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Evans-Pritchard, who cautioned that it might not correspond with normal English usage. This definition was pioneered in a study of central African magical beliefs by E. In anthropological terminology, witches differ from sorcerers in that they don't use physical tools or actions to curse their maleficium is perceived as extending from some intangible inner quality, and one may be unaware of being a witch, or may have been convinced of their nature by the suggestion of others. Folk etymologies link witchcraft "to the English words wit, wise, wisdom ", so 'craft of the wise.' The word witch was also spelled wicca or wycca in Old English, and was originally masculine. The word is over a thousand years old: Old English formed the compound wiccecræft from wicce ('witch') and cræft ('craft'). Other severe medical conditions whose treatment is hampered in this way include tuberculosis, leprosy, epilepsy and the common severe bacterial Buruli ulcer. HIV/AIDS and Ebola virus disease are two examples of often-lethal infectious disease epidemics whose medical care and containment has been severely hampered by regional beliefs in witchcraft. Suspicion of modern medicine due to beliefs about illness being due to witchcraft also continues in many countries to this day, with serious healthcare consequences. Witch-hunts, scapegoating, and the killing or shunning of suspected witches still occur in the modern era. In these cultures beliefs that were related to witchcraft and magic were influenced by the prevailing Western concepts of the time. During the Age of Colonialism, many cultures across the globe were exposed to the modern Western world via colonialism, usually accompanied and often preceded by intensive Christian missionary activity (see " Christianization"). Many cultures worldwide continue to have widespread practices and cultural beliefs that are loosely translated into English as "witchcraft", although the English translation masks a very great diversity in their forms, magical beliefs, practices, and place in their societies. The Western mainstream Christian view is far from the only societal perspective about witchcraft. It is most notably practiced in the Wiccan and modern witchcraft traditions, and it is no longer practiced in secrecy.
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From the mid-20th century, witchcraft – sometimes called contemporary witchcraft to clearly distinguish it from older beliefs – became the name of a branch of modern Paganism. Christian views in the modern day are diverse and cover the gamut of views from intense belief and opposition (especially by Christian fundamentalists) to non-belief, and even approval in some churches. This culminated in deaths, torture and scapegoating (casting blame for misfortune), and many years of large scale witch-trials and witch hunts, especially in Protestant Europe, before largely ceasing during the European Age of Enlightenment.
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It is a theosophical conflict between good and evil, where witchcraft was generally evil and often associated with the Devil and Devil worship. Historically, the predominant concept of witchcraft in the Western world derives from Old Testament laws against witchcraft, and entered the mainstream when belief in witchcraft gained Church approval in the Early Modern Period. They have been present or central at various times and in many diverse forms among cultures and religions worldwide, and continue to have an important role in many cultures today. The concept of witchcraft and the belief in its existence have persisted throughout recorded history. The Magic Circle by John William Waterhouse, 1886 4 Historical and religious perspectives.