University of Iowa professor studies, teaches history of witch trials

IOWA CITY — History is full of tales and texts of ghosts and goblins and demons and haunts that — in some ways — remain relevant today and should not be forgotten, according to a University of Iowa professor who teaches a course to that end on one specific sect of storied boogeyman: witches.

Waltraud Maierhofer, holding dual appointments in German and Global Health Studies, teaches a UI course titled, “Witch Hunts in Fact and Fiction.” And, in doing so, hopes to impart an understanding that witches — from the early modern days of hunts and burnings — hold lessons for us today.

“Some historians say there was a real high time for witchcraft persecution during a time when it was unusually cold for a few decades, which meant that the crops didn't ripen and people were starving and looking for scapegoats,” Maierhofer said. “It was somebody cursing the village.”

Today’s America might not hunt witches to be punished by burning, but it does have scapegoats.

“There are parallels today,” Maierhofer said. “People blaming economic issues on illegal immigrants, or what have you, or people who rely on state benefits.”

Of course, the phrase “witch hunt” remains well-used today as well, she said.

“We see that a lot, even in news headlines, when somebody is accused of doing a witch hunt,” Maierhofer said, stressing the importance of “learning that, historically, that was really much more serious.”

Maierhofer — who’s been on the UI faculty for 33 years — taught her first semester of the “Witch Hunts in Fact and Fiction” course in 2019 and is teaching it again in the spring. Through the class, she covers the history of witchcraft, witch hunts, and witch trials — from Roman and Greek antiquities to today.

“There's still witch hunts going on today in other parts of the world,” Maierhofer said, pointing specifically to African traditions. “It's usually not like the European definition of witchcraft, but it goes back to their indigenous beliefs about spirits and giving disease by conversing with supernatural powers.”

Though called "witchcraft“ in the English language, that’s not entirely accurate, she said.

“But the effect is often that those accused literally get hunted and murdered on the spot without a trial,” Maierhofer said.

The persecution of witches in western Europe from 1500 to 1700 — her area of expertise — did involve trials, but not exactly like the kind we know today in courtrooms with juries and attorneys.

“There was a lot of change going on, in attitudes to religion, in science, and just generally in everyday life,” Maierhofer said of the era, highlighting the increase in printing. “The books about witchcraft and that witches should be hunted for security and eradicated, those books were spread a lot more than previous treatises about witchcraft and belief in spirits too.”

Between 80 to 90 percent of those accused of being witches were women, and often their only crime was being seen as a “burden to society.”

“So widows, or young women who were not married, and their family didn’t want to host them anymore,” she said. “Especially poor women who were begging … If somebody didn’t want to give to them, some believed they cursed them or wished them ill.”

Much of the trials occurred in rural communities — far from bigger cities and bigger governments. Those on trial for causing a bad hailstorm or early frost would be questioned — some accused of making a deal with the devil.

“There are books from the time that list all those examples” of reasons a person would go on trial, Maierhofer said. “One of my favorites was a man accused his bride of putting a spell on him because he couldn't sleep with other women anymore.”

Conversely, someone could be accused of being a witch because they were unusually rich and only could be so because they had supernatural powers.

“I think they really believed that,” Maierhofer said of witch ideology. “Only now we rationalize and say, ‘Yeah, they were looking for scapegoats’.”

Punishments ranged for convicted witches, she said. In some regions during certain periods, a confession could result in absolution and “living on.” At other times in other regions, conviction could result in burning or beheading.

“That was considered a sort of grace because it was a quicker death,” she said.

As for the imagery of black robes and pointy hats, Maier suggested that ties to a blend of English traditions — including fliers meant to terrify and allegations against women accused of taking on the role of men.

“That was one important transgression,” she said. “And a pointed hat was placed on them for that purpose.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com