Story takes start in medieval Western Europe
In mythological notions, all holders of magical knowledge were considered witches. They possessed the ability to influence people (vedovstvo), nature, and had the opportunity to commit supernatural acts - to penetrate through closed doors, werewolves, steal hearts from people, fly in the air, cause damage to crops and livestock, cause disease. They were told that they had an opportunity to make an alliance with dark forces and the devil, and also to serve him and have sexual relations with him, to seduce all believers and destroy their souls.
All ideas about the abilities of witches and magic before the Middle Ages remained at the level of folklore, and they were also condemned by the church, which in turn punished those women who were suspected of witchcraft. Faith in the existence of witches was seen by the church as a superstition and inspired by the intrigue of unclean power (in other cases, the church authorities negatively viewed the existence of covens and Witches' gatherings).
Preading the cult of witchcraft, admitting churches
In the (13th-15th centuries), with the development of the Middle Ages, but with the internal crisis of the church and the loss of complete control over the concept of spiritual life of the congregation, the attitude of the church towards the persecution of witches changed. In the person of theologians, inquisitors, and scholarly scholars, the church agrees with the ability of certain persons (men) of women to make maleficences - this is black magic, which is used in the future as health, life, and property of people. On the part of the authorities, all the archaic folk phenomena have been justified and used for the judicial use of persons accused of being leaders. At that time, the Church had adopted the idea of sexual relations between a person who was busy with the administration and the devil. The Renaissance as well as the Reformation era at the end of the Middle Ages it was (stage of the 15th and 16th centuries - this is the middle of the 18th century) became a mass persecution for the destruction of Witches, which became a collective psychosis that embraced large segments of the population in many European countries. And Pope Innocent VIII's Bulla VIII "With great zeal" (Summis deside-rantes) in 1484 declared then heresy in disbelief in the presence of Witches and their great ability to harm people.
Witch hunting
Folk beliefs in the existence of witches in that period were combined, above all, with the correct demonological teachings of its own. In the cf. - century, theologians and lawyers, as well as the persecution of Witches were and from the secular authorities, the church and the masses of ordinary people, who tried to destroy the traditional folk culture, and in particular such an intimate part of it, which was then uncontrolled by the church black magic. At that time, a woman was both the main target of persecution and the main bearer of traditional folk cultures. In the 16th-17th centuries, a new method of persecution on the Witches was the fact that the secular authorities and the church began to see them not only as singles but also as the so-called "antichurch", which is led by Satan. Therefore, the question arises about the coven as a visible expression of the "antichurch" which was with its existing cult, which seemed then to be an inverted true church cult, which received such great importance in the judicial interrogations for those accused of leadership at the time.
Along with the faith in the harmful Witches, there was also faith in the good, good Witches, who could neutralize the bad deeds of the first, as well as to enter into martial arts with them.
Witch`s performance
he very image of the Witch is considered (from Dr. - Russian, i.e. "knowledge", "witchcraft", "witchcraft"). The Vedunia is (cf. Serbian, Vesca, i.e. famous, vesca, etc.) both in ancient Slavic mythology and folklore, but it is close to Western European notions. Witches had the ability to send thunderstorm clouds", hail, whirlwind, steal dew, heavenly lights, rain. They (placed them in a vessel) milk at cows, and as induced spoilage on cattle and the population (consequently those became clicks), to spend orgies and gatherings on "Bald mountain", and (to be exact on Kolyada, it at approach of spring, at midnight on Ivan Kupalu holiday). There was an opinion that the Witches along with the unclean force including the huge Fire Snake in the byline of the Dobryna sorceress Marinka. Which comes into contact with the Snake Gorynich: and it brings them together as an image of the Witch with a female character of fame, the myth of his betrayal of the wife of the Thunderer God with the snake (cf. also Mara, Marena and Mokosh). As well as all these harmful functions, they also possessed witchcraft, prophecy, etc. (cf. - century, the sources of "ghastly cowardly women"). The persecution of Witches by the Slavs did not have such a mass character, as, for example, in Western Europe; but still, according to popular assumptions, the execution of the Witch is (as a rule, it was burning), which is necessary to stop drought, pestilence, etc.