How Evil Has Evolved from the Early Witch Craze to Contemporary Ideas on Evil - Essay Example

Exactly where did Satan evolve? The first appearance of Satan or the concept of Satan began following the Babylonian captivity of Judah in the 4th and 5th centuries. “Shatan” became known as the evil one to the Persians, as they became fearful of the Israelites. The Israelite faith adapted to the figure God, and he became the creator of good and Satan became the evil one. In ancient times good and evil pagans were formed as early cultures began to change from hunters of food to gradual farming societies.

Gods and Goddesses of the Harvest were formed, as a way of giving thanks to what was harvested. Eastern and Western Europe were the first to see magical practices and witchcraft through all cultures shortly after. However, witchcraft, was not given the name witchcraft until the 13th century when the Anglo-Saxons formed covens. Dracula also has a history of being one from the dark side. Oblivious to some in our society, the name Dracula evolved from a Vlad Dracul who actually lived in Romania in the 14th century.

Vlad Tepes was born on December 1431 in Sighisoara, Romania and his father was the governor of Transylvania. He was inducted into the Order of Dragon, which was a military/religious society, one year before. The primary goal of the society was a crusade for good, and war against the Turks. The Boyars of Romania felt that the Order of Dragon was evil, and associated it with the Devil They dubbed Vlad’s father “Dracul”, which in Romanian means Devil. Thus, Dracula evolved from the name, which means “the son of the devil.

” The 15th century brought about the Witch Trials, which began in 1490, and these times have been called “the burning times.” England established the first and second Witchcraft Act, which made it illegal to organize covens in the 16th century. From this time forward, the covens were forced to go underground and become secret. A new and stricter law was passed in the early 16th century and was able to stay in place until the early 17th century; however, hysteria broke out in England, and tricked to the American colonies.

The Salem Witch Trails began in Massachusetts during the late 1600s. Evil at its highest point expanded to include hangings, drowning and burnings at the stake. By the 18th century, England gained some stability, and the 16th century Witchcraft Act was repealed by King George II. By the 19th century, some of the secret covens began stepping into the public eye, and many books and publications on the subject were written in England. By the 20th Century the last Witchcraft Act of England was reformed, and the Craft was no longer illegal by 1951.

Wicca was formed in 1951, which combines beliefs from folklore and mythology and was seen as a woman’s religion. In the 21st century or the “New Age,” native American beliefs become popular through TV and movies. This brings pagan beliefs to the surface as an acceptable and open religion. In 2007 the Veterans Administration approves the Pentagram’s use as a symbol acceptable on headstones in military cemeteries. From ancient times to our modern present times, good and evil have always been a part of our lives.

If there is a good, then in retrospect there has to be an evil; is this true? There are natural evil occurrences in our society, floods and earthquakes, being struck by lightning and terminal illnesses. These all bring devastation, death and despair. But there is also humanistic evil, which most psychologist would call abnormal human traits. This is a question of moral evil and how our society views good and evil. As the timeline indicates we have drastically relaxed our values to allow evil a comfortable place in our society.

This is not to say that good is better or evil is