February 18, 2011
Posted by in Magic and the Occult, Videos | 12.59am | 578 views
The 6-part film below is called “The Burning Times”. It explains what went on during the period from 1450 to 1700. That period of time in history is actually referred to as the ‘burning times’. Thousands of witches (either practicing or falsely accused) were burnt to death, tortured, hung, stoned and drowned… all because a few influential people created rumours about what witches believed in.
Rumours slowly started spreading about how witches were eating babies… flew in the night skies… worshipped the devil… destroyed people by casting satanic spells. They were labeled as evil. No one bothered to properly find out what was really true. All that they heard was ‘witches are evil’ and they believed without question.
In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII issued an edict that made those practicing witchcraft a primary target of the Inquisition. The Inquisition fought against heretics, and those practicing witchcraft were committing heresy. So for the next 250 years, thousands of people who stood up for their own beliefs were tortured and murdered.
The highest number of murders occurred in Germany, where one small town lost their entire female population to the flames of “heresy”. And, it wasn’t just women who were accused and murdered – men were too.
Do take a look at this documentary. It’s very interesting….
Tsem Rinpoche
The Burning Times, Part 1
Or view the video on the server at: http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TheBurningTimesDocumentary-Part1.flv
The Burning Times, Part 2
Or view the video on the server at: http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TheBurningTimesDocumentary-Part2.flv
The Burning Times, Part 3
Or view the video on the server at: http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TheBurningTimesDocumentary-Part3.flv
The Burning Times, Part 4
Or view the video on the server at: http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TheBurningTimesDocumentary-Part4.flv
The Burning Times, Part 5
Or view the video on the server at: http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TheBurningTimesDocumentary-Part5.flv
The Burning Times, Part 6
Or view the video on the server at: http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TheBurningTimesDocumentary-Part6.flv
The below was added in the YouTube comments section of these videos. I thought that it was very well-written and wanted to share it with all of you:
This beautifully crafted film is an in-depth look at the witch-hunts that swept through Europe just a few hundred years ago. False accusations and trials led to massive torture and burnings at the stake, and ultimately to the destruction of an organic way of life. The film advances the theory that widespread violence against women and the neglect of our environment today can be traced back to those times. This is Part Two of a series of three films on women and spirituality, which includes Goddess Remembered and Full Circle.
NOTE ABOUT COMMENT POLICY: I do moderate comments for this video series, because it is a sensitive topic. I want women to feel comfortable, and to promote an environment of productive understanding. Comments that I decide are sexist, hateful, bigoted or just unproductive won’t be approved. It can sometimes take me a couple of days to notice that a comment has been posted, so please be patient and don’t double-post your comments. If you’re sure that you’ve posted something appropriate and a week goes by without it being approved, then go ahead and post it again. I probably just missed it. Thanks and enjoy this great series.
Dear Rinpoche,
When I was in high school, in History class we studied the Salem witch hunts that happened in 17th Century US and it was astonishing just how easily people could be accused and brought to trial. I couldn’t believe the tests that were carried out to “prove” a witch. One test supposedly had the accused touch a victim who was having a fit. If the fit stopped, the accused was said to have caused the condition in the first place.
I’m sure during the Salem trials, all accused were convicted. Of course, this was quite a handy piece of legislation – if someone possessed something of desired value or if there was some other thing that person possessed of worth, one could make an accusation against that person.
Personally, I have never been a great believer in this sort of thing (although I don’t entirely dismiss the paranormal). Throughout history, countless people have suffered through nonsense superstition and many have lost their lives. I am quite fascinated by how seizures and other conditions were once genuinely believed to be brought on by demons who possessed a body. Now we know the actual cause of such conditions, which can easily be medically treated. It makes me think of what we take to be paranormal activity today – could there be a rational explanation available in 20, 30, 50 years’ time?
Kind regards,
Sandy
In the old western folklore days, a witch was depicted as an old hag, wearing a long distinctive black-coloured hat, with a same coloured cloak and clothing, purportedly said to be riding atop a flying broom. She is believed to possess supernatural satanic powers of black magic. In that era all witches were traditionally classified as satanic and devilished. Witch-hunts were ordered to be carried out due perhaps to prejudiced and biased hearsay and beliefs pertaining to witches’ spiritual practices and activities, which were regarded as evil. When caught, they would be biasedly condemned, either to be burned alive at the stakes, tortured, hung, stoned or drowned. The fate of these “poor devils” were vertually at the hands of these influential and powerful few who said to be the creator of these hearsay. Those were the “Burning Days”. It is said,”Where Ignorance is our Master, there is no possibility of real Peace.”