This week, we explore the first large-scale witch hunt in European history. Occurring in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, the Valais Witch Trials led to the execution of 376 people, the majority of which were men. Tune in to hear how a coordinated effort to eliminate heretical sects in the region turned into a widespread hunt for witches accused flying through the night to plan their devilish deeds. This episode looks at the origins and deadly legacy of this witch hunt, as well as what separates the events that occurred in Valais from other witch hunts that followed.
Sources:
Hans Peter Broedel, “Fifteenth-century witch beliefs”/ in Brian P. Levack (ed.), The Oxford handbook of witchcraft in early modern Europe and colonial America, Oxford University Press, 2013.
Phil Carradice, Witches and Witch Hunts Through the Ages (Pen & Sword Books, 2024).
B.F. Cotterill, The Witch Hunts. In: Are Children Reliable Witnesses? (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022).
Richard Kieckhefer, "Mythologies of Witchcraft in the Fifteenth Century," Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft 1, no. 1 (2006): 79-108.
Lois Martin, A Brief History of Witchcraft (Running Press, 2010).
P. G. Maxwell-Stuart, Witch Beliefs and Witch Trials in the Middle Ages : Documents and Readings, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011.
Kathrin Utz Tremp, The Heresy of Witchcraft in Western Switzerland and Dauphiné (Fifteenth Century) in Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, Vol. 6, No. 1 (2011): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1353/mrw.2011.0008
Written and recorded by: Kenyon Payne
Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Outro music: “D´vil,” anrocomposer
Additional featured music:
The following songs are all by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
“Dragon and Toast”
“Ossuary 2 - Turn”
“The Other Side of the Door”
“Dark Standoff”
“Political Ad”
“Darkest Child”
“Ghost Processional”
“Morgana Rides”
“Thunder Dreams”
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