Servants of the Devil in Krupina
Servants of the Devil in Krupina

Author(s): Milan Majtán
Subject(s): Cultural history, Customs / Folklore, History of Law, Modern Age, Culture and social structure , 18th Century
Published by: Historický ústav SAV
Keywords: Slovakia; Krupina; magic; witches; devil; servants of devil; middle ages; modern age; belief system;
Summary/Abstract: The flames of the Holy Inquisition illuminated the Christian Middle Ages. Faith in God could not exist without belief in the infernal powers. An irreconcilable and cruel battle with the devil and with people accused of making a pact with him and recognizing him as their supreme lord in place of God had to support faith and obedience. Flames and stakes with heretics, witches and other servants of the devil blazed across Europe. The ecclesiastical and secular authorities used them to get rid of inconvenient people, but especially they evoked fear and terror towards their power. Anybody could be accused. Torture easily forced confessions of such acts that human reason cannot believe. The former Kingdom of Hungary was no exception, although the witch-hunts here were organized later and did not reach the same dimensions as in Western Europe. In the region of present Slovakia, they tried, tortured, beheaded and burnt witches in Bratislava, Komárno, Šamorín, Trenčín, Trnava, Štítnik and other towns. The former free royal borough of Krupina in Slovakia holds the sad record for the number of trials, convictions and executions of victims. Witches were still burnt there in 1741 and inquisitors appointed by the magistrates in 1744 questioned a woman accused of witchcraft.

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