Ro per to suggest that the physical effects of the menopause on women’s bodies and the
fears surrounding infertility may explain the vulnerability of older women to witchcraft
accusations. Rowlands, however, argued that little is known about early modern peop le’s
experience and understanding of the menopause, and therefore the connection should be
considered with caution. 20 A lack of detailed analysis of the contemporary experience of the
menopause may account for the varying views as to its role as a contributing factor of witch-
accusations of older women.
The disagreements discussed in this essay highlight a multiplicity of causes at play
behind the accusations of witchcraft during the early modern witch-hunts. They reveal the
challenges historians face when placing their interpretations within the context of a complex
social and cultural picture and they illustrate the varying factors that have led historians to
reach different conclusions as to the identities of the accused.
20 Rowlands, pp. 58-60
23
Made with FlippingBook HTML5