Changes: Witch hunts

Revision as of 07:39, 16 August 2020

"Do you really wish to know?" — Spoilers from the books and/or adaptations to follow!

Gwent cardart northern sabrina glevissig

The witch hunts were a series of bloody events lasting from 1272 to 1276,^[1] during which a number of sorcerers and sorceresses, including the Lodge and other magic organizations, as well as other allegedly "objectionable" mages, were killed. Most victims were impaled, burned at the stake, or tortured to death during the interrogations. This was accompanied by the destruction of sorceresses' images, carried out very diligently and thoroughly within the Nilfgaardian Empire.^[2] In the Northern Kingdoms, the hunts went hand in hand with nonhuman persecutions and, if they managed to catch any, fanatical doppler hunts.^[3]

According to the Encyclopaedia Maxima Mundi, a Nilfgaardian tome full of propaganda, the hunts started over a passage from the Ithlinne's Prophecy about The Destroyer being wrongly interpreted.^[1] However, the truth is that they were provoked by zealous clergy with Archpriest Willemer, who purposefully incited hate towards magic, in charge.^[2] Led by Hierarch Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart, the Church of the Eternal Fire in Novigrad wasted no time. At first, it sent the Order of the Flaming Rose but later formed the witch hunters. Many rulers of the time like Emhyr var Emreis and Radovid V were not fond of mages and did nothing to stop the hunts, occasionally using them for their goals instead.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, this period and the Northern Wars were labelled as a Dark Age by the academies. The Lodge was rehabilitated, remembered as "the Great Lodge", and its deceased members elevated into sainthood and martyrdom.^[2]

You'll make a mistake one day. One day, one of you will make a mistake. Your vainglory, arrogance and hubris will be your undoing. And your scheming. Your immorality. The baseness and perversion you give yourselves unto, in which you live. It will come to light. The stench of your sins will spread when you make a mistake. Such a moment has to come.

And even if you don't make a mistake, an opportunity will arise to blame you for something. Some misfortune, some disaster, some pestilence, perhaps a plague or an epidemic, will fall on humanity... Then your guilt will descend on you. You will not be blamed for having been unable to prevent the plague, but for being unable to remove its effects. You shall be to blame for everything.

And then fires will be lit under stakes.

Willemer, The Lady of the Lake, pg. 446

Victims

Mages

Assire var Anahid
Sheala de Tancarville
Philippa Eilhart
Margarita Laux-Antille (tortured, but not killed)
Sabrina Glevissig
Fringilla Vigo
Lucretia Vigo
Felicia Cori^[3]
Keira Metz (optionally)^[3]
Arthur de Vleester^[3]

Others

An unnamed doppler impersonator of Chappelle^[3]
Kalkstein^[3]
The Pellar (optionally)^[3]
Carlo Varese (optionally)^[3]

Gallery

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Baptism of Fire
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 The Lady of the Lake
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 ^3.7 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

[BoF-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Baptism of Fire

[LotL-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 The Lady of the Lake

[TW3-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 ^3.7 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Witch hunts in tw2.jpg|thumb|280x280px]]
+{{SpoilerBanner}}[[File:Gwent cardart northern sabrina glevissig.jpg|thumb|405x405px]]
-The '''witch hunts''' lasted four years, beginning in [[Timeline#1272|1272]] and ending in [[Timeline#1276|1276]]<ref name=":0">''[[The Lady of the Lake]]''</ref>, during which most of the sorceresses from the [[Lodge of Sorceresses|Lodge]] and other magic organizations, and any other allegedly "objectionable" [[mages]] were killed. Later healers, [[nonhumans]] and [[herbalists]] were also killed. Most victims were burned at the stake or impaled. It is unclear if the pogrom was lead by the [[Church of the Eternal Fire]] and followers of [[Kreve]], or [[kingslayer]]s and other reactionaries.[[File:Witchhunt ending.png|thumb|280x280px]]The instigators of the witch hunts were hierarch [[Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart]]<ref name=":1">{{Tw3}}</ref>, the priest [[Willemer]]<ref name=":0" /> and [[Radovid V]], the king of [[Redania]], but [[Emhyr var Emreis]] stood by and did nothing to stop them.<ref name=":1" /> The hunters included, naturally [[Witch Hunters|Witch hunters]] and [[Order of the Flaming Rose|Knights of the Flaming Rose]].<ref name=":2">{{Tw2}}</ref> However, in this world, nothing is black and white and thus not every mage was helpless and innocent and not every hunter / knight was a sadistic devil.
+The '''witch hunts''' were a series of bloody events lasting from {{Year|canon=yes|year=1272}} to {{Year|canon=yes|year=1276}},<ref name="BoF">{{BoF}}</ref> during which a number of [[mage|sorcerers and sorceresses]], including the [[Lodge of Sorceresses|Lodge]] and other magic organizations, as well as other allegedly "objectionable" mages, were killed. Most victims were impaled, burned at the stake, or tortured to death during the interrogations. This was accompanied by the destruction of sorceresses' images, carried out very diligently and thoroughly within the [[Nilfgaardian Empire]].<ref name="LotL">{{TLotL}}</ref> In the [[Northern Kingdoms]], the hunts went hand in hand with [[nonhuman]] persecutions and, if they managed to catch any, fanatical [[doppler]] hunts.<ref name="TW3">{{Tw3}}</ref>
+According to the ''[[Encyclopaedia Maxima Mundi]]'', a Nilfgaardian tome full of propaganda, the hunts started over a passage from the [[Ithlinne's Prophecy]] about [[The Destroyer]] being wrongly interpreted.<ref name="BoF" /> However, the truth is that they were provoked by zealous clergy with Archpriest [[Willemer]], who purposefully incited hate towards magic, in charge.<ref name="LotL" /> Led by [[Hierarch]] [[Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart]], the [[Church of the Eternal Fire]] in [[Novigrad]] wasted no time. At first, it sent the [[Order of the Flaming Rose]] but later formed the [[witch hunter]]s. Many rulers of the time like [[Emhyr var Emreis]] and [[Radovid V]] were not fond of mages and did nothing to stop the hunts, occasionally using them for their goals instead.
+During the 14th and 15th centuries, this period and the [[Northern Wars]] were labelled as a Dark Age by the academies. The Lodge was rehabilitated, remembered as "the Great Lodge", and its deceased members elevated into sainthood and martyrdom.<ref name="LotL" />
+{{Block Quote|text = You'll make a mistake one day. One day, one of you will make a mistake. Your vainglory, arrogance and hubris will be your undoing. And your scheming. Your immorality. The baseness and perversion you give yourselves unto, in which you live. It will come to light. The stench of your sins will spread when you make a mistake. Such a moment has to come.
+And even if you don't make a mistake, an opportunity will arise to blame you for something. Some misfortune, some disaster, some pestilence, perhaps a plague or an epidemic, will fall on humanity... Then your guilt will descend on you. You will not be blamed for having been unable to prevent the plague, but for being unable to remove its effects.
+You shall be to blame for everything.
+And then fires will be lit under stakes. |citation = [[Willemer]], {{TLotL}}, pg. 446}}
-Later in 14th and 15th centuries, this period and the [[Northern Wars]] were labelled get as a Dark Age in the chronicles and the Lodge was rehabilitated and elevated to the status of saints and martyrs.<ref name=":0" />
 == Victims ==
-'''Mage users'''
+'''Mages'''
+* [[Assire var Anahid]]
-* [[Sheala de Tancarville]] <ref name=":1" /> or <ref name=":2" />
+* [[Sheala de Tancarville]]
-* [[Philippa Eilhart]] <ref name=":0" /> (partially, as she was not killed, only blinded)
+* [[Philippa Eilhart]]
-* [[Margarita Laux-Antille]] (partially, as she was not killed, only tortured)
+* [[Margarita Laux-Antille]] (tortured, but not killed)
-* [[Felicia Cori]] <ref name=":1" />
+* [[Sabrina Glevissig]]
-* [[Sabrina Glevissig]] <ref name=":2" /><ref>Not direct victim of Witch hunt, but died by hand of [[Henselt]] of [[Kaedwen]].</ref>
+* [[Fringilla Vigo]]
-* [[Keira Metz]] <ref name=":0" /><ref>Possibly in {{Tw3}} game</ref> (optionally)
+* [[Lucretia Vigo#Lucretia Vigo (sorceress)|Lucretia Vigo]]
-'''Alchemists & herbalists'''
+* [[Felicia Cori]]<ref name="TW3" />
-* [[Kalkstein]]
-* [[The Pellar]] (optionally)
+* [[Keira Metz]] (optionally)<ref name="TW3" />
+* [[Arthur de Vleester]]<ref name="TW3" />
 '''Others'''
-* An unnamed [[Doppler]] impersonation [[Chappelle]], head of [[Novigrad]]'s secret service
+* An unnamed doppler impersonator of [[Chappelle]]<ref name="TW3" />
+* [[Kalkstein]]<ref name="TW3" />
-* [[Carlo "Cleaver" Varese]] (optionally)
+* [[The Pellar]] (optionally)<ref name="TW3" />
+* [[Carlo Varese]] (optionally)<ref name="TW3" />
 == Gallery ==
 <gallery>
+Witch hunts in tw2.jpg
+Tw3 witch pyres novigrad.jpg
+Tw3_Novigrad_witch_hunts.jpeg
+Tw2_witch_hunts.jpeg
 dead keira.jpg
+Witchhunt_ending.png
+Gwent cardart northern witch hunter executioner.png
 </gallery>
@@ Line 26: / Line 44: @@
 <references />
+[[it:Caccia alle streghe]]
+[[pl:Polowania na czarownice]]
 [[pt-br:Caça às Bruxas]]
 [[ru:Охота на ведьм]]
-[[it:Caccia alle streghe]]
 [[Category:History]]