Elizabethan superstitions and how they affected daily life Essay

Superstitions have been around since the ages of Greek Gods and Goddesses (Elizabethan-era).   The fear of the supernatural, nature, and losing love resulted in the outbreak of superstitions in the Elizabethan Era.   Superstitions had a huge impact on daily life, they would cause small simple tasks to be long, drawn out, and had to have every petty detail paid attention to.   Superstitions caused a great deal of paranoia and stress in the Elizabethan era, and sometimes contradicted daily living.
Due to the fact that Elizabethans were afraid of evil, the odd people in communities started being accused of witchcraft.   Witchcraft had a great impact of the daily and social lives of the Elizabethans.   Soon neighbors slung accusations at each other and started ruckus all over England.   Children rolled on the floor having convulsions and blaming random people for hexing or possessing them (Saintives).   Anyone with odd names, weird looks, or were found mumbling chants, were accused of witchcraft and were put to death.   Herbal potions or homemade medicinal concoctions were thought to be witches brew, they would be confiscated and the owner taken to jail.
Women were the most common gender to be accused of witchcraft.   Out of all of the witch trials in England, eighty-five percent were women and only fifteen percent were men.   Women sometimes wore long black dresses and were sometimes thought to be witches because of their dress.   People believed that witches used brooms to fly over vast distances due to the fact that women used brooms daily around the house.   Over 70,000 witches were killed during the witch trials, this tore England’s families in to despair and chaos (Elizabethan-era).
To avoid witch’s hexes and curses, people started to create good luck charms to protect themselves.   They most commonly made the good luck charms out of, or made from three main cleansing substances: silver, fire, and running water.   Silver was thought to be of great value and good luck....