WITCH TRIALS
If a man has put a spell upon another man and it is not justified, he upon whom the spell is laid shall go to the holy river; into the holy river shall he plunge. 
If the holy river overcome him and he is drowned, the man who put the spell upon him shall take possession of his house. If the holy river declares him innocent and he remains unharmed the man who laid the spell shall be put to death. He that plunged into the river shall take possession of the house of him who laid the spell upon him. (The code of Hammurabi)
We have all heard of the Salem Witch trials but what about those which occurred in Europe?…resulting in 40,000 – 100,000 executions. Here are some macabre witch trials from France, written by Karen:
Berry, is an historical province in France. Having been the capital of Bourges. The inhabitants are known as Berrichonne. This region has a very rich history of witches, dating from 1450 – 1700. These traditions of “evil practices”, shift-shaping and the foulest forms of magic were there can be no doubt were being practiced extensively throughout the countryside in that era. Three notorious witches being, la Crèancier, la Ducatel, la Loysel and a warlock named Picault.
In Berry the practice of witchcraft in the middle ages was subsient to small isolated villages. The country people are very superstitious. They have strange creatures called “Brittes”, or a dangerous pack of wolves that poison the cattle. “Brittes” wore wild boar skins or wolves’ skins on their shoulders, and they haunt the countryside; There is a head “wolf” who commands the pack and they are said to dance in the light of the moon.
Witch Trial in France
Witchcraft in France can be dated as early as 1275. An inquisition was created at this time. The trials of the inquisition led to some being banned from the area or worse yet - beheadings. Trials occurred between 1275 – 1400. The majority of the early trials were of Bishops and aristocrats, who were accused of using sorcery against King Louis X. In 1390 authorities became involved with the inquisition, bringing the cases before a court of law. During the 15th century, many accused, saw the death penalty. It was reported that more than 100 women and 50 men were burned alive for being a witch. This happened between 1428 – 1450.
The inquisition was responsible for a witch-hunt which resulted from the torture 
of several accused witches, 
who in turn confessed the identities of other supposed witches… charging them guilty. The accused were then forced to walk down the street in clothing associated with heretics, where they were then burned alive. The inquisition also had a habit of tricking people into other confessions by promising that if they co-operated, they would be set free.
Practicing medicine at this time without a permit could also put you into the category of being a witch. The case of Felix Thorel, who claimed to have been influenced by a white witch. He believed he was possessed with powers to create unexplainable occurrences and was put on trial for being a witch. After a trial his powers could not be proven, so he was allowed to go free.
A well known trial in this area was that of Madame Desle, she was accused of being a witch. Her trial was brought upon by the inquisition. The importance of this trial proved how powerful the inquisition was. The case was built upon gossip and he said/she said. Accusations brought up by her neighbors claiming that she was the cause of their misfortune. As a result she was hung and her body burned.
Parliament was also used in witch trials, where the law was used to prove guilt. Torture was used because they believed that the spirit of a person could be seen through this method. The case of Jehenne de Brigue who was accused of using witchcraft to heal another. Jehan de Ruilly was quite ill and it was believed that he was ill because of a spell cast upon him by a lover. The accused denied being a witch, but confessed to using charms, forgetting to say the Lord’s Prayer. It took a bit of time but she finally admitted to being a witch, during her sentencing she told authorities that she was pregnant. THIS WAS NEVER PROVEN; This is when the torture began and she was fastened to a ladder where she confessed to helping to kill Ruilly with the help of his wife. Both women were bound together and burned.
So if you are ever in Berrichonne, stop by the famous witchcraft museum located on an ancient farm dating to the XIX century. Witchcraft is part of everyday life in Berrichonne.
The Iron Maiden torture device. Inside were spikes covering all the interior. A suspected witch was put inside and then the door shut.
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By Karen, copyright 2009 @ World Mysteries And True Ghost Tales.
What a brilliant article Karen, it is so interesting. I wonder how many people were really witches, bet there were so many unjust deaths in those days.
As if you wouldn’t confess with some of the tortures they used in medieval times. That thumb screw was turned slowly until your thumb popped. And the spiked chair was turned gradually so the spikes slowly entered your body, it took days to die.
Thank you for publishing my article, yes I agree under those torture devices anyone would be willing to say anything! The one I find sad is the woman who was accused and burned because her neighbors said she was the cause of their misfortune!
I know, so basically, if you don’t get on with your neighbours you could get accused of being a witch, it must have been so frightening living in those days, all it took was someone to bad mouth you!
It never ceases to amaze me the ways that some people come up with to torture another human being. I think it was Thomas Jefferson that said, “we are the only animals that seek to destroy each other”….not sure if it was him that said that, but it is something that has always stuck with me.
Karen, this is an amazing article….thank you for sharing it here. It is necessary to know that things like this have happened…to acknowledge its evil and to (hopefully) cease it from happening again.
I’m not lying when I say this but there are alot of people here in my town that think I am one HONEST, I don’t know why SUPERSTISIONS ! ha ha!
Thank you scary, still today people in this town are so superstitious that they still believe in some strange things!
OMG really? Why do they think that, is it because you’re foreign do you think?
I think we’ve hopefully seen the last of tortures like this, unless things turn around again with the supposed end times.
I too can’t get over how people can sit there, or lay in bed and think, ‘yeah, what a great torture that would be’. They’re just evil!
I have no idea, even the “local witch” that owns the bookstore that sells tarot, crystals, satanic books ect……. lights a white candle when I go into her store! People ask me who’s the witch her or you? I find it funny though!
It’s a good job you can see the funny side, alot of people would be upset by that…the rotten so on so’s!!
Just think, you’d have been on trial (and very likely me too) if it was a few hundred years ealier…yikes!!!
I know could we of at least took our glass with us LOL!
They would have had to torture me to make me let go of mine, ha!
LOL me too darling, I ain’t going without it!
They would of had to put that thumb tortoure device on my hand to get it out!
I knew you wouldn’t Eddie darling, you’re too strong to cave in to those thumb screws! cheers!
I was just watching a T.V. program about the Salem Witches.
How horrible it was and how so many innocent people were killed, because of the lies of two young girls. People were put to death for not being part of the Main. If they didn’t attend church on a regular basis or were just a little bit strange. Neighbor turned against neighbor if they had a personal vendetti against them. It was a really scary time.
Gee I’m glad there isn’t witch hunters today. With all of the psychics and weird people in my family, we would be called witch’s also.
Don’t forget me….I’ll get tortured with you guys! I’ll bring the bottle….
I think a lot of the witch paranoia came from men being threatened by women’s intelligence…that’s always been my opinion. I learned a little about the Salem witches when my mother was in a local production of “The Crucible”….and she told me of the ridiculous ways that they decided if a woman was a witch. And any woman who had a gift of self-expression or knowledge of herbal remedies…well, of course that meant they were a witch.
Isis, don’t feel bad…..the town I live in has always called me the “hippie witch” …I rather like the notoriety!
Nancy, I know which programme you mean.
So that’s you as well as Isis, Scary and me, we all would have been burned…:( I’m so glad we weren’t alive then!
Scary,
Ha ha I need to go out and buy 50 pounds of silver jewelery and dress all in black………….. I have no idea where they got that notion from………..I don’t even dress like that and I swear maybe only twice I gave someone the evil eye LOL
Ha ha Scary, we couldn’t forget you!
My ex hubby once asked me if i was a witch, not because i’ve ever practised black magic, but because i once did something that was bizarre, but that’s only between close friends!
Oh Yeah, the evil eye always does it Isis!
EP,
Yes I know and you should see mine……..if looks could kill………ha ha! So glad to hear that we’re not alone, we would of been burned together!
Yours is bad too darling…my daughter’s hide when i’ve got that look… they swear my eyes turn red, ha!
Yes, it’s a “moms thing” when they’re acting up in public and you give them “that look” oh they know they’re in trouble!
You missed out the *evil* mom’s thing’ ha ha…cheers Eddie!
Oh yes sorry ” evil mom who has been accused of being a witch thing”!
It’s usually people who are so judgmental who say such things and think they are holier than thou!
Why don’t you prop a broomstick outside your door and really give the little gossips something to talk about, ha ha!
I agree with Nancy, if you were’nt part of the Main then they persecuted you back in that era and time, they were very religious, not so much because of their belief’s, but because the church was actually threatening them to stay in line and anything out of the ordinary was considered taboo. They said they went to the US to start free religion but ended up doing the opposite and persucuting those who didn’t have the same ideas.
You’re both pretty much spot on, here is what it says in Wikipedia about the Salem witch trials:
“The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before local magistrates followed by county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex counties of colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. The episode has been used in political rhetoric and popular literature as a vivid cautionary tale about the dangers of religious extremism, false accusations, lapses in due process, and governmental intrusion on individual liberties.[1]
Despite being generally known as the “Salem” witch trials, the preliminary hearings in 1692 were conducted in a variety of towns across the province: Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town. The best-known trials were conducted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692 in Salem Town. Over 150 people were arrested and imprisoned, with even more accused but not formally pursued by the authorities. At least five more of the accused died in prison. All twenty-six who went to trial before this court were convicted. The four sessions of the Superior Court of Judicature in 1693, held in Salem Village, but also in Ipswich, Boston and Charlestown, produced only three convictions in the thirty-one witchcraft trials it conducted. The two courts convicted twenty-nine people of the capital felony of witchcraft. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged. One man (Giles Corey) who refused to enter a plea was crushed to death under heavy stones in an attempt to force him to do so.”
They didn’t stand a chance did they? It must have been so petrifying for them all!
Oh gosh yes, I can’t imagine, I don’t know which was worse the Salem trials or the ones here in France. I know also that it occured in England as well!
I have to add also that I think most of those torture devices were designed in Europe!
I think you’re right about the torture devices being designed in Europe and then they were copied in other countries…gruesome place Europe in those days, especially if you count Romania with Vladimir the impaler…now that’s got to be one of the worst ever ways to die!
I bet they were all horrific! I really need to do an article and include them all.
Ah, right about that one I read that Vlad would position the stake on the victims anus til it came out of the mouth……………I know it’s sick but that’s what he did!
I heard about that Isis, it’s too barbaric for words!
Vladimir sussed out that torture when he was jailed briefly before becoming the ruler. Whilst in jail a bird flew in through the window and to entertain himself the *bleep* tortured it, thats where he got the idea for the pole throught the back. His jailers found the bird like that…poor thing!
That guy was one sick twisted dude, but then again look at the Iron Madien used in the witch trials, can you imagine being closed in a coffin of nails…………..ekkk!
I’m just about to add a pic of the Iron Maiden to the end of your post Isis. I think i better do a PG warning for this post.
Right it might shock some people, but this is what really happend!
It’s ok, had second thoughts on the PG warning, there is nothing that they don’t allready learn in history. Think i might take out the graphic details i commented about Vladimir though.
I don’t think you should it’s all true and that’s the way it was, thanks for the pic that is great!
It’s a bit big the pic, but i couldn’t get it any smaller. It must have been horrendous shut in there and all those spikes penetrating your body, they weren’t long either, so it would have taken ages to bleed to death.
Yeah, but that just gives you the idea of how horrendous this device was, I can see being accused of being a witch but being shut in that thing, no one deserves that , except for child rapists or serial killers!
I think the vlad the impaler one is the worst though.
I’m going to have to go and get myself sorted for my trip to my parents now…hate coming off this, i could go on all day, this post and the comments are brilliant!
Hey just found everyone! I like the new look! I thought I was in the wrong place at first…this is a cool set-up you have here!
Sorry I haven’t been back by, ladies…it’s been crazy and I am WAY overextending myself on the computer…..I just joined another forum now, CT’s houseplants forum….I’m addicted to forum discussion! I don’t even do well with houseplants…and he made me a moderator! Zoiks!
I hadn’t heard some of these methods of torture before..it was even worse than I thought.
Gonna wander around the new place a bit…is it just this way for Halloween, EP, or is this the new look?
Hey Scary, still not finished with the new style of the site, but i haven’t got time to finish before halloween… wedding on Saturday and i’m behind.
I’ve been poorly since Sunday, it got into my spine/back whatever it was so i was laid up in bed for the past 3 days…good job it happened beginning of the week. Anyway, this is why i haven’t been on for a while.
Seeyou after the weekend
WOW Patsy darling, love it! how are you doing I emailed you a few times and you didnt answer!!
Eddie darling, not been on the computer since Sunday. I’ll check my emails later, i have to go food shopping now. Tomorrow, i have to pick up the wedding dress and buy myself something for my hair…don’t know what though, not getting a hat! What do you think Eddie?
Oh thank you PATSY darling I was starting to worry about you, gosh about the hat UUUUMMMMMMMMMM I think actually your hair is beautiful so no don’t go with the hat!
great info isis. it is terrible isnt it when people are accused of things they didnt do and then are put to death.