Why Weren’t Witches Burned at the Stake in Malta?

The witch hunts that swept through Europe during the 16^th and 17^th centuries saw tens of thousands of people accused of witchcraft and executed, mostly women who were burned at the stake.

But why weren’t witches burned alive in Malta?

No one was executed for witchcraft in Malta during the Early Modern Period.

This is in stark contrast to other European countries, where the witch hunts resulted in the deaths of thousands of people – up to 50,000 according to some estimates.

One reason may be the unique political and religious situation in Malta at the time.

Malta was under the rule of the Order of Saint John, a Catholic military order, from 1530-1798. The Order, which was effectively the government of the island, maintained strict control over religious and moral matters.

Types of magic in Malta

Malta has a long and complex history of witchcraft, superstition, and folk magic, with a rich tradition of spell casting, divination, and healing influenced by a variety of cultural and religious traditions.

Some of the most prominent types of witchcraft practised in Malta include:

Folk magic: Believed to have originated during the period of Arab occupation from the 9^th to 11^th centuries, this involves the use of talismans, charms, and spells to protect against evil spirits and to bring good luck and prosperity.

Cartomancy: This is the practice of divination using playing cards. It was a popular form of fortune-telling on the island, with readers interpreting the cards to provide insight into the future.

Healers: There is a long tradition of healing magic in Malta, with practitioners using a variety of techniques, including herbal remedies, charms, and prayers, to cure physical and spiritual ailments.

Muslim diaspora magic: Brought to the island by slaves and their descendants, this form of magic involved the use of herbs, candles, and other materials to create spells and potions for protection, love, and success.

While it’s clear that various kinds of witchcraft were popular to a certain degree in Malta in the medieval and early modern periods, it’s also worth noting that witchcraft on the island was not seen as a deeply ingrained, widespread problem that needed to be eradicated, which may have contributed to the lack of witch burnings or executions.

The Roman Inquisition

The Catholic Church played a central role in the witch hunts that swept through Europe during this period, and its Inquisition was responsible for investigating and punishing cases of heresy and witchcraft.

However, the Inquisition in Malta, the Roman Inquisition (not the more brutal Spanish Inquisition) was relatively lenient compared to its counterparts elsewhere in Europe.

While the Roman Inquisitors in Malta did investigate cases of heresy and witchcraft, they were more focused on maintaining Catholic orthodoxy than punishing supposed witches.

This meant the sentences handed down by the Roman Inquisition in Malta for witchcraft were aimed at correcting superstitious behaviours and bringing practitioners of witchcraft back into the fold of being good Catholics, rather than employing harsh or even fatal methods of punishment.

Short version – witches (women) and men (sorcerers) caught using magic in Malta were told to stop being stupid, to not mess about with superstitious nonsense, and to come back to the Catholic Church instead. 

Specifically, these people were given punishments such as having to recite the rosary several times a week or month, sometimes for a period of years. They would also have to be seen in their local church, wearing white clothing given to them, and holding a candle while kneeling at the front, on various feast and holy days.

This was to make sure people in the witch/sorcerer’s community would witness their act of penance and that they wouldn’t carry out their sentence in some quiet chapel far from where they lived.

Take a witchcraft tour!

So while many tragic events took place around Europe regarding the prosecution of men and women suspected of summoning the devil and trying to pervert the natural order of things, having the Roman Inquisition running trials tempered the types of punishment handed down in Malta. 

Also, the Order of St John did not succumb to the frenzy of other authorities when it came to the rooting out and prosecution of those suspected of using magic, sparing Maltese society some of the horrors of witchcraft trials elsewhere in Europe. 

Want to learn more about Malta’s magic past?

Come on the Witchcraft and Blood in Birgu tour to hear more about spells, curses and the time two women were caught flying around on broomsticks.