Reasons In The Trials Of Walpurga And Francatte

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The early modern era in Western Europe was a dangerous place for women with the rise of so called “witches” populating towns and country sides. With the peak of these witch trials happening between 1560 and 1640 in England (the making of the west 499). This caused the people of Europe to live in fear of the devil and his counterparts on earth. Over 80 percent of victims of these witch trials were women and thousands upon thousands of trials taking place all across Europe and the North American Colonies at the time as well (motw 500). Seeing that women are mostly accused of witches, it raises the questions as to why that is. Upon examining 2 specific cases in this essay, those being of Walpurga Hausmannin from Dillingen, Germany and Francatte Camont from Lorraine, France; one can see that both these cases are very similar in many aspects despite the fact that both these women were trialed in different countries in Western Europe. In this essay, the reader will explore the motivations, visions and the targets of these witch trials with specific evidence and focus on the trials of both Walpurga and Francatte. The reader will also be able see connections between both trials throughout as well. Francatte Camont, a French woman from Lorraine, France was accused by many of things such as making people fall ill, killing others livestock, …show more content…

How are these women being accused of being witches? Who is accusing them what are their motivations? There could be many reasons as to why but after reading both these cases its prominent that general dislike is a main cause and this is especially prominat in the case of Camont. One of her accusers , Magdelaine, states that she was guarding animals with Camonts daughter when “she [Camont] came and rebuked her saying ‘might she have ill heath’ and even drawing her knife to strike her” (179-180). Another accuser, Jean Colin, “had various quarrels with her [Camont] and her husband…”

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