The Burning Times. What do you think of when you hear that said and you don't know what it is? I had no idea what it was when I first read it. Then I learned about it and became disgusted and hurt. I think you will be this too when you find out what this length of time truly was. The Burning Times lasted from the 1200's until the 1700's. It was a terrible time to a Pagan, Witch or a person of any religion other than Christianity. 100's of 1000's were persecuted and brutally murdered during this time. The most well know would be the burning at the stake. Now being burned to a bloody crisp was bad enough, but that wasn't all. You were stripped naked and, if you were a woman, were raped. Then you were paraded outside infront of many people, still naked, and were tied to a large wooden pole. Some men came over to you and put small wooden logs around by your feet. Then one person came with a torch. You stared at the torch knowing that you were going to die. Fear came over you as the person lit the wood on fire. Your feet began to burn and you screamed in pain and agony hoping that someone would help you, but no one dared. The flames engulfed you completely until no one around could see your body through the flames. That wasn't the only form of torture, there were many others like the 'alligator jaw'. This was two metal plates that had spikes pointing out of them. It was placed around your ankles or shins and was closed shut. Usually your shin broke in many places and became unusable. There was also another tool that was called the 'dog collar'. This was a collar that had spikes that came out and were very close to your neck. You sat on something that looked like the seat of a toilet and a fire was lit under you. If you didn't move, the collar wouldn't hurt you, but because the was a fire directly under your rear-end, you tried to jump and move around to get away from the flames. The Witch test was also cruel, but didn't include a fire, for once. The accused would have their arms tied behind their back and their legs tied together. You were thrown into a lake and if you sank you were innocent, but if you floated you were declared a Witch and was usually burned at the stake. The tortures were used to force a confession out of the accused. The accused were sometimes Christians, but a neighbor or enemy told the church that they were a Witch. Being accused of Witchcraft was seen as immediate death because none of the accused ever lived. The family and friends of the accused ignored the accused and refused to talk to them. Needless to say, being a person during those years was horrible and dangerous. Many lived in fear of being accused of Witchcraft and the ideas of the tortures made many afraid to live. In many ways the Burning Times are over, but in others it is still happening. The Christian religion is still trying to convert everyone else. Witches just want to live in peace and not have to deal with such interference and intrusion on personal beliefs. What was said above reflects the feelings of the Wiccan, Kerilyn and may not reflect those of other Wiccans and Pagans. Although, the tortures are all factual in nature.