of those subjects was only necromancy.
On the other hand, the Church accused a number of well-known individuals, particularly women, of being witches who practiced demonism and heresy. Alice Kyteler, a wealthy Irishwoman whose numerous marriages incited distrust from the Church in the first part of the thirteenth century, was among the first. The English ultimately found the renowned Joan of Arc guilty and executed her on charges of idolatry and witchcraft. Gilles de Rais, a former friend of Joan of Arc, was hanged in connection with a notorious case in which he was accused of killing multiple children in a series of murders motivated by sorcery. In 1634, allegations of using witchcraft to induce demonic possession led to the torture and execution at the stake of a French priest named Urbain Grandier.
During this period of religious fanaticism, allegations of witchcraft or sorcery may result in brutal punishment even for persons of relatively high standing, even if some claimed wizards were recognized intellectuals and thinkers. Medieval European society was characterized by sexist attitudes and ingrained occult fear, as evidenced by the treatment of accused wizards differently than accused witches.
The Church, Wizards, and Witches
During the medieval era, the Church significantly influenced the perception and treatment of both wizards and witches, despite the significant differences in their positions. The Church’s stance toward wizards was noticeably more accepting, despite the distrust that persisted. Many wizards were thinkers, philosophers, and scholars, their studies in fields such as natural philosophy, alchemy, and astrology pushing the boundaries of knowledge. The Church perceived some of these activities as exhibiting excessive secular study at the expense of spiritual wisdom or as straying into the occult (Fleming, 2013).
The Church did not, however, categorically denounce wizards, as many of them were either clergymen or had connections to the Church. Despite facing criticism, individuals such as Michael Scot and Roger Bacon were able to maintain their status as aristocratic patrons or members of the church. The Church made a distinction between “demonic magic,” which involved summoning evil spirits, and “natural magic,” which originated from the study of nature and ancient philosophy.
The Church, on the other hand, adopted a much harsher position about witches, viewing them as heretics engaged in malevolent sorcery, devil worship, and pagan idolatry. During the era of pervasive misogyny, people viewed witchcraft as a particularly feminine weakness, believing women to be more vulnerable to the devil’s temptations (Pócs, 2003).
This viewpoint was formalized by works such as the Malleus Maleficarum, which was written in the fifteenth century and served as the theoretical foundation for the widespread persecution of witches. It depicted witches as conceited, sensual beings who sold their souls to demons and partake in heinous acts such as the desecrating of sacred symbols and the sacrificing of infants (Murray, 1976).
Equipped with this theory, the Church gained prominence as the main initiator of witchcraft prosecutions throughout Europe. Searching through communities for any “suspicious” women, inquisitors tortured and tried them, using coerced confessions as justification for cruel burning at the stake executions. This set off a centuries-long period of brutal witch hunts and trials.
Thus, the Church’s ingrained fear of witches as heretics and Satan’s minions enabled the widespread dread, brutality, and murder of those accused—especially marginalized women—despite occasional criticism of wizards for their excessive research. The church hierarchy encouraged the execution of tens of thousands during this horrific persecution.
Conclusion
Throughout the Middle Ages, views and treatments of wizards and witches varied greatly. Witches faced extensive persecution and cruelty due to fear, religious convictions, and deeply rooted societal stereotypes, while wizards often received reverence for their knowledge and skill. This discrepancy is a striking reminder of the enormous influence that social and cultural prejudices can have on how people see and treat those who share comparable traits or abilities.
References
Castle, M. J. (2005). Wicked witches or worldly women? Gender, power, and magic in medieval literature. American University.
Fleming, J. V. (2013). The dark side of the Enlightenment: wizards, alchemists, and spiritual seekers in the age of reason. WW Norton & Company.
Lehotsky, C. (2016). Wizards. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC.
Murray, A. (1976). Medieval origins of the witch hunt. The Cambridge Quarterly, 7(1), 63-74.
Pócs, É. (2003). Why witches are women. Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 48(3-4), 367-383.
Leave a Reply