Saturday, December 16, 2017
Constants and Variables 84, magic hand edition
Going back to the 1887 Henry Lea book on the witch hunters of 500 years ago...
It's clear that the common people in those years were better at analyzing constants and variables than modern TV-injected common people.
The inquisitors, just like the modern Federal Bureau of Inquisition, were tasked with cultivating witches and creating false witnesses. Unlike moderns, they were hampered by popular resistance on one major question:
If witches are as powerful as you say they are, why are witches poor and powerless? If they can do anything they want, why aren't they queens and duchesses? Why aren't they married to bankers and landowners? If witches can control everyone's mind, why are you able to arrest them?
The FBI of 1500 felt the need to develop a theory:
A witch's power magically turns off at the moment when the hand of the law arrests her.
We don't know if this satisfied the people, but it apparently satisfied the constables and judges.
= = = = =
Later thought: I missed the MOST OBVIOUS parallel. Lady Edgar, who founded the modern Inquisition, was an extremely typical Roman in ALL aspects, and surrounded himherself with other typical Romans. The modern Inquisition was nearly all Roman until Lady Edgar died.
A witch's power magically turns off at the moment when the hand of the law arrests her.
We don't know if this satisfied the people, but it apparently satisfied the constables and judges.
= = = = =
Later thought: I missed the MOST OBVIOUS parallel. Lady Edgar, who founded the modern Inquisition, was an extremely typical Roman in ALL aspects, and surrounded himherself with other typical Romans. The modern Inquisition was nearly all Roman until Lady Edgar died.Labels: Constants and Variables
¶ 6:26 AM
