... healers; conversely, they were especially feared for their ability to use that innate power for evil purposes. Hence to most ancient Europeans witches were usually female. Hence, also, the pagan peoples of Europe regularly executed people for the alleged crime of witchcraft. This situation was ended by the coming of Christianity, which suppressed witch-hunting with a simple theological argument; if there was indeed a single all-powerful God, then no magic could be worked except by his will, and therefore witches were actually ineffective, and deluded. The result was an almost complete halt to executions for witchcraft in Europe for most of the Middle Ages. Laws against Witchcraft Many Kings and Queens during the 16th and the 17th century, were very against the practice of Witchcraft. They hated the idea that there was a group of people who were 'witches.' To make this clear to people that the Kings and Queens of England, did ...

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