What did a woman in the medieval times do to be considered a witch?
Medieval Europe was a place of fear and superstition, where men controlled society and women were relegated to subservient duties. Within this atmosphere, it didn’t take much to be accused of practicing witchcraft.IsolationWomen who lived alone or on the fringes of society became easy objects of superstition because they had few friends or relatives to speak up for them.CatsHand-in-hand with loneliness was the appearance of pets, such as cats, for company. Women who did so, and who were found talking to their pets, could be accused of harboring demonic “familiars” and thus of practicing witchcraft.Folk WisdomFolk remedies and knowledge of healing plants, which some women possessed, often had a supernatural air to them. Because such knowledge didn’t come directly from the church, it could be viewed as Satanic, and hence witchcraft.PovertyPoor women did not have many resources available to them, making them easy scapegoats to blame when misfortune befell a community.OppressionWomen perce
