Cover image of The History of Witchcraft

The History of Witchcraft

Witches didn't exist, and yet thousands of people were executed for the crime of witchcraft. Why? The belief in magic and witchcraft has existed in every recorded human culture; this podcast looks at ... Read more

Ranked #1

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043 - Salem, Massachusetts

043 - Salem, Massachusetts

If anyone has heard of a particular witch trial, they will have heard of Salem. It's an infamous part of early American ... Read more

27 Jan 2019

35mins

Ranked #2

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003 - Heartland of the Witch Craze

003 - Heartland of the Witch Craze

Here we begin with the events themselves. Today we look at a case of slander in Rothenburg ob de Tauber, which ended rel... Read more

29 May 2017

37mins

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Ranked #3

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041 - Halloween - From Pagan, to Christian, to Party

041 - Halloween - From Pagan, to Christian, to Party

Today we cover the development of Halloween - its development from a Celtic harvest festival, which may or may not have ... Read more

27 Oct 2018

49mins

Ranked #4

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004 - Reigns of Terror

004 - Reigns of Terror

In this episode, we examine two of the more brutal and violent witch panics in all of European history; Fulda between 16... Read more

5 Jun 2017

35mins

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Ranked #5

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018 - Halloween - From Pagan, to Christian, to Party

018 - Halloween - From Pagan, to Christian, to Party

Today we cover the development of Halloween - its development from a Celtic harvest festival, which may or may not have ... Read more

23 Oct 2017

48mins

Ranked #6

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022 - Fairies, Demons, and a Cat called Satan

022 - Fairies, Demons, and a Cat called Satan

This week, we hear about the witch beliefs commonly held by your common or garden peasant in Elizabethan and early Stuar... Read more

10 Dec 2017

32mins

Ranked #7

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042 - Witchcraft in Russia with Prof. Valerie Kivelson

042 - Witchcraft in Russia with Prof. Valerie Kivelson

I'm delighted to speak with Valerie Kivelson, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of History at the University of Michigan. Prof... Read more

9 Dec 2018

50mins

Ranked #8

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005 - "I Have Forgiven the Devil"

005 - "I Have Forgiven the Devil"

The deadliest trials of the Early Modern Period were also the ones with the greatest number of young victims. Children a... Read more

12 Jun 2017

25mins

Ranked #9

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006 - The Synagogue of Satan

006 - The Synagogue of Satan

Many of the witch hunters at the head of the worst trials were convinced of the existence of the Witches' Sabbat, a blas... Read more

19 Jun 2017

24mins

Ranked #10

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034 - The Witchfinder General

034 - The Witchfinder General

This episode primarily makes use of the following texts:-  Gaskill, Malcolm, Witchfinders: A Seventeenth Century English... Read more

22 Jul 2018

35mins

Ranked #11

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012 - The Rise of the Knights Templar

012 - The Rise of the Knights Templar

The Knights Templar, or the Poor-Fellow Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, are a fascinating example of ho... Read more

10 Sep 2017

31mins

Ranked #12

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040 - The Pilgrims

040 - The Pilgrims

In this episode we cover the early history of English colonisation in the Americas, and the growth and expansion of New ... Read more

7 Oct 2018

29mins

Ranked #13

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026 - Demon Women and Foul Devices

026 - Demon Women and Foul Devices

Was James VI and I truly the witch-hunting, demon-studying zealot that he has traditionally been seen as? Today we take ... Read more

18 Mar 2018

32mins

Ranked #14

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029 - By the Sword of the Magistrate

029 - By the Sword of the Magistrate

In today's episode we see the tide turn on the English witch trials. By the end of his reign, James is unwilling to ente... Read more

16 Apr 2018

36mins

Ranked #15

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024 - Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair

024 - Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair

In today's episode, we cover the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest literary figures in English history. ... Read more

11 Feb 2018

46mins

Ranked #16

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013 - The Crushing of the Knights Templar

013 - The Crushing of the Knights Templar

The Iron King, Philip the Fourth, is well deserving of the title. As we see this episode, he let nothing get in the way ... Read more

17 Sep 2017

45mins

Ranked #17

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038 - The Wroth of Woden

038 - The Wroth of Woden

The transformation of Roman Britain with the arrival of the Germanic pagans led to its own odd synthesis of superstition... Read more

27 Aug 2018

36mins

Ranked #18

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014 - The Scattering of the Knights Templar

014 - The Scattering of the Knights Templar

Today's episode is on how the news of the ruthless prosecution of the Templars in France was received by three distinct ... Read more

25 Sep 2017

31mins

Ranked #19

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033 - Satan's Kingdom Divided

033 - Satan's Kingdom Divided

In today's episode, the infamous Witch-Finder General begins his campaign through south-eastern England, as we discuss t... Read more

25 Jun 2018

39mins

Ranked #20

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019 - The Eternal City and the Evil Eye

019 - The Eternal City and the Evil Eye

The Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Levant for centuries, and today's episode covers a few of the ... Read more

7 Nov 2017

36mins

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