There, in a gloomy hollow glen, she found A little cottage built of sticks and weeds, In homely wise, and walled with sods around, In which a witch did dwell in loathly weeds And willfull want, all careless of her needs; So choosing solitary to abide, Far from all neighbors, that her devilish deeds And hellish arts from people she might hide, And hurt, far off, unknown, whomever she envied. --Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, (1590)

This is NOT a page about Wiccans or neo-pagans, and I do not advocate the belief that Wiccans are Satan-worshippers and/or baby-killers. I am well aware that they are not. This is a starting point for historical research into the great witch craze of 1100-1700 AD. And please, don't ask me for spells.

• Documents of the Witch Craze. Folklore, essays, fiction, first-hand experiences, plus original documents and letters.
  Documents of the Witch Craze The Damnable Life and Death of Stubbe Peeter Court Records Vs. Individual Experience 15th Century Witchcraft Documents Folklore and Witchcraft Holy Orders (fiction) Personal Experiences With the Witch Craze Thou Must Not Suffer a Woman to Live
• Magic, Spells, and Potions. A collection of ointments, spells, materials, protections, and enchantments of the witchcraze.
  Magic, Spells, and Potions Christian Magic Cockerel Testicles and Vervain: Love Magic Flying Potions and Getting to the Sabbat Protection Against Witches Tools of the Trade A Witch's Garden
• Modern Parallels: The Witchcraze Today. Current witchcrazes (primarily in India and Africa). (Updated December 30, 2002)
  
  
• The People of the Witchcraze. A rogues' gallery of witches, witch-hunters, children, and Jews.
  The People of the Witchcraze Edmund Robinson From the Mouths of Babes: Children and Witchcraft Gilles de Rais: Serial Killer Extraordinaire Judaism and Conspiracy Theories The Pappenheimers The Stedinger--Political "Witches" A Who's Who of Witches: 1100-1800 The Witch Hunters
• Punishment, Torture, and Ordeal. A catalogue of typical and not-so-typical means of extracting information, determining guilt, and punishing transgressors.
  Punishment, Torture, and Ordeal Blooding The Boots Burial Burning Cleansing the Soul The Ducking Stool Ducking the Witch The Garotte Hanging The Heretic's Fork Impalement The Iron Maiden of Nuremberg The Judas Cradle Knotting Ladder Rack Mastectomy Ordeal By Fire Ordeal By Water The Oven at Neisse The Pear Pressing The Rack Rippers The Saw The Scold's Bridle or the Brank The Shin-Vice The Spider Squassation Stoning Strangulation The Strappado Thumbscrews Tormentum Insomniae The Turcas The Wheel The Witch's Cradle
• Supernatural Creatures of the Witchcraze. Familiars, vampires, shapechangers, werewolves, deities, animals, and demons.
  (Updated April 30, 2001)
  Supernatural Creatures of the Witchcraze Cats, Magic, and Witchcraft Deities of the Witches Dogs, Magic, and Witchcraft Faeries and Witchcraft The Great Auk and Witchcraft Shape-Changers: Medieval-Renaissance Periods Strange Beasts: Familiars Toads, Magic, and Witchcraft Vampires: Medieval-Renaissance Periods
• Traits of the Witches. A collection of characteristics and pastimes attributed to witches.
  Traits of the Witches Cannibalism and Witchcraft How to Identify a Witch How Witches Sold Their Souls Sticks and Stones: Names Witches Were Called The Wild Hunt
  
  
  
• Bibliography. Resources I've used.
  
  
• The Witching Hours Bookstore: Short reviews of selected books I offer for sale via Amazon Books.
  
  
• Awards. Awards received for The Witching Hours.
  
  
• Witch Craze Links. Pertinent websites and online documents.
  Witch Craze Links American Witch Trials Antiquity Anti-Semitism Demon Possession European Witch Trials Faeries Feminism Film Jeanne d'Arc Literary/Folklore Miscellaneous Modern Parallels Torture
  
  
  
• Witch Craze Webrings. Pertinent webrings.
  
  
• The Witching Hours Forum: A Q&A forum on historical aspects of the witchcraze.
  
  
• The Witching Hours FAQ: Frequently-asked questions about this site.

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The Witching Hours is copyright 1995-2002 to Shantell Powell. Many thanks go out to Joan Pontius and Phil Horn for their research help, and to Freefind.com for their free search engine.