I was pointed in the direction of this video of a lecture at Gresham College by the Historic England online newsletter. It may interest you and - tip - stick with it. It all makes sense in the end.
I found it brought together all my inklings about the political, social and psychological motives and reasons for witch-hunts, beginning with the real witch-hunts which came to be compared to all the others which don't involve witches at all - I mean reds under the bed, Catholic and Jewish conspiracy theories and - more recently - minority groups being used as scapegoats for all the difficulties currently besetting us.
I normally find archeologists clay-footed and narrow-minded, but this one has actually thought about things and come to some very sound conclusions about them. What I like is that he actually looks like a young archeologist - long hair, beard, pot-belly, waistcoat - but he dares to do more than speculate. He is brave enough to name the 17th century phenomena of witch-hunts as propaganda and apply the same definition to things which are happening today.
I just watched the first minute of it, and I am already hooked. I will have to get back to it later, when I have more time. I almost visited Knole once but didn't have enough time and ended up at the local Laura Ashley store instead.
ReplyDeleteLaura Ashley was a witch...
DeleteI am not quite with you on the fact that he used the word propaganda. However much I try. Propaganda has been in use for centuries and I think of Luther and his pamphlets and pinning his letters on the church door for all to read. I must look at the beam over the fireplace here to see if there are any lines. Witches were blamed for many things in Europe in Medieval times as I am sure you know, they were an easy kind of scapegoat.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you watched all of the video (I wouldn't blame you if you didn't) but in the section where he mentions James V1 publications on witchcraft he most certainly calls it propaganda and when he talks about the widespread use of talismans and things to stop evil spirits from climbing down chimneys, etc. he says that they have all taken on the propaganda unquestionably. He uses that word. He also makes comparisons to modern day 'witch hunts' and groups such as immigrants being used as scapegoats blamed for all sorts of things which have little or nothing to do with them.
DeleteWhen you say that witches were an easy kind of scapegoat you are missing the point. People were turned into scapegoats by being accused of being witches. There wasn't an unusually high number of witches in the early 17th century, but there was an unusually high number of scapegoats.
Re. Your second para, I understand. It was all in the semantics here I think, I didn't express myself very well.
DeleteOverall propaganda is powerful stuff, then and now.
Dickies puts out overall propaganda.
DeletePropaganda and scapegoats have existed and will do so forever. All must be filtered and screened. The choice is discard and give no credence or embrace and be hoodwinked.
ReplyDeleteThat might work for you, Susan, but I am usually a real sucker for a persuasive argument. I have to come to a dead stop and rethink the whole thing before I can get any perspective on something. The best I can spontaneously do now is say that I need more time to learn about a situation before I come to a conclusion, and try to curb my gut feelings.
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