Need help formulating thesis for European History class!!

Question

I am writing a research paper on Witchcraft. That is the only guidelines on my topic I'm given, but I have to formulate a thesis around that topic.

Can someone help me out???? I'm so lost!

Answer 1

Hasn't there been claims by such as Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) that witch-hunting was not as widespread as claimed? A thesis could be on how widespread the fear of witchcraft was in Europe of the middle-ages/tudor & stuart times (King James of Scotland and England wrote a treatise on the subject)? Or about the existence of witches in history? Or the effectiveness of witch-hunting or witchcraft/

Hope that helps. Interesting question

Answer 2

How about, 'Witchcraft, despite persecution of witches and the relegation of witchcraft to secrecy, had a deeply influential impact on European culture.'

I would start with alchemy, which was a kind of branch of witchcraft, but became the basis for modern science.  Many Christian symbols, also, are clearly holdovers from paganism (which you might be able to Witchcraft), eg, the Christmas tree, the Easter bunny.  Things that come from Druids could be very useful here.  So could anything about the serious interest in astrology, up till Renaissance times.

A good start here might be The Golden Bough, which was the main source for Sigmund Freud...Very long book, but there's an abbreviated illustrated version (150 pages, mostly pictures) that could be very useful.