Tempel Anneke Was Accused Of Witchcraft In The 17th Century

Tempel Anneke was accused of witchcraft in 1663, not because of what she did for her community but because she was an elderly female in a man’s world that was set on freeing society of witches. The Christian church which was run by men viewed witchcraft loosely as a way to lump together all practices that could not be explained through the church. It was also demonized by the Church who had no good response to give its people. The Church believed it wasn’t coming from God, so it must be evil. This led to insecurities throughout towns and villages that feared a group of non-believers or witches wanted to destroy them. It is through the insecurities of a male dominant world that this trial even went to the full extent that it did. Tempel
Men were the workers, bread winners, property owners, decision makers, and kings in their families and in society. Everyone worked beneath them. They went out to work each day and expected that when they returned, the women within their families would provide the proper necessities of life: food, a clean house, and take care of the children. A woman on the other hand was expected to provide these necessities and often she also provided work outside the home, she may have even work alongside her husband too. When she finished that job, it was expected that she would attend to her home duties, these included, providing care for her husband and family and never to complain. The common practice of a woman in the 1600’s to be subservient to men and were to model themselves after “The Blessed Mother”, Mary. Juan Luis de Vives, 1523, wrote a book on the appropriate behavior of women. In this book he states that young girls were to pray, have humility and obedience. They were also to control their tongues. A wife was to be guided by her Christian husband and a mother together with her husband should bring their children up according to the church. She must also be frugal and manage the house. Her most important job other than marriage was to bare children. Widows however had a problem. They were no longer under the supervision of a man. A widow must lead a quiet and cloistered life.
As a single woman, she needed to provide for herself, even though she lived with her son, she practiced a trade she knew, healing. A woman’s place, according to the laws of the land for this time is to lead a modest life. Tempel did not conform to these principles. She was often found associating herself with the male community in taverns, and even getting drunk, one witness, Master Heinrich Cordes testified to it. This was not a custom for the proper women of that time. Another criteria of a woman in this time was that a widow was not to work alone and was to be accompanied by a good wife if she did. Again, Tempel worked by herself and often had people seeking out her to help them and often they came to her home. She was not molding to the proper adequate she was to follow. One witness, Hans Isensee of Seershausen, “... residing in a room on Tempel Anneke’s son’s farm…, reports that throughout this past winter in the said place he taught the children, …. During that time, it happened many a day, that 2, 3, 4, and even 5, people— from everywhere, not only from Brunswick and Campen, but also from other places and from beyond Wolfenbüttel, … came out to her son’s farm and had business at her place. But what they, … were seeking for themselves …, that he didn’t know, because every time she went with the people