Medieval graffito of a pentangle from St James the Great Church, Aslackby, Lincolnshire Through careful archaeological survey, researchers have been able to find traces of this ritual protection in historic buildings. Statistics from the law courts show that the majority of those accused were marginalised women, living on the edge of society.Īn extension of these fears was that folk from all sectors of society sought to ward away the threat of evil from their property. Witch trials became distressingly common, with the alleged malefactors accused of using black magic in a variety of perceived crimes. So difficult were the problems that people began to look towards external, supernatural factors as being responsible for their troubles. This turbulent time witnessed social, political, economic and religious upheaval. Demons, evil spirits and witches were genuinely believed to be stalking the land, intent on wickedness. The reality of supernatural evil was almost universally acknowledged during the 16th and 17th centuries. In a curious passage from his 1597 witch-hunting manual, James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) expressed the widespread fear in early modern Europe that the Devil could take possession of a building. King James VI of Scotland, Daemonologie, 1597Īn image from The Wonderful Discoveries of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip Flower, printed in London, 1618 ‘THE DEVIL… WILL COME AND PIERCE THROUGH WHATSOEVER HOUSE OR CHURCH, THOUGH ALL ORDINARY PASSAGES BE CLOSED, BY WHATSOEVER OPENING THE AIR MAY ENTER IN AT’ Our expert, archaeologist James Wright, leads the way It’s almost Halloween – time to dip into the past and explore the ways we once protected hearth and home from demons.
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