Witchcraft is a magical practice performed by a wizard or witch.
Witchcraft is the set of magical and superstitious practices developed by witches and warlocks . For example: “My grandmother thinks she feels bad because a neighbor performed witchcraft on her,” “The police raided a house where they practiced witchcraft and mutilated animals,” “It seems that I am a prisoner of witchcraft: I want to do things and everything comes out.” bad.”
Human beings have believed in witchcraft since prehistory , although interpretations of the phenomenon change according to culture and time . In Western society, witchcraft is associated with belief in the Devil or demons , as the practice is associated with spells that seek to cause evil.
Types of witchcraft
Beyond this trend, in some cases there is also talk of two types of witchcraft: one beneficial and the other malefic, as is the case of white magic and black magic .
Ultimately, witchcraft practices are similar to the actions performed by magicians, sorcerers, and shamans, as they all involve some type of logic that escapes what is considered normal or natural.
Witchcraft was condemned throughout history.
The role of the Holy Inquisition
Throughout history we can find various events of great importance that revolve around witchcraft. Thus, for example, in Spain there was the so-called Holy Inquisition , a medieval institution of the Catholic Church that not only tried to stop heresy but also any type of act of witches that had to do with the devil.
Throughout its centuries of life, that entity, also called the Holy Office , committed a multitude of tortures and murders without any reason, simply claiming that women and men were witches when in reality all they had done was, for For example, relying on traditional methods, such as the use of herbs, to cure diseases.
Among the bloodiest episodes that took place in this regard, the case of the Zugarramurdi witches in 1610 stands out. Several women were burned because they were considered to practice witchcraft, to be able to fly, to have relationships with the devil, or to have the ability to generate all kinds of perverse actions against their peers. However, these accusations were only the result of a series of personal quarrels that existed between neighbors and that were used by the inquisitors to continue carrying out their cruel murders in favor of the faith.
Likewise, in the United States the case of the Salem witches is also known. This was a set of trials that took place at the end of the 17th century against twenty-five women who were accused of witchcraft by people who only had personal envy against them. The result of everything was various hangings.
Witchcraft today
In today's world, witchcraft considered as a practice capable of influencing reality is something marginal. On the other hand, these phenomena frequently appear in popular culture through television series, comics, books or movies, often in a comic and humorous way.
Brujería , finally, is the name of a Mexican metal band founded in 1989 and the title of songs by Shakira and Los Tipitos .