--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The words witch and witchcraft, in…" description: "\"“The words witch and witchcraft, in everyday usage for over a thousand years, have undergone several changes of meaning; and today witchcraft, having r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/rossell-hope-robbins-91302_thousand-years_the-words-witch-and-witchcraft-in-everyd_2682422.jpg" --- # The words witch and witchcraft, in everyday usage for over… ![“The words witch and witchcraft, in everyday usage for over a thousand years, have undergone several changes of meaning; and today witchcraft, having reverted to its original connotation of magic and sorcery, does not convey the precise and limited definition it once had during the sixteenth and…” quote by Rossell Hope Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/rossell-hope-robbins-91302_thousand-years_the-words-witch-and-witchcraft-in-everyd_2682422.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/rossell-hope-robbins-91302_thousand-years_the-words-witch-and-witchcraft-in-everyd_2682422.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/rossell-hope-robbins-91302_thousand-years_the-words-witch-and-witchcraft-in-everyd_2682422.jpg) > ““The words witch and witchcraft, in everyday usage for over a thousand years, have undergone several changes of meaning; and today witchcraft, having reverted to its original connotation of magic and sorcery, does not convey the precise and limited definition it once had during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. If witchcraft had never meant anything more than the craft of "an old, weather-beaten crone..." Europe would not have suffered, for three centuries from 1450 to 1750, the shocking nightmare, the foulest crime and the deepest shame of western civilization, the blackout of everything that homo sapiens, the reasoning man, has ever upheld. This book is about that shame...degradation stifled decency, the filthiest passions masqueraded under the cover of religion, and man's intellect was subverted to condone bestialities that even Swift's Yahoos would blush. Never were so many wrong, so long...”” [Rossell Hope Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rossell-hope-robbins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Witchcraft’s meaning shifted over centuries, reflecting societal fears and moral panic, leading to persecution. **In simple terms:** Witchcraft’s definition changed, causing fear and persecution. Key Takeaway Understand historical context of terms. Themes history language persecution morality societal fear Mood analytical somber Type Thousand years:1 Western civilization:1 Witchcraft:1 Centuries Witchcraft:0 Witchcraft Meant:0 Witch Witchcraft:0 Words Witch:0 When to use this quote - academic study - social commentary - ethical reflection Key Concepts semantic shift cultural analysis power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do language changes affect perception? - What lessons can we learn from past moral panics? A Different Perspective May generalize all historical witchcraft. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Centuries Witchcraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centuries-witchcraft-1855360/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Western civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-civilization/) [Witch Witchcraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch-witchcraft-2592487/) [Witchcraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witchcraft/) [Witchcraft Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witchcraft-meant-2592486/) [Words Witch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-witch-2592488/) ## Related quotes > [“Throughout these centuries, those who should, by their birth, training, and position, have been the conscience of the world, accepted the delusion and promoted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rossell-hope-robbins/throughout-these-centuries-those-who-should-by-their-birth-training/) [Rossell Hope Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rossell-hope-robbins/) > [“An old alchemist gave the following consolation to one of his disciples: “No matter how isolated you are and how lonely you feel, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/an-old-alchemist-gave-the-following-consolation-to-one-of-his/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [I want to be able to twitch my nose like that so I can clean my house! I have four children. I have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silver-ravenwolf/i-want-to-be-able-to-twitch-my-nose-like-that-so-i-can-clean-my-house/) [Silver RavenWolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silver-ravenwolf/) > [“There are some secrets darker than witchcraft." - Aunt Dora”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-aasheim/there-are-some-secrets-darker-than-witchcraft-aunt-dora/) [April Aasheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-aasheim/) > [Witchcraft was hung, in History, But History and I Find all the Witchcraft that we need Around us, every Day -](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/witchcraft-was-hung-in-history-but-history-and-i-find-all-the/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) > [But, my dear, so few things are fulfilled: what are most lives but a series of incompleted episodes? 'We work in the dark, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/but-my-dear-so-few-things-are-fulfilled-what-are-most-lives-but-a/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-witchcraft-join-with-beauty-lust-with-both/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It was a spring without voices. 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The wires had just unraveled without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-fletcher/i-had-stood-and-stared-at-the-webbing-of-steel-then-wished-for-a-hole/) [Penelope Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-fletcher/) > [“You can't not help people just because they're stupid or forgetful or unpleasant... If I don't help them, who will?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-not-help-people-just-because-they-re-stupid-or-forgetful-or/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [If we cannot shape our destiny there as no such thing as witchcraft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/if-we-cannot-shape-our-destiny-there-as-no-such-thing-as-witchcraft/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [“Could you tell me how to grow--or is it unconveyed--like Melody--or Witchcraft?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/could-you-tell-me-how-to-grow-or-is-it-unconveyed-like-melody-or/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) ## More by Rossell Hope Robbins > [“Throughout these centuries, those who should, by their birth, training, and position, have been the conscience of the world, accepted the delusion and promoted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rossell-hope-robbins/throughout-these-centuries-those-who-should-by-their-birth-training/) [Rossell Hope Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rossell-hope-robbins/) [Explore all 2 Rossell Hope Robbins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rossell-hope-robbins/) ## More Thousand years quotes > [Memory revises me. 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If witchcraft had never meant anything more than the craft of \"an old, weather-beaten crone...\" Europe would not have suffered, for three centuries from 1450 to 1750, the shocking nightmare, the foulest crime and the deepest shame of western civilization, the blackout of everything that homo sapiens, the reasoning man, has ever upheld. This book is about that shame...degradation stifled decency, the filthiest passions masqueraded under the cover of religion, and man's intellect was subverted to condone bestialities that even Swift's Yahoos would blush. 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