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The Thing About Witch HuntsAuthor: Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack
The Thing About Witch Hunts is the podcast of historical witch trials and modern-day violent witchcraft persecution. From the Salem Witch Trials to the ramifications of today's harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks, Witch Hunt covers it all. Tune in today to find out why Witch Hunt is an essential podcast for everyone interested in this intriguing subject. #history #witchcraft #SalemWitchTrials #witchhunt Language: en-us Genres: History Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Witsh, a Welsh Witch Trial Story, with Mari Ellis Dunning
Episode 180
Tuesday, 3 February, 2026
Wales has something most countries don't: complete, intact court records from every witch trial held in the Court of Great Sessions. Author Mari Ellis Dunning used these archives to write Witch, a historical novel set in 16th century Wales.About the novel:Witch follows Doli, a Welsh young woman desperate to have a baby who seeks help from a local soothsayer. The story explores what happens when accusations arise in a community caught between old Welsh traditions and new English Protestant law.The historical context:Five witch trials in Wales resulted in death sentences. The records show fascinating details, including Gwen ferch Ellis's case where "ignoramus" (case dismissed) was physically crossed out before her conviction.Mari discusses the tension between licensed and unlicensed midwives, how the Royal College of Physicians excluded women from medicine, and why lay healers were often more effective than the male physicians who replaced them. Class boundaries determined which accusations progressed to trial.The conversation explores:How Mari balanced creating relatable, nuanced characters while staying true to the limited agency women actually had in the 16th centuryWhy Wales's cultural identity and the conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism shaped different attitudes toward folk practicesThe connection between historical witch trials and modern medical misogyny, political rhetoric weaponizing "witch," and systemic violence against womenLinksBuy the book: Witsh by Mari Ellis Dunning Guest Article: Gwen ferch Ellis: The first woman in Wales to be sentenced to death on charges of witchcraft
