The Thing About Witch Hunts

Latest Episodes:

Let's Talk about the Colchester Museums and the Essex Witch Trials with Ben Paites Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

We travel to Colchester, England, the first Roman capital of Britain, to get a taste of the history of Colchester Castle, including its role in the Seven County Witch Trials led by “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins from 1645 to 1647.

Ben Paites, senior curator of Colchester Museums, tells us how the museums confront the witch trials and other history of the long-inhabited castle with artifacts, community collaboration, and interpretation. We discuss the importance of highlighting the humanity of those who really suffered due to witchcraft accusations.

Ben guides us through the museum, telling us about objects like witch bottles and a ducking stool. He also traces Colchester’s deep past from the Bronze Age to Roman industry, highlights local witch trial cases and victims such as Elizabeth Clarke, Anne and Rebecca West, and Ursula Kemp, and previews upcoming jail-cell redevelopment.

00:00 Welcome to Colchester

01:12 Meet Curator Ben

03:00 Colchester Through Ages

07:24 Inside Castle Museums

09:19 Artifacts Tell Stories

11:37 Wicked Spirits Exhibit

15:24 Witch Bottles and Tests

19:55 Matthew Hopkins Arrives

23:28 Touring Cells and Vaults

26:53 Local Accused and Victims

36:24 Pamphlets and Familiars

41:30 Visit and Future Plans

43:43 Where to Follow Ben

45:27 Closing Thoughts

Links:

Colchester Museums: https://colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/

Ben Paites: https://www.benpaites.uk/

Witchland by Marion Gibson: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781668206539

Salem Witch-Hunt Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/salemwitchhunt

Salem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com

Salem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/

The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

High Quality Scans of Salem Witch Trials Records (Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection): https://pem.quartexcollections.com/collections/salem-witch-trials-collection

Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781107689619

The Real Witch Trial History in the Film THE WITCH Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

The Real Witch Trial History in the Film "The Witch"

The Witch (2015) and Real New England Witch Trial Records

Robert Eggers’ 2015 horror film “The Witch: A New England Folktale” draws directly from historic witchcraft beliefs, journals, diaries, and witch trial court records. We compare the scenes in the movie to their real-life counterparts.

Based on our experience interviewing experts in witch trials and witchcraft belief, we analyze the movie’s ominous forest, the vanished infant, the blighted crops, the blood in the goat’s milk, the devil’s book, familiars, and afflictions to documented accusations from Salem and beyond.

In the film, the devil promises Thomas fine things, butter, and living deliciously. We present what people really said in court about the devil’s promises.

In our discussion, we cover key scenes involving Thomasin, Caleb, Mercy and Jonas, the rabbit, and Black Philip, while noting the film’s major departure from history. In the film, the witch is a monster who lives in the woods. In real trials, accusations were leveled at neighbors and even kin.

We invite listeners to continue the discussion on our Salem Witch Hunt Facebook page at facebook.com/salemwitchhunt.

Chapters:

00:00 Halloween Setup
00:27 Film Premise
01:12 History Sources
02:36 Ominous Forest
05:42 Baby Vanishes
06:55 Witch Beliefs
09:43 Woodpile Symbolism
11:53 Devils Book Play
14:15 Missing Children
17:24 Black Philip Songs
20:04 Caleb And Rabbit
22:01 No Cat Choice
23:13 Devil Revealed
24:53 Witch Looks Explained
26:25 Devil Promises In Trials
28:32 Black Philip Undercover
29:22 Caleb Seduced And Drained
30:19 Afflictions From Records
32:34 Folklore Versus History
35:30 Protective Magic Missing
37:05 Illusions And Familiars
38:54 Puritan Doubt And Prayer
42:26 Could Story Work Without Witch
45:28 Thomasin Joins Sabbat
47:10 Favorites And Final Thoughts

Links:

Salem Witch-Hunt Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/salemwitchhunt

Salem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com

Salem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/

The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

The Witch | A 24 Films: https://a24films.com/films/witch

Take the Train to Beverly, Massachusetts for a Witch Trial History Tour with Roger Herson Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Beverly, Bridget Bishop, John Hale, and Dorcas Hoar with Descendant Guide Roger Herson

We walk the landscapes of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials from the Beverly side of the bridge with longtime North Shore tour guide and 12th-generation local Roger Herson, a descendant of Bridget Bishop’s second husband, Thomas Oliver, as well as other accused families. Our conversation challenges popular witch hunt folklore—especially misconceptions about Bridget Bishop—and traces overlooked Beverly connections, from John Hale writing his reflective A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft to William Griggs living in Beverly and the case of cunning folk Dorcas Hoar. Roger shares what it means to guide visitors where his ancestors lived, how folklore can still reveal partial truths, and why Beverly’s history helps restore the accused as real neighbors rather than legends. We also spotlight Historic Beverly’s October “Project 1692” walking tours, museum access, and resources for deeper research.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

02:43 Roger Finds His Roots

05:50 Bridget Bishop Misconceptions

09:43 Beverly’s Hidden Role

12:37 Guiding Tours as Descendant

14:54 Inside John Hale’s World

18:52 Hale’s Modest Enquiry

22:33 Folklore Versus Records

24:53 Dorcas Hoar Real Deal

25:43 Aftermath in Rehoboth

26:09 Why Beverly in October

28:31 Project 1692 Tour Concept

29:27 Correcting Trial Myths

30:03 Tour Style and Small Groups

30:56 Tickets Donations and Perks

32:11 Relating to 1692 People

33:41 Family Ties to the Trials

35:14 Witch Hunts Then and Now

43:10 Beyond Salem North Shore Travel

44:34 Memorials at Hale Farm

45:19 Where to Learn More

46:05 Final Thanks and Sign Off

Historic Beverly: https://historicbeverly.net

Ancestry Tour Agents: https:// ancestrytouragents.com

Salem Witch-Hunt Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/salemwitchhunt

Salem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com

Salem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/

The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

A History of Terrifying Women: Author Eleanor Johnson on Her New Book, Monstrous B*tch Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Monstrous Bitch: 4,000 Years of Demonizing Women, From Lamashtu to Modern Horror

Medievalist and Columbia professor Dr. Eleanor Johnson joins us to trace the 4,000-year lineage behind her new book, Monstrous Bitch, connecting ancient Mesopotamian demon Lamashtu to Greek and Roman lamiae, medieval and early modern witch persecutions, and modern horror cinema. We follow how patriarchal cultures repeatedly weaponized a recurring “triptych” of accusations—women’s voices, sexuality or predation, and reproductive autonomy—turning mythic monstrosity into the idea that any woman could be a witch, and later reshaping the figure into the vampire. We also confront the terror of heritable witchcraft accusations, including Salem’s Sarah Good and Dorothy Good, and discuss the devil-contract conspiracy framework in Christian witch ideology, alongside historical opponents who challenged it. Johnson highlights recent films that reinterpret the “monstrous bitch” as feminist resistance, and shares release details for Monstrous Bitch (Oct. 6) and her Eleanor’s Horrors Substack.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:27 Dr Johnson Background

02:53 Why Monstrous Bitch

03:59 Lamashtu Origins

08:56 From Lamia to Witches

12:54 Witch Hunts Fallout

14:40 Vampiress Turn

16:22 Feminist Horror Reclaim

20:44 Devil Pact Conspiracy

27:10 Pushback and Salem Link

30:40 Salem Cases Setup

32:00 Daughters Forced to Disavow

33:10 Hereditary Horror on Film

35:23 Witchcraft Accusations Today

36:58 Exonerating Ancestors in Connecticut

38:42 Honor, Memory, and History

41:13 Pop Culture Witch Lineages

42:52 The Past Never Ends

46:51 Fear of Women Gathering

51:05 Study History Without Fear

54:19 Book Release and Farewell

Links

Eleanor’s Horrors: https://eleanorshorrors.substack.com

Buy Monstrous Bitch: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780691291666

Salem Witch Trials History YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliis4vjMIUgg3wcA0pXeYQ

The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com

Salem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/

Connecticut Witch Trial History Trail: https://connecticutwitchtrials.org/trail/

Massachusetts Witch Trial History: https://massachusettswitchtrials.org

End Witch Hunts nonprofit: https://endwitchhunts.org

The Craft at 30 with Abby Brenker of the Lunatics Project Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

The Craft at 30: Witchcraft, Teen Horror, and the Satanic Panic with Abby Brenker (Lunatics Project)

We welcome Abby Brenker of The Lunatics Project to dig into The Craft on its 30th anniversary, tracing why this 1996 teen witchcraft horror classic became a sleepover staple despite mixed reviews and an R rating. We explore how the film centers female friendship, anger, and power outside of romance, while portraying boys as secondary villainous caricatures, and we unpack gendered conflicts around beauty, identity, mentorship, and isolation—especially for Bonnie, Sarah, Nancy, and Rochelle. We connect the movie’s rituals, Wiccan and occult-inspired magic system, and iconic lines (“We’re the weirdos, mister”) to broader 1990s witch media, from Sabrina to Buffy, and to real-world fears: self-harm, rape, bullying, and primal horror imagery like mirrors, snakes, and spiders. We also touch on The Believers, Blair Witch, and the Satanic Panic, and Abby shares where to find Lunatics Radio Hour and her feature film Voices Carry on Tubi.

Chapters

00:00 Meet The Guest

00:28 Lunatics Project Origins

03:02 Why The Craft Matters

03:58 Film Setup And Legacy

07:49 Women Center Stage

11:18 Boys And Beauty Standards

15:21 Rituals And Power

18:02 Fear And Dark Themes

23:32 Iconic Lines And Scenes

25:36 Witch Shop Mentor

27:45 Rochelle Lacks Support

29:14 Racism Then and Now

30:40 Hair as Social Power

35:05 Nineties Witch Boom

40:02 Satanic Panic Memories

43:38 Ritual Games and Mirrors

45:45 Iconic Final Confrontation

48:26 Violence and R Rating

51:08 Blair Witch and Viral Hype

53:58 Closing and Projects

Links

Salem Aftermath: Applying Behavioral Studies to Ann Putnam Jr. with Dr. Hogan Sherrow & Tom Phillips Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Why Did Ann Putnam Jr. Accuse? Reconstructing the Salem Witch Trials Through Behavioral Science

We welcome back producer-director-writer Tom Phillips with evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Hogan Sherrow to examine why 12-year-old Ann Putnam Jr. became the central accuser in the Salem witch trials and later the only known accuser to publicly apologize. Using Sherrow’s “evolutionary behavioral reconstruction,” they combine life history, Puritan cultural context, and household pressures to consider non-sensational explanations, including mental illness (psychosis-like symptoms), imitation and reinforcement, and the community’s readiness to interpret aberrant behavior as the devil. They discuss how Ann’s charisma could sway authorities, including the reversal of Rebecca Nurse’s initial acquittal, and how parents, magistrates, and church could benefit once accusations escalated. They analyze Ann’s 1706 apology language and signature, the trauma of witnessing executions, and preview test footage from Phillips’ stage-bound project Salem Aftermath.

00:00 Why Ann Putnam Matters

01:39 Meet Tom and Hogan

04:30 Salem Aftermath Project

05:56 Behavioral Reconstruction

09:11 Puritans Not Hysterical

10:58 Profiling Ann Putnam

14:39 Psychosis or Copycat

18:25 Lying and Boogeymen

24:29 Family Trauma and Motives

31:43 Rebecca Nurse Courtroom

36:11 Who Benefits and Why

37:05 Short Term Rewards

40:07 Early Death Stressors

44:05 Scapegoats And Witch Hunts

48:27 Possible Diagnoses

51:00 Teen Desire And Guilt

53:46 Outcast And Marriage Prospects

56:07 Apology Under Scrutiny

59:42 Hangings And Lasting Trauma

01:02:01 Signature And Authorship Doubts

01:06:31 Humanizing Ann And Closing

Links:

The Thing About Witch Hunts

Salem Witch Trials History YouTube

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Trials Daily

World Day Against Witch Hunts: Missio in Papua New Guinea with Sister Lorena Jenal and Jörg Nowak Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

World Day Against Witch Hunts: Sister Lorena Jenal and Jörg Nowak on Rescuing Survivors in Papua New Guinea

Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack mark August 10, World Day Against Witch Hunts, with its creators, Sister Lorena Jenal and journalist Jörg Nowak of the German Catholic aid organization Missio. Sr. Lorena, a Swiss Franciscan who has served 47 years in Papua New Guinea, has rescued more than 420 women accused of sorcery since 2012 and shelters survivors at the House of Hope, built using her International Weimar Award for Human Rights. Nowak describes how Missio recognized sorcery accusation-related violence as a current human rights violation, expanded support to projects in countries including Liberia, Tanzania, Ghana, Benin, and documented abuses through reporting and museum exhibitions. They discuss the scale in PNG (109 cases last year), an estimate of 3,000 killings over 20 years, patterns of scapegoating and misogyny, severe sexual violence and public humiliation, police corruption and inaction, and advocacy efforts to elevate August 10 to a United Nations-recognized day.

00:00 World Day Against Witch Hunts

01:37 Meet Lorena and Jörg

03:10 Missio Campaign Origins

05:38 Papua New Guinea Crisis

11:40 Who Gets Accused

20:21 Sexual Violence Research

29:06 Police Corruption and Justice

35:15 Creating August 10

43:48 House of Hope Sanctuary

46:20 UN Recognition Push

52:20 How You Can Help

53:57 Final Thanks and Share

Links

Hexenverfolgung heute | missio: https://www.missio-hilft.de/informieren/wofuer-wir-uns-einsetzen/gegen-hexenverfolgung/

World Day Against Witch Hunts: https://endwitchhunts.org/day

The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

Salem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com

Salem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/

Healing the Past: The Reclamation Project with Claire Standen Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Reclamation: Restorative Justice and a Church Returned for Scotland’s Accused WitchesWe follow the question history books can’t answer: once the harm of witch hunting is acknowledged, what does repair look like? Trauma resolution practitioner Claire Standen, founder of Reclamation, is building a Scottish community interest organization seeking reparations for the thousands prosecuted under Scotland’s Witchcraft Act (1500s–1700s), arguing apology without action isn’t meaningful. Her central demand is radical and concrete: the Church of Scotland—already apologetic—should gift an unused church building (not sold or grant-funded) to be stewarded as a community headquarters and a Center for Female Authority, reclaiming sacred space once tied to persecution. Drawing on trauma work and epigenetic inheritance, she connects historic terror to today’s inherited silence and societal patterns, and outlines a restorative justice approach where those harmed define what healing requires. Reclamation is seeking social media support and seed funding via ourreclamation.org.

00:00 Show Intro and Big Question

01:38 Meet Claire Standen

03:18 What Reclamation Aims For

05:26 Trauma Work Meets History

09:02 The Synchronicity Road Trip

15:40 Reclaiming Witch Legacy

20:26 Apologies vs Reparations

24:21 Inherited Silence and Epigenetics

27:03 What Makes Apology Meaningful

31:32 Why a Gifted Church Matters

40:12 Center for Female Authority Vision

45:32 How to Help and Connect

48:18 Closing Reflections

Links:

Reclamation Project

Witchland: Inside the Book with Professor Marion Gibson Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

Witchland with Professor Marion Gibson: The Witchfinder General, Civil War Chaos, and Recovering the AccusedWe sit down with Professor Marion Gibson (emeritus, Exeter University) to explore her new book, “Witchland: A Tale of Witch Hunting and War in 17th Century Britain,” a gripping, archive-driven look at the 1640s British Civil Wars and the Matthew Hopkins–John Stearne witch hunts that pursued roughly 200–300 people. Marion explains her mission to remedy a “triple injustice” by restoring the accused to history—their names, neighbors, and ordinary lives—rather than centering persecutors. We dig into how war, religious conflict, migration, and the 1604 Witchcraft Act helped fuel mass prosecutions; how “watchers,” clergy, and communities escalated sleep-deprivation interrogations; and how templates of questions produced patterned confessions about familiars, spirits, and the devil. Stories range from the nameless “Witch of Newbury” to Scotland’s pricking practices, Great Yarmouth’s transatlantic links to New England, Cornwall’s Ann Jeffries and Moses Pitt, and growing efforts to memorialize victims.00:00 Meet Marion Gibson02:49 Why Write Witchland04:43 Triple Injustice06:48 Civil War Panic09:17 Witch of Newbury11:16 Law That Enabled Hunts14:01 Familiars And Confessions17:18 Religion And Reformers20:48 Building A National Story25:00 Accusations And Watchers30:39 Templates And Scotland40:54 Cornwall Fairies Tale44:30 Memorials And Memory47:18 Buy The Book Next50:31 Final Thanks And OutroBuy Witchland by Marion Gibson

Buy Books on English and European Witch Trials

CT Witch and Culture Fest

History Camp Boston

End Witch Hunts

The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com

Salem Witch Trials History Youtube

The Witch Trial History of Exeter, England with Professor Mark Stoyle Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

We head inside Roman-walled Exeter, Devon, with University of Southampton historian Mark Stoyle, author of Witchcraft in Exeter, to trace a century of quarter sessions and church-court records showing a steady trickle of cases rather than explosive mass witch hunts. Stoyle explains how Henry VIII made Exeter a county with its own justices, prison, and gallows just before Elizabeth I’s 1563 Witchcraft Act, yet local magistrates often resisted executions, sometimes banishing the accused, and most defendants were acquitted; about 30 people were formally tried, with only four executed. Stories include toad and animal familiars, harmed livestock and failed butter or beer, William Harvey dissecting a “familiar” to amuse Charles I, a boy haunted by a pig in a hat in the last Exeter case, and the Bideford witches (1682) alongside the mystery of “Alice” vs “Avis” Molland in 1685. The hosts also announce August 2026 appearances at History Camp Boston and Connecticut Witch and Culture Fest.Links

Buy The Western Rising of 1549 by Mark Stoyle: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780300276886

Buy Books on English and European Witch Trials: https://bookshop.org/lists/european-witch-hunts

CT Witch and Culture Fest: https://ctwitchfest.com/

History Camp Boston: https://historycamp.org/events/history-camp-boston/hcb-2026/

End Witch Hunts: https://www.endwitchhunts.org

The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com

Salem Witch Trials History Youtube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts