For most of human history, we did not have a definite explanation for the phenomena of heaven and earth, birth, old age, sickness and death, and even the fate of individuals, so witchcraft became a solace for people's souls.
In ancient times, sorcerers with the ability to reach heaven wielded enormous power and even became tribal leaders or kings. The oracle's research revealed that the Shang king was essentially a great sorcerer, and the excavation of Yin Ruins also confirmed the importance of sorcerers in the Shang Dynasty. This status continued much later.
In ancient China, shamans possessed the power of heaven and earth, and this power had to be grasped by the rulers. If anyone wanted to do something with witchcraft, whether it was a common person or a relative of the emperor, they would be severely punished. The witchcraft of the Han Dynasty was an example of this, and the entire city of Chang'an was plunged into chaos and panic as a result.
Witch hunts in the West are different from those in China. In the ancient West, the clergy and the monarchy checked and balanced each other, and the power of the church was once very strong.
It is believed that demons exist in the human world and influence people's fate through the black magic of sorcerers and shrine maidens. In order to promote the righteous path of **, shamans, especially witches, were put to death and criticized. Witch hunts have largely become an unstoppable, semi-spontaneous sport of the people.
In 1487, the Inquisitors of Germany wrote a book called The Witch's Hammer, which summarized the knowledge of witchcraft and witches that had been popular in Europe since the Middle Ages, and provided how to identify and prosecute witches.
The book reflected the dark psychology of some of the people in the Inquisition, and the maturity of the printing press allowed the book to be widely disseminated, further promoting the witch hunt in Europe. Hundreds of years of witch hunting have resulted in the deaths of a large number of innocent people, with the most conservative estimate of 100,000 killed.
Fortunately, with the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment, religion** was considered inhumane, and witch hunting gradually disappeared. However, its powerful inertia still kills living beings from time to time.
The Salem witch trials in the New England colonies of North America in the late 17th century are a prime example. The local white colonists' deep belief in supernatural powers led to an absurd witch hunt frenzy. In just three months, a large number of innocent women were accused of being witches and tortured and executed. In the end, the administrative ** intervened to end the farce.
Although witch hunting may seem far away from us, the superstition, cruelty, ignorance and backwardness it reflects still exists.
The essence of witch hunting is to go to others under the banner of righteousness, and this banner can be a righteous and awe-inspiring way to eliminate demons, or it can be an unquestionable positive energy. Behind the witch hunt, the dark humanity is always there. A normal and civilized society must be vigilant against such people, prevent such people from succeeding, and make witch hunting always just a lesson of history, not a tear of reality.