IIRC there was a funny tale … in christian medieval times, it was illegal to tell the future. (like, fortune tellers and such)
in the text i read, people predicting the future was seen as a “real” thing, i.e. they believed it really worked. they still didn’t like it though. i wonder why.
Hey, uh, great wizard, perhaps you shouldn’t throw stones? ;)
For real, though, witch hunts were always adventures in scapegoating. People are always easier to placate when you can redirect their fear and anger away from the establishment (whether that’s your chieftain, congregation, parish, fiefdom, governor, or king) and onto someone who can’t defend themselves. That’s usually the marginalised – the homeless, disabled, religiously ‘deviant’, or just annoying – because they can’t fight back. Bonus points if they have property or assets you can seize.
It’s never been about beliefs, and it’s always been about taking from people who can’t defend themselves – and making them that way by separating them from their community. This is what sociopaths have always done when we put them in charge.
IIRC there was a funny tale … in christian medieval times, it was illegal to tell the future. (like, fortune tellers and such)
in the text i read, people predicting the future was seen as a “real” thing, i.e. they believed it really worked. they still didn’t like it though. i wonder why.
Hey, uh, great wizard, perhaps you shouldn’t throw stones? ;)
For real, though, witch hunts were always adventures in scapegoating. People are always easier to placate when you can redirect their fear and anger away from the establishment (whether that’s your chieftain, congregation, parish, fiefdom, governor, or king) and onto someone who can’t defend themselves. That’s usually the marginalised – the homeless, disabled, religiously ‘deviant’, or just annoying – because they can’t fight back. Bonus points if they have property or assets you can seize.
It’s never been about beliefs, and it’s always been about taking from people who can’t defend themselves – and making them that way by separating them from their community. This is what sociopaths have always done when we put them in charge.