In this dissertation it is argued that the European witch trials that took place between 1450 and 1700 have resulted in a legacy of stereotypical themes in Australian children's literature. Those accused of witchcraft were almost always women who were old, without protection, and physically ugly. They were accused of consorting with the devil, making harmful spells, flying through the night on a magic staff and exhibiting malevolent intent towards others. An analysis of this period forms the contextual framework for identifying themes that appear in contemporary Australian children's literature. A survey of twenty-three books, identified as stories about witches, was conducted to ascertain whether the stereotypical witch from the European witch-hunts continues to be characterised in Australian children's literature. The findings suggest that the witch figure in Australian children's literature mirrors the historical evidence from the European witch trials, but has evolved into a more powerful and proactive character than that identified in the historical literature. The characterisation of the witch in the books for older readers is powerful and evil, compared to the witch as a trivial and diminished figure in the books for younger readers. Gender is also a major influence in the characterisation of the witch, with all readers exposed to themes that may influence their expectations regarding the behaviour and role of women. The representation of the witch in the books reinforces the misogyny of the witchcraft era, and weaves patterns of meaning in the texts that construct undesirable female images. Readers of all ages can link these images to the social world beyond the text.

This thesis discusses early modern European perceptions of body and soul in association with the increasing stringency of civilized behaviour and state formation in an effort to provide motivation for the increased severity of the witch hunts of that time. Both secondary and primary sources have been used, in particular the contemporary demonologies by such authors as Bodin, and Kramer and Sprenger. The thesis is divided into five chapters, including an Introduction and Conclusion. The body of the thesis focuses on religious, scientific, and secular beliefs (Ch. 2), appearance and characteristics of witches (Ch. 3), and the activities and behaviours/actions of witches, (Ch. 4). This study concentrates on the similarities found across Europe, and, as the majority of witches persecuted were female, my thesis emphasizes women as victims of the witch hunts.

As the era of Christianity is taking a firm foothold of Europe and Scandinavia during the late 1500s and early 1600s. The prosecution, accusations, and pure terror against anyone who did not fit the mold of a true Christian was faced with doubt, suspicion, and allegations of being in a pact with the Devil. Even if Christianity was becoming the main religion in the regions. It was common among townsfolk when in great doubt, sickness and worries to pay a visit to the old lady, the shaman, or the local healer. Some of these shamans depending on where you lived could also be a part of the Indigenous people of Scandinavia, the Sami. Whether you where that local old lady, that local shaman or one of the many regional Sami’s roaming the north of Scandinavia during this period of history, it was extremely dangerous to express local beliefs, superstitions, and an alternative faith then Christianity. The goal of this essay is to take a closer look at some of these cases, analyze the trials and prosecutions of these witches and Sami Shamans within Swedish courts, to see the similarities and discuss six cases in greater details. The conclusion of this essay is that we see some similarities between Swedish witches and Sami people who used magic, however the use and/or blame off alcohol may vary, the methods on how these witches would inflict “hurtful magic” was different and so too the trials. There is a “clearer mentioning” of torture on “Swedish witches” then Sami witches. The Swedish witches would use “totems” and items to cast spells, while Sami witches would use vocal incantations to hurt their victims.

LLM / Department of Public Law

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Theatre, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], ii, 104 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-104).

Thesis (Ph.D. (History)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The subject of traditional leadership has been, and will always be, the subject of academic debate in various disciplines and varying objectives throughout the years. However, it is in South Africa to a large extent, but Venḓa specifically, that this study focuses on the discussion on the controversial subject of vhuhosi (traditional leadership) within the homeland system. This study specifically identifies vhuhosi and institutions of Vhavenḓa as a topic for research given its muddied history during the dark days of colonial subjugation and apartheid oppression and suppression. It is for this reason that this study explores South Africa’s homeland policy with specific reference to vhuhosi of Vhavenḓa and institutions (1898-1994). In order to do this the study starts by describing the nature of the relationship between the South African government and vhuhosi of Vhavenḓa on the eve of homeland policy as a way of setting the tone of the Afrocentric exploratory paradigm. The objective is to expose the gradual political and socio-economic changes that vhuhosi and institutions of Vhavenḓa were subjected to during South Africa’s political development. The study then analyses the development of ethnicity vis-à-vis the influence of ethnic identity during the period surrounding the establishment of Vhavenḓa homeland. Given this background it then describes the changing power relations between the South African government and mahosi within the Venḓa homeland. Significantly, the study examines the impact of Vhavenḓa homeland on the internal relations among mahosi of Vhavenḓa as well as Vhavenḓa’s cultural conception of royalty and governance. The current researcher identifies the Afrocentric theory as a vehicle to embark on the explorative nature of this study. Unlike other theoretical paradigms that conducted research on vhuhosi and institutions for colonial and apartheid objectives, the Afrocentric approach was preferred as it puts African values at the centre. Therefore the Afrocentric theory was preferred as a way of debunking the Eurocentric/Western and liberal research on African subjects such as vhuhosi and institutions. Hence oral interviews played an important role to complement the written and archival material available.

No description available.

The diploma thesis deals with witchcraft and other mystic phenomena in conception of Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard. It is focused especially on the notion of witchcraft in connection with magic, shamanism and oracles. It describes relation of all these phenomena towards religious belief and various attitudes towards them. It defines respective practices and explains differences between them. Last but not least, it introduces usual reactions to them. Via concrete situation it also shows interconnection of all described phenomena and presents them as a coherent and logical system.

In the territory of the current Czech Republic, the first written mention of the negative perception of magic appeared as early as in the 11th century, but it was only in the 14th century when the prohibitions to practice magic got more precise contours. Legally, the offense of witchcraft in Municipal and Capital Crime Codes only was defined in the 16th and the 17th century. It was at the turn of these centuries when we saw increase in processes with persons accused of abusing spells. However, in most prosecutions of that time, the abuses of megic only were secondary charges and the perpetrators were condemned, only occurred in the Czech Kingdom rarely. Only the persecution of witches in some of the Silesian principalities and in northern Moravia during the 17th century got out these trends. In northern Moravia, the largest witch trials took place in the years 1679 - 1696 in the Velké Losiny estate and in the town of Šumperk, where 81 alleged sorcerers and witches were killed. Like in many other cases, also here the outbreak of local witch trials was inspired by a stolen host. Court proceedings took place under the direction of Judge Heinrich Franz Boblig of Edelstadt, who for many years gained the trust of the local nobility. Although the legislation continued to contain criminal offense against witchcraft...

Student Number : 9803476V - MA research report - School of Arts - Faculty of Humanities / By drawing on contemporary scholarship that addresses spectatorship in the cinema generally, and in the horror genre specifically, I analyze the perverse pleasure afforded by The Blair Witch Project. To do this I argue that pleasure in horror is afforded through the masochistic positioning of the viewer, especially in relation to psychoanalytic theories surrounding gender in spectator positioning. I also look at the way the film re-deploys conventions, both documentary conceptions of the ‘real’, as well as generic expectations of horror, to activate the perverse pleasure of horror.