witchcraft.boo

History

Three pieces on what the historical record supports, which is both less and stranger than the popular version.

What the trial records actually say

The European witch trials were a legal phenomenon before they were a folkloric one.

The cunning folk

Every parish had someone who found lost objects and unhexed cattle, and they were rarely the ones on trial.

Where grimoires came from

The great books of magic were university products, not cottage ones.