Made famous in the popular imagination through Arthur Miller's The Crucible, the early modern witch hunts both horrify and fascinate. Between the 15th and early 18th century thousands of people, largely women, were tried for the crime of witchcraft and around half of them were executed. Drawing on a rich range of contemporary documents and accounts, this class will explore the causes and nature of the early modern witch-hunts. Through illustrated lectures, assess the role played by pestilence and war, climatic changes, social and religious tensions in triggering witch-hunts across Europe. Consider the origins of 'witchcraft', its nature and character, and belief in 'magic'. Who were the accusers and who were the victims? How were they investigated and punished? Why were women perceived to be so susceptible to involvement in 'witchcraft'? The story of the early modern Witch-hunts is not merely a lurid tale of torture and cruelty, but it also illuminates the social, economic, political, and religious history of a world in turmoil.