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)

The Medieval Bishop's Sex Workers

The Medieval Bishop's Sex Workers

Outside Medieval London’s city walls, Southwark was a land without rules. It was the place where people went to partake in theatre, watch bear baiting and visit brothels. It was also under the control...

5 Jul 202241min

The First Queer Activist

The First Queer Activist

On 29 August 1867, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs stood in front of the Congress of German Jurists in Munich and urged them not to extend sodomy laws across the soon to be unified Germany.He was booed off stag...

1 Jul 202234min

Beer

Beer

Pint, bottle, schooner, tinny … no matter how you drink it, beer is undeniably a part of social life here in Britain and around the world.But how did it come to hold this position? Why has this been m...

28 Jun 202245min

The Museum of Sex Objects

The Museum of Sex Objects

We’re used to exhibits in museums detailing our ancestors’ home lives and work lives, but what about their sex lives?On a sunny day in London, Kate met Deborah Sim, the Keeper of the Museum of Sex Obj...

24 Jun 202230min

Fanny and Stella: The Men Who Shocked Victorian Society

Fanny and Stella: The Men Who Shocked Victorian Society

In 1870, two young women were arrested after leaving a theatre in London. These women, so-called Fanny and Stella, were in fact Ernest Boulton and Frederick Park, and they were charged with ‘buggery’....

21 Jun 202241min

Poppers

Poppers

*WARNING There are adult themes and explicit descriptions of drug use in this episode. All drugs come with their own risks and legal implications. For more information please see the links below*Angin...

17 Jun 202232min

The Femme Fatale & The French President

The Femme Fatale & The French President

This is the story of Marguerite Steinheil, the woman who shook Paris at the turn of the 20th century with one scandal after the next…one of which involving the French president apparently dying in the...

14 Jun 202238min

Sarah Baartman: A Life On Show

Sarah Baartman: A Life On Show

Who was Sarah Baartman? Why was she paraded across Europe as part of a 'freak' show? And why did it take until 2001 for her remains to be repatriated to her birthplace of South Africa?Born around 1770...

7 Jun 202242min

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