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Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the primary motivations for the persecution of witches in medieval and early modern Europe. There have already been both academic and lay investigations into the circumstances and details of this period of European history. Such studies have examined the places, the numbers of the executed, and the trials themselves. However, few texts review in depth the possible reasons behind the actions of those in power.
This archival study was based on the review of period documents assessed for both descriptive and statistical information as they pertain to general motivational themes. Due to the length of time examined, it was broken down into three periods: 1000 to 1252 AD, 1253 to 1466 AD, and 1467 to 1692 AD. The writing categories analyzed were philosophical, functional, and social with two examples in each category. The recurring themes that were prevalent in the documents studied were religious fervor, avarice, hatred of other, fear, and social control or domination.
