Women as Witches in the European Witch Hunts

Paper Summary:

This essay explores the disproportionate number of witchcraft accusations leveled against women during the European witch hunts. It posits that this gender imbalance is directly linked to the patriarchal nature of society by examining the definitional power of men and the subsequent perception of women. Using Jungian/ Lacanian understandings of the 'shadow' and Other, this piece has as its underlying contention that it is women's lack of power to define themselves within a patriarchal society that has led men to project their fear of self onto a woman, indeed all women, and term her 'witch'.

From the Paper:

"The identity of "woman" as it was perceived in early modern times can be further seen as a man-made myth upon closer examination of the nature of patriarchy. Man attempted to label, categorize, map and understand women, and do so with the use of male terms, but because patriarchy is a relational construct such attempts only reinforce for men that "woman" is not "man," she is "Other." And in this position as Other, women will always retain some element of mystery, of hidden depths and secret knowledge, never greater than man, but always promising more than he is capable of comprehending. It is the impossibility of exact male knowledge that creates for man the opportunity to map his own meaning upon this depth of Otherness."

More papers on Women as Witches in the European Witch Hunts:

• Book Review # 109342 : "Women as Birds in "The Awakening"
• Essay # 29823 : "Women as Spies in the Civil War"
• Analytical Essay # 26237 : "Women's Experience in the City"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: