Witches

A King’s Obsession

Witches have been culturally relevant for centuries, but where did our perception of witches good and bad come from? Steven Veerapen traces witches, witchcraft, and witch-hunters from the explosion of mass-trials under King James VI and I in the late sixteenth century to the death of the witch-hunting phenomenon in the early eighteenth century.

Discover how one man’s obsession changed the world.

Witches whether broomstick-riding spell-casters or Wiccan earth-worshippers have been culturally relevant for centuries. For centuries, too, belief in the potency of witchcraft has been debated, accused witches have been hunted and punished, and film and TV productions have brought the witch and the witch-hunter to big and small screens.

But where did our perception of witches good and bad come from? What motivated wide-scale panics about witchcraft during certain periods? How were alleged witches identifie