Politics and Witchcraft

After talking about politics and witchcraft in class, I became interested in finding if any kinds or what kind is still going on and how modern day governments deal with it.
http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2011/witchcraft-accusations-and-politics-in-akwa-ibom-state/
I found this article about Akwa Ibom and the child witch hunting that is currently occuring. The article talks about how the government, at first, chose to ignore the seriousness, thinking of it as just a superstition, followed by soon after beginning to take drastic measures to stop the child hunting, and also trying to pass all accusations off as fabrications. If you read through it, how do you think the government handled it? In comparison to old governments that we have learned about, have they handled it better?
-Jessica Petrus

Dance of Death

This song reminded me of class music since it goes with superstitious theme, even the instrumental parts are creepy at the beginning.  Just posting the lyrics ruins the song though so you'll have to listen yourselves.  Even the album picture looks strikingly similar to their sabbats.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZDB0mAMkA4

Music

We have had some great music played for us at the beginning of each class this quarter. I thought I would share a song with the class as well. It's Florence + The Machine's "Shake It Out". It's a great song! I'll also post the lyrics under the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbN0nX61rIs&ob=av2e

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play

And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around

Our love is questioned, such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues strong
But it's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

And I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
'Cause I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone
It's always darkest before the dawn

Oh whoa, oh whoa...

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat
'Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me, yeah

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

My Top 5 Study Tips

1. Make bullet point notes for each reading, online lecture, and movie. Include: Author/Issue/Title, Date, A Quick Description, and 2 Main Points (e.g. an author's stance on witchcraft trials, how they addressed a particular problem or question, etc.). This will help you to sift through the details and focus on key information.

2. Group similar materials together in chronological order (e.g. a list all the witch hunters, a list of people condemned as witches, a flow chart that tracks critics of witch trials, a timeline of key events, etc.). Grouping information will helps you to remember it more quickly.

3. Memorize your notes. Speaking out loud works best for me. Other suggestions: go over them on a treadmill or on a walk, compare notes in a study group, writing them out in different patterns or colors. Anything that helps you is good.

4. Review your notes with others to fill in remaining gaps. Look over materials that you forgot or are troublesome to you. Ask questions.

5. Re-read texts the day before the exam. This is very effective if you have studied your notes because it will solidify your knowledge and put additional details in your short-term memory for the test. The goal is not to re-read everything, only as much as you can digest, and the process is much more effective than cramming unlearned material.

That's my top five. I hope these tips will be of help to some of you as we round out the term. Please comment if you have good tips of your own! -Michele

Final Exam Preparation

Dear 240 Students,

Beginning tomorrow (May 22), Robey and I will bring copies of Test 1 and Test 2  to the classroom. You may wish to use these to review for the final. We also have your answer sheets for Test 1 (Test 2 should arrive back from testing services any day). Just a reminder: the final is cumulative. The questions will not be identical previous tests, but they will provide you a great starting point for review.

If anyone has concerns about how to prepare for the final please don't hesitate to contact one of us for guidance. We are here to help.

We also suggest that you form peer study groups. Feel free to use the blog to make these arrangements as long as you are opening your group to the whole class. If you would like to reserve classroom space for study groups we can do this through CMRS.

Michele

Witches' Hammer in Relation to Communism

Before we watched Witches' Hammer on Tuesday, Professor Green noted that it was made contemporary to The Prague Spring and as a reaction to Communist Party Rule in the former Czechoslovakia. Though it was a striking historical portrayal of the hysteria of the witch hunts, I read the entire film as a political allegory. The most striking example of this allegory appears in the nature of the accusations juxtaposed with the behavior of the inquisitors. Superficially, the feasts and parties of the inquisition seem to be elements used to move the plot of the film forward. However, it was very striking how the inquisition indulged in gluttonous feasting, copious drinking, and implied fornicating at their huge parties and when the "witches" were accused they faced charges of gluttony, boozing, and fornicating with the devil. This draws a very clear parallel to the Communist Party. While propagating a message of communal labor and living, the Communist Party reserved special privileges for itself. By not "practicing what they preach," the resentment for the Party and its continuous thirst for power grew. The movie raises the question: What makes these behaviors acceptable for the inquisition, but a grounds for torture and execution of the common class? This question presented in the film can be applied to the political frustrations of the people: What makes the Communist Party so privileged, but the proletariat must submit to a pure communist ideal of no privilege? As the power of the elite groups grow, so does the paranoia and the irrationality of the situation. Did anyone else notice allegorical elements? Why would a use of the witch trials as an allegory be so striking, especially within an Eastern European culture? Could this be interpreted any differently?

Medieval torture

This link outlines some of the common medieval torturing techniques. One that fascinated me in particular was the "Keep Torture." The witch or other victim would be nailed to the door of a cage, which only had openings big enough for small animals and birds to get in and antagonize the victim. The cage was always hung high over the main square or above a church for more public humiliation. After much pecking from birds and torment from other pests, the victim would commonly pass out from pain and exhaustion, only to be woken up from rocks being thrown from passer-bys. What do you guys think, or do you know of any interesting/crazy torturing techniques from this time period?? http://medieval-castles.org/index.php?cat=31 DAVID STENGER

Witchcraft Trials Then. Terrorism Trials Today?

Although several notable terrorist acts occurred in the United States before 2001, no other national event has affected our cultural awareness of terrorism in such a way as the destruction of the Twin Towers and concurrent plane hijackings on Sept 11. As Dec 7, 1941 in Roosevelt’s time, we all know this infamous date. More significantly, Sept 11 has brought about cultural shifts and changes in U.S. legal conduct (e.g. the Patriot Act, extraordinary rendition, Guantanamo prison, “enhanced interrogation”). It has been mentioned in this class that there are some similarities between witchcraft trials of the early modern period and terrorism trials today. What do you think? Are there similarities? What are some of the essential differences? Would it be fair to compare cultural attitudes towards terrorists today to cultural attitudes towards witches during the Renaissance? Perhaps you have already thought of some important questions to share.

We know there are highly political issues embedded in this topic, and ask that you all make as much use of real data and other source materials as you can. Disagreement, to be expected, is inherent to debate, and it can always be approached in a respectful manner. This is an excellent opportunity to set aside differences and come together in meaningful discourse on an important cultural issue.

The TAs

Game of Thrones: Magic

I understand that this post is pretty close to the deadline, so if no-one feels like posting its cool. This is for anyone who has read the Song of Fire and Ice books by George Martin, or have watched the HBO series "Game of Thrones". There is a clear use of "magic/wizardry" in the series by certain peoples and characters. I'm  curious as to what those of you who have watched/read it think of the treatment of magic users within the T.V. series  or the fictional novel. Does Martin depict it favorably? Is it met with  hostility? What do you think of the general progress of the series/sage. Thanks.

Social Conformity

While Joan of Arc was technically burnt at the stake as a relapsed heretic, the proof of her relapse was based in her decision to don clothing considered appropriate for men. What does this tell you about the Church's stance on social conformity? Do you see connections between a desire for social conformity and witch hunts and witchcraft? Do you think Joan's story still has relevance now?

The Magician and the Sultan's Son

Hi all,

I was searching around the internet and found this interesting African folktale about a sultan who has 3 sons who seem to be unable to learn. One day a magician comes to the sultan and says that he can teach the sons to read and write but in return the sultan must give up one of his sons to the magician. I don't want to tell too much so I'll let you read it for yourselves. I've also attached the link to the website that has various folktales and fairytales from different regions of the world. Hope you enjoy!

-Zachery Murphy
http://worldoftales.com/African_folktales/African_Folktale_47.html

http://worldoftales.com/

Fairy World

With the discussion about fairies on Tuesday, I remembered about a scene from the HBO show "True Blood" that I saw last year. I thought it would be a good clip to show to compare it with the discussion.

 The main character, Sookie, is part fairy and in this scene she was transported to the fairy world by her fairy godmother. Everything is very beautiful there and there are many fairies who have brought their own visitors with them too. Sookie then sees her long last grandfather, who has been missing for many years. It is revealed in the beginning that her grandfather thought he was only gone for a few hours. This illustrates the difference in the speed of time from the real world compared to the fairy world. Everything seems to be too good to be true and Sookie realizes that by being able to see past the fairies' glamour tricks. Soon the fairies' glamours fall apart and everyone is able to see them as they truly are.

Here is the clip link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOFBpVMkjZM

Do you guys think this is similar to what we discussed in class?

-Amanda Phillips

Dame Sirith in Middle English

For those of you interested, you can find a transcription of Dame Sirith as found in the Bodleian Library MS Digby 86 from circa 1275 at the link at the bottom of this post. The transcription is not translated, so for those of you interested in trying to read through some Middle English verse, I thought you might enjoy this.
The image to the left is an illumination found in a manuscript containing the poem Roman de la Rose. In it the King of Love (Cupid) has just shot the narrator/protagonist with his first arrow in the eye. This is symbolic of the medieval concepts of love being inspired by sight, as well as of the eyes being the most direct path to the soul. In the Classic and majority of the Medieval periods, love was often described as a sickness which, like a wound, needed proper medical attention.
Revisiting the text of Dame Sirith after watching the Sorceress made me think about the power dynamics being excercised on love and desire during the end of the Middle Ages and the start of the Early Modern period, and how the desire to control such emotions/feelings/passions/desires/thoughts crossed with practices of alchemy, herbalism, healing, and other unsactioned medicinal practices. In a number of the readings, and in the film, one "power" of (female) witches is to make a man desire her for unacceptable sexual activities. Who is blamed for the existenec of such desires? Is this accurate? Who is punished for participating in such activites? Who is excused and how? Who is the victim? Are women today accused of similar "powers" that excuse men of certain actions? Feel free to comment. I know this topic may prompt some strong opinions/viewpoints, so please remain respectful to all.
Have a great weekend! Robey Patrick
(http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/dsfrm.htm).

Week 3 Topic: The Early Medieval Church on Witchcraft

Worms Cathedral

This week you have been reading excerpts from The Corrector by Burchard of Worms. What does this text tell you about the Church's view on witchcraft during the early Middle Ages? How is his stance similar/different from other readings we have seen?

Week 2 Topic : Rapunzel

Read the short story of Rapunzel as it was related by the Brothers Grimm: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm012.html.

Explain the role of magic in this story using one or a combination of the four theories of magic presented in class (Philological, Proto-scientific, Psychological, Functional).  Do you think these theories are adequate? Why or why not?

Welcome to the MRS 240 Student Discussion Blog. Please read over the right column and check in with Robey or me if you have questions. If anything is unclear we would like to know.

Check back on Monday for your first topic.

- Michele Fuchs