History of the Witch

It’s that time of year again, Halloween. A word which conjures up images of pumpkins, ghosts, and of course…witches.


But have you ever wondered what the ancient origins of witchcraft is? How did the black-hat-broomstick stereotype emerge? And what causes the waves of witch trials throughout history, right up to the present day?


Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Ronald Hutton to discuss the history of the witch.


This podcast was mixed and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.


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Episoder(400)

Gothic Fiction

Gothic Fiction

From Dracula, to Frankenstein, to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to Twilight’s Edward Cullen…when did our fascination with gothic fiction begin?In today’s episode Kate is joined by Abby Boucher & Daniel Jenki...

1 Nov 202248min

Seances

Seances

Everybody hold hands! We're going for a seance!How long have we've been trying to talk to dead people for? And have we ever actually been speaking to the dead or just to somebody’s clicky toe joints?I...

28 Okt 202244min

Ghosts

Ghosts

How long have people believed in ghosts?Eleanor Janega is back Betwixt the Sheets with Kate to tell us why you should always stand up to ghosts and why you might be visited by a woman with frogs sucki...

25 Okt 202242min

The Grisly Deaths of Kings & Queens

The Grisly Deaths of Kings & Queens

Did Henry VIII really have syphilis? Who died from a red hot poker up the bum? And which king was taken down by a school of fish?To learn about the often gruesome ways that our royals have met their d...

21 Okt 202247min

Black Georgians

Black Georgians

Who were Ignatius Sancho, Dido Elizabeth Belle and Francis Barber?Between 10,000 and 30,000 black people lived in Britain during the Georgian period. Despite this, some people have remained convinced ...

18 Okt 202239min

Henrietta Maria: The Most Hated Queen Consort?

Henrietta Maria: The Most Hated Queen Consort?

What does it take to get the reputation as one of the least popular queens in history?Should we remember Henrietta Maria as the wife of the King executed by his subjects, the Catholic influencer and a...

14 Okt 202230min

Serial Killers & Misogyny

Serial Killers & Misogyny

What is it with our culture’s fascination with serial killers? Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Peter Sutclifffe, Jack the Ripper….these violent people are as well known as our national treasures, but we on...

11 Okt 202239min

Phobias & Manias

Phobias & Manias

What did Salvador Dali, Elizabeth I and Sigmund Freud have in common? They all had phobias, and it's possible you do too.As ‘normal’ as you might consider yourself to be, it is highly likely that you ...

7 Okt 202240min

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