As the Golden Age of Islam came to a close in the 14th century,astronomers and algebraists were persecuted as sorcerers the way herbalists and brewmistresses were sometimes persecuted in the west as witches.

The scribbles and charts of mathematicians and star watchers did their part to inform the magics and mysticism of the later years.

Math is sometimes sorcery, and yes, brewing booze is sometimes witchcraft.

[–] Zirconium@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 1 year ago

I can't imagine like killing someone over mathematics. Like holy shit did you just prove irrational numbers I'm going to hang or drown you. Or how did you know that star would show up. It must be witchcraft. Just shows you how irrational humans can be.

[–] o0joshua0o@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

"The Rite of AshkEnte, quite simply, summons and binds Death. Students of the occult will be aware that it can be performed with a simple incantation, three small bits of wood and 4cc of mouse blood, but no wizard worth his pointy hat would dream of doing anything so unimpressive; the knew in their hearts that if a spell didn’t involve big yellow candles, lots of rare incense, circles drawn on the floor eight different colors of chalk and a few cauldrons around the place then it simply wasn’t worth contemplating."