You're Dead to Me

Witch Craze

December 29, 2025

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  • Between 1450 and 1750, approximately 90,000 people were accused of witchcraft across Europe, resulting in about 45,000 executions, often driven by social upheaval and the need for a scapegoat. 
  • Official witch-hunting guides like the *Malleus Maleficarum* and King James I's *Daemonologie* fueled the craze, leading to bizarre 'tests' like the swimming ordeal and accusations based on physical traits or pet names. 
  • Methods of proving witchcraft included torture to extract confessions, as direct evidence was often dismissed by claiming the Devil obscured the crime, though some communities, like Rothenburg-Obder Talba, resisted by investigating accusers. 

Segments

Introduction to Witch Craze
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(00:01:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The European Witch Craze between 1450 and 1750 saw approximately 90,000 accusations and 45,000 executions.
  • Summary: Host Greg Jenner introduces the topic of the Witch Craze, a terrifying period in European history. Between 1450 and 1750, about 90,000 people were accused of witchcraft, leading to roughly 45,000 executions across Europe. This fear was fueled by social and religious change, wars, and bad harvests, leading people to seek a scapegoat.
Key Witch Hunting Texts
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(00:03:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The Malleus Maleficarum (1486) served as a foundational witch-hunting guide, later supplemented by King James I’s personal work, Daemonologie.
  • Summary: The German monk Heinrich Kramer published the Malleus Maleficarum in 1486, which translated to ’the hammer of witches’ and acted as a witch-hunting manual. A century later, King James I of England (VI of Scotland) wrote his own influential book on the subject called Daemonologie.
Accusations and Early English Execution
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(00:04:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Accusations often stemmed from personal grievances, and Agnes Waterhouse, executed in 1566, was one of England’s first convicted witches, partly due to her cat named Satan.
  • Summary: The process for finding a witch often devolved into blaming old women for misfortunes like sick livestock or cursed turnips. Agnes Waterhouse was executed in 1566, and her daughter’s testimony condemned both Agnes and her sister, Elizabeth. Accusations frequently targeted older, unmarried, or widowed women, and talking to animals was a major red flag.
Gender Bias and Legal Standards
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(00:06:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Witchcraft was believed to stem from a pact with demons, and while anyone could be accused, women were disproportionately targeted, though Iceland saw a majority of male accused.
  • Summary: It was generally accepted that witches gained power through a pact with the devil, and women were considered more susceptible to evil influences. In the British Isles, 75 to 85% of those accused were women, particularly those over 45. Conversely, in Iceland, 92% of accused witches were men.
Evidence and Torture Methods
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(00:08:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The legal requirement for two witnesses was circumvented by claiming the Devil obscured the crime, leading authorities to rely on torture, such as the rack, to force confessions.
  • Summary: Because witchcraft was a criminal offense, courts required evidence, but the claim that the devil covered up crimes meant two witnesses were rarely available. Consequently, authorities resorted to severe torture, including stretching on the rack or using iron chairs, to compel confessions. King James I’s book suggested the swimming test, where floating indicated guilt.
Witchfinder General and Torture
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(00:10:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Matthew Hopkins, the self-appointed Witchfinder General in the 1640s, used sleep deprivation to torture victims into confessing and profited from the chaos of the English Civil War.
  • Summary: Matthew Hopkins operated during the English Civil War, torturing and killing many people by methods like keeping them awake for days until they confessed. Marks on the body, such as moles or freckles, were claimed to be the devil’s touch, leading to absurd accusations, such as one woman being blamed for naval losses and an MP’s death.
Regional Differences in Punishment
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(00:11:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Execution methods varied regionally: England and Wales favored hanging as a legal crime, while Scotland treated it as a religious crime, leading to burning (often after strangulation).
  • Summary: In England and Wales, witchcraft was treated as a legal crime, resulting in hanging, whereas in Scotland, it was a religious crime, leading to burning as heresy. The German town of Rothenburg-Obder Talba had low execution rates because they tortured accusers, deterring false claims made to ruin enemies.
Decline of the Witch Craze
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(00:14:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The witch craze eventually ended, with Anna Goldie in Switzerland (1782) being one of the last known executions, as legal and societal support for the persecutions faded.
  • Summary: The craze thankfully petered out despite initial support from law, church, and royalty. Anna Goldie was one of the last people executed for witchcraft in Europe in 1782 in Switzerland. The episode concludes with a quiz testing knowledge on the Malleus Maleficarum, the number of executions, and Anna Goldie.