Perhaps an even more prevalent force in the mind’s of these early modern people were witches agents of the Devil secretly living among God-fearing people in the hopes of destroying humanity and reigning chaos from within. His evil work could be seen in many forms–from natural disasters to an untimely death– and only through dedication to God could one hope to be saved from damnation and despair. With careful examination, we hope to better understand the beliefs and culture surrounding magic and sorcery in these locations and how this fear of the diabolical brought so many innocent people to their death.Īs the 16th century came to a close a strong belief in the Devil began to overtake the minds of those living in Scotland. Through this blog we seek to explore more of the seventeenth century world and take a closer look at the many regions of Europe that participated in the peak period of witch hunting. The period between 15 is what scholars believe to be the peak of witch trials with fatalities estimated to be around 50,000 individuals who were burned at the stake. While the disfavor and disapproval of witch hunting began to rise while the New World experienced a panic, the Europeans who more universally frowned upon the actions of the colonies were only decades prior perfecting the means to find and execute supposed witches. Only the more remote areas of the continent still experienced the outburst of witch hunting that gripped the New England colonies from the 1660’s through the 1690’s.
While perhaps the most famous seventeenth century witch trial, the Salem witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 came when the practice was all but dying out in Europe. This blog series focuses on specific countries or regions of the Early Modern European world during the 17th century when scholars believe the peak period of witch hunting took place before fading out almost entirely during the latter portion of the century.
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