Mid “Witchery”

A wise woman was asked to present the baby to the adult male and predict its fortune. A wise wowork force, or trance was the priestess who instructed women in blood, birth, and the magic of it all. The French word for accoucheuse means wise woman. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia the art of attending women in childbirth is called midwifery. Midwives and their practices naming back as far as ancient biblical, Greek and Roman times. Before the emergence of obstetrics, midwives and their practices were non considered an important part of the medical establishment.In its commencement midwives had no formal training and relied solely on contract and the teachings from mother to daughter within the profession. Wise women were the healers of the ancient world, it was during this time that wise women and witch became synonymous. In the beginning of recorded history people lived in small groups as a tribe. Within the tribes men were in charger of the survival of the group. He wa s the protector and the hunter. Womens roles revolved nigh their power to give birth. They were the nurtures of the family and the healers of both the physiologic and the spiritual.Women were a sacrosanct part of the group and this arose to the worship of the Goddess. (Aisles, 1-7) There were many goddesses and myths associated with birth. One of the Greeks most sacred Goddesss was Artemisia (also know as the Roman Goddess Diana). When Artemisia was born she assisted her mother in the birth of her twin blood brother Apollo. She became the protector of women and make decisions regarding who would live and die during birth. (Encyclopedia mythical Artemisia) Hake was an Egyptian Goddess. She had a frogs head which was a symbolism of life and fertility.She was also known as the Goddess of the last stages of birth. Although the word midwife did not exist at that time, the occupation of a midwife held the title of the servants of Hake. (Hake Encyclopedia Mythical) The Celtic Goddess Brigit is very interesting because she went from pagan mythology to Christianity and sainthood. Brigit was known as the Goddess with three aspects. She was a the patr unrivaledss for blacksmiths, for poetry, and for healing and fertility. Brigit has a seasonal holiday on the schedule of paganism called Iambic which is celebrated on February first.It is a celebration to usher in the spring. Christians accepted Brigit as a surrogate mother to Christ and changed the pagan Iambic to Candelas. She was cannonaded as SST. Brigit. (Brigit Encyclopedia Mythical) During the Goddess era, myths revolved around the goddesses who helped women. Women Goddesss were the mothers of all. Shrines and temples were erected to the worshiping of these women. But all the good that surrounds women and their knowledge acquires to an end with the emergence of a patriarchal God. Christianity changed the view of women as Gods.Eve, in the bible is solely responsible for all the evil in the world. In Genesis, it is Eve that is tempted by the serpent and brings shame upon herself and Adam with a punishment to last for eternity and all generations. God says I will greatly increase your pangs in haltering in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your liking shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. Gene. 36 With Christianity in the forefront of spirituality and religion comes atomic number 53 of the darkest times for women. Midwives were there to help women with the difficulties of childbearing.They helped teach women techniques that would help move along the birth and keep the mothers as comfortable as possible. Since the pains of childbirth was there punishment for sins, anyone who helped in eased this pain were considered to be working with Satan. Women working with Satan were witches. In 1486 the perform used a book written by Jacob Springer and Heimlich Kramer called the Mallets Maleficent or better known as The Witches Hammer. It was and instructional book for witch h unters. Midwives had two chapters devoted to them and their practices.The practice of child birth was set to change according to the church. (Summers) No one does more harm to the Catholic faith than midwives (CTD. In Rehiring and English 13). Midwifery was now being locomote to the medical profession. Everything that women taught and used during child birth was now being scrutinized. Instead of litigating the knowledge women healers possessed, it was set in motion the total eradication of midwives altogether. The church set a course to rid society of magic. opus boosting professional physicians the acts committed by untrained midwives was now a low status position to hold.Life and destruction had a value that belonged to God and professional physicians. The churchs position held that professionalism placed on the doctor put him on the side of God, while the female midwife became the personification of evil. In the book Witches, Midwives, and Nurses A history of Women Healers, th e reservoir makes this statement When faced with the misery of the poor, the Church turned to the dogma that obtain in this world is zip and unimportant. But there was a double standard at work, for the Church was not against medical business organisation for the upper class.Kings and nobles had their court physicians who were men, sometimes even priests. The real issue was control Male upper class healing under the auspices of the Church was acceptable, female healing as part of a grump underclass was not. (Rehiring and English 13) The clergy noticed that women regarded midwives to an important status and plotted to have it stopped. Rehiring and English 11-12) With the Mallets in hand, the church was armed and ready for war. Midwives were watched closely and if a child died a midwife could be charged at sacrificing that childs soul to the devil.It became important for midwives to have witnesses and control of all situations. Midwives were given a chance to sign documents stat ing that they would not perform rituals or use magic in anyway. These women ready favor by following rules of men and training under them. These women Joined in on the witch hunts and became the ones to help search out midwives who were found o be witches. Eighty percent of witches were women and a third of those women were in fact midwives. Approximately 60 thousand women were executed as witches for three century.Cones) The scope of the witch trials is more then can be expressed and midwives are only one representation of the women accused of witchcraft. It is more notable that the witch trials were nigh religious authority over woman and the abuse of women by men. It has been over three hundred eld since the Salem Witch trials. It is Americas worst history of witch hunts. Today there are many healthy women around the world. These women hold important positions in business, hospitals and even government offices. Midwifery has made a come back in the area of obstetrics.Many do ctors offices offer midwife services to clients. Women are interested in the experience of having a midwife rejoice in their celebration of life. But even with all of the accomplishments women have made they still struggle for equal rights. In 1992 Pat Robertson wrote in a fund raising letter, The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, carry off heir children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians. There again is the accusation of witchcraft.