The Real Witch Hunt and Beyond

We’ve certainly heard enough over the past few years about political "witch hunts," but what's the story behind that throw-away phrase? Well, witch hunts were real and terrifying enough in the early modern period (15th-18th centuries). They took the lives of 40,000-100,000 people, mostly older women, and — by the early 16th century — fixed the idea of consorting with demons firmly in the European consciousness.  We'll explore the terrors of the Witch Trials and then encounter the modern "rebirth" of witchcraft and neopaganism in the 20th century. Along the way, we'll touch on superstition, conspiracy theories, and xenophobia in our own time.