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Post by lins on Dec 4, 2014 11:02:20 GMT
We know about witch through media, book, and more. And some of them are often exaggerated in order to make it funny. We also have this generalized idea of witch: ugly, old, white hair, witch hat, saggy clothes and more. But as we read in the story, some of the witches who were accused of practicing witchcraft didn't look like the one who we imagine. Anyhow, in the class, we concluded that people who were outcast, ugly, widow, women and more were considered as witch in that people feared the "unknowns" and "differences". They were often falsely accused!
So we were exposed to lots of ideas regarding witch. What's your generalized idea of witch? Who were accused of being witch?
One of the examples I can think of is Joan of Arc in France, who was considered as witch and burned on the stake. (I think)
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Post by danielkim on Dec 6, 2014 10:25:34 GMT
Other examples I can think of are witches accused during Salem Witch Trial. Specifically, there was this teenager named Abigail Hobbes who said she saw the Devil once.
In my opinion, I don’t think devils and witches caused the Salem Witch Trials in the late 17th century. I think some sort of disease caused this because the victims felt pinching, prickling sensations, knifelike pains, feeling of being choked, and other illnesses. Also, the victims lived near each other, suggesting that a disease (whatever that is) was contiguous.
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Post by nerdira on Dec 7, 2014 6:58:40 GMT
In my country, we have this kind of witchcraft which involves some sort of hypnosis to make a person unconsciously fall in love with another. I'm not sure what its called in English. Like the witchcraft back in England, this spell was used to justify an unexplainable occurrence. In 16th century England, witchcraft was used as an explanation for misfortunes happening to a person. In Indonesia, we'd blame the spell if someone incredibly good looking, wealthy, intelligent or anything awesome, fell in love with someone who, well, wasn't. Pretty mean, I know.
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bachle
Junior Member
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Post by bachle on Dec 7, 2014 12:00:38 GMT
As we have discussed in class, the purpose of people are accused of being witch is get rid of that person out of the society which involving polity, economic, conflict or fear the unknown. As people was not actually educated at the time and a person's death was too common for them due to many wars. Therefore, getting rid of a person for the benefit of self is easy to do at the time.
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Post by anyuchen on Dec 7, 2014 13:12:29 GMT
I ever heard from my friend that some people want to witches help them to change their fate in a good way. Some withcrafts needs people need to burn some special paper in front of people. Some withcrafts need people to eat some insects to change their fortunate. That's grose. Some ask people to act in a wierd way or some strange words。
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Post by chrishong on Dec 7, 2014 13:24:28 GMT
One example of witch I can think of is Elphaba from the novel, Wicked. In the book Wicked, Elphaba was loathed by Munchkins(citizens of Emerald City) because her face was green and they thought that she use her magical powers and flying skill to harm other people.
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Post by dhiya on Dec 7, 2014 13:48:04 GMT
Witchcraft reminds me of the movie Hensel & Gretel: witch hunters, where both the main characters hunted the stereotypical ugly, old, widow witches. Thinking about it, witchcraft is quite common in Indonesia. People like to come see those who practice dark magic (shaman?) and ask for their advices usually on wealth, love,etc. Sometimes they also ask to curse someone they hate/to make someone love them.
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Post by estherchoi on Dec 7, 2014 14:00:27 GMT
My generalized idea of the witch is the one in the Disney movie Snow White. The witch there is very old, ugly, and more. I don't actually know anyone who was accused of being a witch because I didn't have that much interest in this field. However, I was surprised by the reasons people were accused as witches and the appearances of most of the people accused for a witch. The most surprising part was there were women who were accused as a witch just because they were pretty and people wanted to blame someone for something unexplainable.
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Post by sergeyfen on Dec 7, 2014 14:39:31 GMT
My generalisation of witch is just anyone who does magic and practices witchcraft. We can't judge people whether they are good or bad just based on their looks, looks can be deceiving. In recent society we love to judge people by how they look and from that point we choose, whether he is bad, good, etc. Same applies to witches, sometimes people who we think the worst of come out to be the ones who are the kindest and most giving of all. I don't have a set image of a witch as i looked at them just as at humans, equally.
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Post by elisalee on Dec 7, 2014 14:45:02 GMT
When I think of witch, all I think of is an old, "ugly", and an outcast who always look mysterious. During the period of time where the witchcrafts were going on, people accused someone of being a witch just because they look different from other people. Most people who were accused of being a witch were mostly killed. If they survived, they were able to survive because they told the people who other witches were.
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woori
Junior Member
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Post by woori on Dec 7, 2014 14:45:04 GMT
Magic is raised energy that is directed towards a specific goal, like prayers. Energy is just energy. You can use energy to warm your house or to power an electric chair and kill someone. It's the intent that determines if magic/prayer is positive or negative. The term "green magic/witchcraft" is illegitimate - it means someone that uses herbs and such for their workings and/or someone that is very focused on ecology and working to heal the earth. Ignore the nitwit types that can't see outside what they've been spoonfed by some preacher. Magic/witchcraft isn't evil and witches/Wiccans/Pagans/Heathens don't worship Satan. Witches don't receive powers from the devil any more than a Christian gets their prayers answered by Satan.
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misato
Junior Member
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Post by misato on Dec 10, 2014 15:56:24 GMT
I think witches does not have same looking. In Harry Potter, everyone looks different and the students of Hogwarts looks just like a teenagers. I think we cannot find witch from their appearances.
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Post by agneslianaputri on Dec 11, 2014 2:58:57 GMT
in my country, there are many supernatural stuff going on. there are also severel types of witchcraft people use. they usually use a demon to help them finish their businesses.
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Post by jmoon234 on Dec 15, 2014 10:02:31 GMT
A witchcraft that I know is the one that comes out in the Witch from Roald Dahl story. It was the one that turned people into mouses (If that is a witchcraft or just magic?)
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