Phenomenon of Witch Persecution in Early Modern Age

Cilj ovoga rada je prikazati zbog čega je nastao, kako je tekao, što je sve utjecalo te u konačnici kako je završio fenomen progona vještica u srednjem i ranom novom vijeku. Kako se razvio sam termin vještica te kako se mijenjala percepcija istog kroz povijest. Ključnu ulogu odigrala je Katolička Crkva koja je uvelike utjecala na način razmišljanja ondašnjeg društva. Crkva je u suradnji sa svjetovnom vlasti u društvu podignula masovnu histeriju i strah od “đavoljih agenata”. Papinske bule i brojni priručnici o progonu vještica koji su izumom tiskarskog stroja postali široko dostupni su glavno oruđe Inkvizicije. Najpoznatiji priručnik za progon vještica i vještaca bio je Malleus Maleficarum (1486.) napisan od strane dominikanaca Heinrich Kramer Institorisa i Jakob Sprenger. Inkviztori su u postupcima pokrenutim protiv osumnjičenih žena i muškaraca koristili isključivo torturu kao način dobivanja priznanja. Načini mučenja, odnosno torture bili su krajnje nehumani i nisu ostavljali prostora pravednom suđenju već je njihov jedini cilj bio dobiti priznanje i imena drugih osoba protiv kojih bi potom bio pokrenut istražni postupak. Samom procesu prethodili su testovi nevinosti i potraga za đavoljim pečatom. Nakon priznanja osuđeni bi uglavnom bili spaljeni na javnim mjestima, kao upozorenje drugima. Progoni su se razlikovali po svom obujmu, pa su tako postojali mali, srednji i veliki progoni. Razlikujemo i vrste Inkvizicija, tu su: Biskupska, Papinska i Španjolska. Položaj žene, kao nemoćne, potlačene i bez ugleda, odnosno njen statusa u društvu učinio ju je najviše podložnom progonu. Rušenje stereotipa o vješticama, nestašica dokaza, uviđanje o velikom broju nevino osuđenih s vremenom su doveli do kraja progona. Ključnu ulogu u tome odigrale su svjetovne vlasti izdavanjem raznih edikta koji su s vremenom doveli do potpunog prestanka progona. Fenomen progona vještica je jedno od najcrnijih razdoblja u povijesti Katoličke Crkve i u povijesti samoga čovječanstva. Ključne riječi: Progon vještica, Inkvizicija, Tortura, Katolička Crkva, Malleus MaleficarumThe aim of this paper is to present why the witch hunt phenomenon came about, how it evolved, what were the factors affecting it, and ultimately, how it ended in the Middle Ages and early Modern Age, but also how the term “witch” developed and how the perception of it changed throughout history. The Catholic Church played a key role, greatly influencing the society’s way of thinking at that time. In cooperation with the secular authorities, the Church induced mass hysteria within the society and instilled fear of "devil's agents". The papal bulls and numerous manuals about the pursuit of the witches that had become widely available due to the invention of the printing machine were the main tool of the Inquisition. The best known manual for hunting witches and warlocks was Malleus Maleficarum (1486), written by the Dominicans Heinrich Kramer Institoris and Jakob Sprenger. In the trials initiated against suspected women and men, the Inquisitors deployed torture as the exclusive method for extracting confessions. Torture methods were extremely inhumane and did not leave room for a fair trial, rather their only goal was to extract confessions and obtain the names of other people against whom an investigation would be initiated. The process itself was preceded by tests of innocence and search for the devil's mark. After the confession, the condemned would mostly be burnt in public places as a warning to others. The witch hunts differed in size, ranging from small, middle and large witch hunts. We also differentiate the types of Inquisition, namely the Episcopal, Papal and Spanish. The position of a woman as helpless, oppressed, and with no reputation, i.e. her status in society, made her the most vulnerable to persecution. The destruction of the stereotype of witches, the lack of evidence, the recognition of the great number of innocent people convicted have all led to the end of persecution with the passage of time. The secular authorities have played a key role in issuing various edicts that in time have led to the complete cessation of persecution. The witch hunt phenomenon is one of the darkest periods in the history of the Catholic Church and in the history of mankind itself. Keywords: Witch hunt, Inquisition, Torture, Catholic Church, Malleus Maleficaru