The World Bewitch'd

Before the Late Middle Ages, the occult arts were frequently viewed as the province of men, requiring skills and knowledge such as advanced scientific understanding, manipulation of magic, the commanding of demons, or negotiating pacts with the Devil. These men studied astrology, devised symbolic languages, and practiced divination. Even after the conceptualization of witchcraft focused primarily on women, a substantial number of men were accused and put to death. In Catholic countries, priests formed a significant proportion of the total number of witches. Aggressive witch hunters suspected whole regions of being tainted with the heresy. As one demonologist observed, “Germany is almost entirely occupied with building fires for [the witches]. Switzerland has been compelled to wipe out many of her villages on their account.” Even children were not spared. A quarter of the 160 alleged witches executed in Würzburg between 1627 and 1629 were under 18.