The witch trials were one of the most harrowing events of Early Modern European history. They were rooted in the idea of “witchcraft” as a crime, a heretical form of sorcery where magic was used as a weapon against the wider community by groups of individuals determined to undermine Christian society. The witch trials saw the widespread persecution of individuals from across the social spectrum and covered a broad geographical area and chronological time span, lasting centuries and affecting much of Western Europe in one form or another.
This course seeks to introduce the phenomena of the witch hunts in Europe and explore various topics and themes relating to them. The course will introduce the concept of witchcraft itself, as a unique crime which emerged in the later medieval period, distinct from other forms of witchcraft and sorcery. Individual case studies and larger statistical data sets will support this learning, as we explore how the witch trials developed, emerged, and gradually expanded across Europe. We will trace the development of witchcraft as a relatively niche, theological concept developed by religious academics in the medieval period and how it gained traction in the minds of the wider community via the teachings of preachers and the papal inquisition. The full scale of the witch trials at their peak will be explored before considering the eventual decline of witchcraft accusations and its general disappearance from the forefront of community concern. The motivations, concerns, and beliefs of those involved, from the authorities down to ordinary individuals, will be explored in detail, as well as how the witch trials reflected other fears and beliefs in the Early Modern European mindset.