Historians discover why women suffered mass persecution for witchcraft in 17th-century England 14:50

British scientists from the University of Cambridge have discovered why in England at the beginning of the modern era (XVI-XVII centuries) almost every working woman could face accusations of witchcraft. Apart from superstition and personal hostility, this trend also appeared to be related to the types of jobs available to women at the time. To work published In the scientific journal Gender and History.

Historians have found that in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, those accused of malicious magic were between 10% and 30% male.

According to scientists, modern English women suffered from witch hunts because their work involved caring for the sick and children, cooking, producing dairy products and caring for animals. In their work, women regularly faced natural processes of decay and infection; these processes became strongly associated in the public consciousness with the “damage” that witchcraft could cause.

This was in stark contrast to men’s work, which involved stone, iron, wood, and other materials relatively resistant to decay.

“Natural processes of decay were viewed as “deterioration.” Contaminated blood caused a burning sensation in wounds, and spoiled milk gave the cheese an unpleasant odor,” said study author Dr. Philip Carter.

In addition, women often worked multiple jobs and had to interact with large numbers of people in homes, bakeries, markets, and other places. The frequency of social contacts increased the risk of becoming involved in disagreements or misunderstandings. In many cases, women were accused of witchcraft because they were unlucky enough to be present during someone else’s misfortune.

Infant mortality remained high, and the prospect of losing a child often led to accusations of witchcraft against women. More than 13% of reported reports of women practicing black magic involved victims under the age of 12.

In England in the 16th and 17th centuries, witchcraft was considered a serious crime. During the witch trials of the mid-17th century, hundreds of women were executed in just three years.

Scientists have noted that the modern stereotypical image of the witch is directly related to the types of work women had to do hundreds of years ago.

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