There were men and boys considered witches/warlocks and burnt alive during the witch hunts as well.
But yes, there was a disproportionate number of women persecuted. I think it goes back to the Christian idea of original sin. In the garden of Eden, Eve was convinced by the snake to take a bite out of the forbidden fruit, and got Adam to do it too. Maybe there was a perception that women were more susceptible to being seduced by evil/the devil into doing its bidding, and spreading that evil.
All bullshit of course lol, especially in my view as I'm not religious, but that's my guess as to what they thought.
This is false, actually. During the Salem Witch Trials, there were men who were burned as witches.
In general, though, you are correct. The witch myth sprang out of a Puritan distrust of pagan "cannywomen" who were typically old women/midwives/healers that villagers relied on. It was used to spread fear by insinuating that they were controlled by the devil. There has always been a portrayal of women as "temptresses" in popular culture - the devil aspect just further added to it.
I almost took a class on Gender and Witches. It's just how history was. Some painter painted an image of a naked woman looking crazy and ugly and riding on a goat or something. The image really symbolises all what views of witchcraft and witches was about.
It is silly to still portray this image in the media, but some things humans don't grow out of.
Guys haven't been able to take our hotness for centuries! 😂
Witches have to be women, if a witch is a man then it's wizard, isn't it? In middle ages they were burned alive because people believed they had a connection with the devil and served him and movies are movies... sexy women attract people more easily and in the films the witches have to attract people to do evil things. They're just films anyway.
Read this www.academia.edu/5490470/Why_were_Women_Witches
The best and easier way to lure a man to you is if you offer sex, that's why they are depicted like that, but in reality most were old and poor women (1 in 4 were meb according to the article).
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Is this a serious question? Witches have almost always been women. Warlocks are the male counterpart to witches. "Witches" were burnt alive because religious zealots thought they were practitioners of what would essentially be called "devil magic," although pretty much all of the women who died from such horrific ignorance were merely skilled herbalists.
They're portrayed as seductive and sensual women in movies because seductive and sensual women sell movies.
witches are women, men are warlocks. in the middle ages they were burnt cause the towns people didn't trust them and thought they were abominations. the seductive thing is because well fantasy. yes i do believe in them, actually if i look into my history i am half shaman and half midwife (midwives were used to be how they called witches witches).
Because witches are the female term of people who practized magic (most of them were just very good with herbs, though and got killed for no reason). The male term of witch, AKA a man, is called a warlock. Just as you call females "women" and males "men". Same here.
Witches are based on the seid practitioners who were mostly viking women that practiced things like divination, sorcery, enchantment, herbalism, shamanism, etc. There were also male seid practitioners and the viking god Odin practiced it but was mocked by the other gods for practicing magic because it was considered feminine. Basically men were expected to be so strong and powerful they did not need magic while women needed it to compensate for being less strong physically.
Omg I love this subject! The witches back then were believed to channel the power of satan. The reason that they were mostly women was because the female sex was perceived as much weaker than males. Therefore it was believed that women were much more likely to give into the power of the devil than men. The reason they were burned at the stake was because the act of witchcraft was the worst religious crime possible.
Male Witches are called Warlocks. I don't know for sure but I would imagine there is likely a similar amount of Warlocks to Witches back through history IRL. However, in movies/TV it makes it more interesting to have Witches rather than Warlocks because as you said they can be sexy. Warlocks would most likely just be portrayed as evil. But of course Witches and Warlocks aren't necessarily evil and you can find both good and bad. (Wizard of OZ, etc.)
Because women are evil and seductive as well as manipulative! Hahaha, I'm just kidding, I live women, but a male can't be a witch, then he'd be a warlock I believe.
Men have felt threatened by female sexuality and power for centuries :/
Same reason waitresses are always women.
Witches are women, warlocks are men. Duh.
Because men were busy with swords and stuff. No time for witching.
Yes I do And there are wizards as well
Because women can use their bodies to control men.
That's kinda sexist, yeah
xx
~ Mrs Manson
Warlacks are male witches.
The wizard of oz was'nt he a dude?
What about warlocks?
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