Magic was believed to be a creation of the devil and associated with devil worship. Witchcraft in the Middle Ages was feared throughout Europe. However, it was not until the Early Modern Period, the period after the end of the Middle Ages, that witch hunts and witch trials became more prevalent. Many were executed for accusations of witchcraft. The Inquisition, which was a movement by the Roman Catholic Church to seek out and expunge heretics, began in 1230. But why were so many innocent people suspected of such a crime? How many were killed, and were 'witches' really burned at the stake? Source: Citation: C N Trueman "Medieval Law And Order"Ī brief history of Medieval Magic and witchcraftīetween 14, thousands of people across Europe – most of them women – were accused of witchcraft and subsequently executed. Only 2 people were executed for these crimes and it can be concluded that many in Lincoln got away with their crime. In 1202, the city of Lincoln in England had 114 murders, 89 violent robberies and 65 people were wounded in fights. However, such violent punishments clearly did not put off people. People were hung on these and their bodies left to rot over the weeks as a warning to others. Most towns had a gibbet just outside of it.
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It was cheaper to execute someone for bad crimes or mutilate them and then let them go. There were very few prisons as they cost money and local communities were not prepared to pay for their upkeep. People who illegally hunted in royal parks had their ears cut off and high treason was punishable by being hung, drawn and quartered.
Women who committed murder were strangled and then burnt. If you were found guilty of a crime you would expect to face a severe punishment.
Women in medieval europe trial#
After 1275, a law was introduced which allowed people to be tortured if they refused to go to trial before a jury. To start with, these were not popular with the people as they felt that their neighbours might have a grudge against them and use the opportunity of a trial to get their revenge. As a result, ordeals were replaced by trials by juries. In 1215, the Pope decided that priests in England must not help with ordeals. Whoever lost was usually dead at the end of the fight. They would fight in combat with their accuser. This was used by noblemen who had been accused of something. If you floated you were guilty of the crime you were accused of. An accused person was tied up and thrown into water. If the wound had clearly not got any better, you were guilty. If the wound was getting better after three days, you were innocent. His hand was then bandaged and left for three days. An accused person held a red hot iron bar and walked three paces. Each accused person had to go through an ordeal.
The authorities feared the poor simply because there were many more poor than rich and any revolt could be potentially damaging – as the Peasants Revolt of 1381 proved.īy the time of Henry II, the system of law in England had been improved because Henry sent out his own judges from London to listen to cases throughout all England’s counties. Even the ‘smallest’ offences had serious punishments.
Women in medieval europe how to#
Those in charge of law and order believed that people would only learn how to behave properly if they feared what would happen to them if they broke the law. Law and order was very harsh in Medieval England. Citation: C N Trueman "Medieval Law And Order"
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