The Witch Trials, midwives and the battle for the body

Melamed, Anna

Abstract

During the 16th and 17th century, all across Europe, in every town and village, women were killed as witches; many of whom were midwives. How did this brutal period of our history affect midwifery?
The process of the witch trials started with a steady indoctrination by the authorities promoting negative stereotypes of witches and spreading fear by distributing plays, poems and religious texts. Notes were then pinned up announcing that the witch finder was coming and everyone should identify who the local witches were. Later the witch hunters would arrive with doctors, administrators, members of the clergy and executioners. The whole village was expected to turn out for a public show trial culminating in executions. Absence or defending an accused would entail risking your life. The spiral of fear cannot be overestimated in areas where there were regular executions of women over a period of years.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 1, 2022
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Sep 21, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 17, 2022
• Journal: Midwifery Matters
• Print ISSN: 0961-1479
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Issue: 172
• Keywords: Midwives; Midwifery, Childbirth
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9969800
• Related Public URLs: https://www.midwifery.org.uk/midwifery-matters-archive/