History of Wicca and the Burning Times

One must remember that as the strength and influence of Christianity grew so did its intolerance of indigenous religions. In 1484 two Pope Innocent VIII published a 'Bull' against Witches, which was followed by the Malleus Maleficarium (The Witch Hammer), in 1486, published by two German monks, Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger. The Malleus Maleficarium is considered to be the initiator of the witchcraft persecutions. It was not, apparently, endorsed by the Pope, but it was not condemned either.

Paganism was perceived to be the most influential indigenous religion (due to its many roles in a community) thus became the target for the new religion. In order to 'encourage' people to convert the deities of the previous religion was made less palatable. The most efficient method utilised was to change the Gods of the previous religion into something so terrifying that to worship such an entity one would be liable to die or be corrupted as to be ineligible for entry into heaven. This methodology was used extensively across the world, in many different cultures. Christianity, methods used across the world, hence the reason for why the devil has many faces.

It is interesting to note how brutal and severe some of the torture methods utilised in order to obtain a confession were. One of the most well known was to stretch the victim until the limbs were broken and torn apart. This was supplemented, occasionally, by the ramming home of wooden wedges into broken bone but there were many, many inventive methods of inflicting the highest amount of pain for the least amount of effort.

The detection of witchcraft was by word of mouth, as there were no telecommunications, only rudimentary literature (which only a few could read), in the times in question. This meant that many of the accused were, in fact, innocent victims of someone's greed, avarice or hate. It was easy to attribute the charge of witchcraft onto anyone who had a slightly unusual trait (e.g.. talking to oneself).

The realisation of this became more apparent towards the late 17th Century, resulting in the persecution of witches becoming less frequent. The damage, however, had been done. Hundreds of thousands of lives lost. Witchcraft had gone underground, an oral tradition, for the most part, lost and forgotten.

The ramifications of the confluence of events were severe as, for many accused of witchcraft were hanged, drowned, burnt or tortured. The estimated death-toll from these series of events are 800,000 but it must be noted that the population of the planet was quite small in comparison today, so in proportion (with today's population) that number was much larger.

And so to Wicca...

Gardner claimed to be an initiate of a witches coven in the New Forest, Dorset. Initiated by "Old Dorothy" the existence of which has been hotly contested by many historians and wiccans alike. She appears to be an actual person (not a fabrication) as Doreen Valiente (One of Gardner's first initiated under him) said he used to speak fondly of her in many occasions, as one would mention a relative, in one of her letters.

This is the only definable period, in history, that can be traced to modern Wicca. It must be understood that its origin was in the 1940's; any claim to the contrary does not have any evidence to support it. Primary evidence before this date has not been found. Similarities to pre-Christian times, although certain roots have been established is not a total replication and, therefore, the assertion of unbroken lineage is highly dubious.

The origins of the beliefs and practices have been extracted from numerous sources (utilise what works - type of mentality) and items which were experimented by Gardner himself, with probable help from the coven he was a member of are the basis of the Book of Shadows. The current form of the Book of Shadows was further refined by Doreen Valiente, which is often given the title of the "Mother of Witchcraft".

The sources he was said to have drawn upon are the Golden Dawn, OTO, Aleister Crowley and many others

It is noted that the material is not entirely from the New Forest covens book of shadows as it was likely that it was deficient of many points due to the secrecy and its relative isolation. Gardner obviously researched many items, for his book Witchcraft Today, and in that research it could be conceivable of a pattern of core principles coined the mysteries could be extrapolated in places where the original was deficient.

In 1951 the Witchcraft Act of 1604 and 1735 was repealed, in the United Kingdom, and replaced by a modified law Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951, thus allowing witches to come back out of the "broom closet".

The next publication, from Gardner, was in 1954 where in the book called Witchcraft Today where he gave the factual treatment to the beliefs and principles he hinted at in High Magic's Aid.

This allowed Wicca to grow as people became interested in its principles and beliefs, and gave precedence for existing covens around the world to become more visible, even though the law only existed in the UK.

Over time differences began to form in the way that Gardner and others would practice witchcraft. A deviation from the original was the inevitable result as the beliefs and practices were not to everyone's liking, and slight modifications were adopted.

Today there are a plethora of paths associated with Wicca some core, some peripheral, but the beliefs and practices all follow average criteria. As with everything there are traditions which closely follow that of the original.

Wicca has now become a generic term for those plethora of paths (as the term Christian is to Catholicism, Protestantism, etc)

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