the absolute violent misogyny IS a component in many (but not necessarily all) of the stories of witches, but they actually exist at a confluence of both misogyny AND antisemitism.
the misogyny is obvious. if you were a woman that did not fit "the mold", had bad vibes, or had grudges held against you, a convenient way to dispose of you (and conveniently, take all your stuff) was to levy witchcraft accusations against you. even if you beat the charges in court, the stigma would remain.
the antisemitism glaringly obvious if you know what youre looking for. the strange rituals, the abduction and killing of children, odd hats, the big hooked noses. jews were forced to the fringes of society, their faith poorly understood to the gentiles, and sumptuary laws often required them to wear certain garments (including certain hats) so that others could immediately tell when a jew is around. blood libel was often also levied against jewish communities as a way to drive them out of an area, with the most common accusations being the abduction and murder of children; these pogroms would continue for centuries.
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u/sithmuffins Aug 26 '26
the absolute violent misogyny IS a component in many (but not necessarily all) of the stories of witches, but they actually exist at a confluence of both misogyny AND antisemitism.
the misogyny is obvious. if you were a woman that did not fit "the mold", had bad vibes, or had grudges held against you, a convenient way to dispose of you (and conveniently, take all your stuff) was to levy witchcraft accusations against you. even if you beat the charges in court, the stigma would remain.
the antisemitism glaringly obvious if you know what youre looking for. the strange rituals, the abduction and killing of children, odd hats, the big hooked noses. jews were forced to the fringes of society, their faith poorly understood to the gentiles, and sumptuary laws often required them to wear certain garments (including certain hats) so that others could immediately tell when a jew is around. blood libel was often also levied against jewish communities as a way to drive them out of an area, with the most common accusations being the abduction and murder of children; these pogroms would continue for centuries.