Witches | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/witches/RSS feed for WitchesenWed, 07 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000How a Sudden Winter Storm in 1617 Sparked the Deadliest Witchcraft Trials in Norwegian Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-sudden-winter-storm-in-1617-sparked-the-deadliest-witchcraft-trials-in-norwegian-history-180987919/During the 17th-century Finnmark witch trials, 91 people were executed in Norway's northernmost region, mainly by burning at the stakeWed, 07 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-sudden-winter-storm-in-1617-sparked-the-deadliest-witchcraft-trials-in-norwegian-history-180987919/How This Italian Town Came to Be Known as the 'City of Witches'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-this-italian-town-came-to-be-known-as-the-city-of-witches-180987599/Centuries ago, it was said that Benevento was a gathering place for the occult. Today, superstitions still run deepThu, 30 Oct 2025 16:53:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-this-italian-town-came-to-be-known-as-the-city-of-witches-180987599/This Disturbing 16th-Century Painting of Hell Linked Satan and His Demons With the New World Beyond Europehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-disturbing-16th-century-painting-of-hell-linked-satan-and-his-demons-with-the-new-world-beyond-europe-180987547/The panel features monsters with African, Indigenous Caribbean and intersex features, encouraging viewers to connect the sins and punishments depicted to those considered "other"Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-disturbing-16th-century-painting-of-hell-linked-satan-and-his-demons-with-the-new-world-beyond-europe-180987547/See the New Tartan Pattern Created to Honor Women Accused of Witchcraft in Scotland Between 1563 and 1736https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-tartan-pattern-created-to-honor-women-accused-of-witchcraft-in-scotland-between-1563-and-1736-180986172/The black, red, gray and pink design honors the thousands of individuals—mostly women—who were persecuted under the Scottish Witchcraft ActMon, 10 Mar 2025 17:48:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-tartan-pattern-created-to-honor-women-accused-of-witchcraft-in-scotland-between-1563-and-1736-180986172/How a Tale of Demonic Possession Predicted the Decline of an Early Medieval Empirehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-tale-of-demonic-possession-predicted-the-decline-of-an-early-medieval-empire-180985596/A new book examines the rise and fall of the Carolingian dynasty, discussing how people across social classes understood the momentous history of their dayTue, 10 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-tale-of-demonic-possession-predicted-the-decline-of-an-early-medieval-empire-180985596/Tour Guide at Medieval Manor House Discovers Mysterious Etchings Meant to Repel Evil, Trap Demons and Curse Enemieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tour-guide-at-medieval-manor-house-discovers-mysterious-etchings-meant-to-repel-evil-trap-demons-and-curse-enemies-180985377/A "staggering array" of markings have been hiding in plain sight carved into the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall, a 500-year-old home in Lincolnshire, EnglandMon, 04 Nov 2024 16:30:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tour-guide-at-medieval-manor-house-discovers-mysterious-etchings-meant-to-repel-evil-trap-demons-and-curse-enemies-180985377/Why Are Witches and Warlocks Going Stand-Up Paddleboarding to Celebrate Halloween?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-witches-and-warlocks-going-stand-up-paddleboarding-to-celebrate-halloween-180985244/Across the country, revelers are dressing in costumes and gliding across bodies of water on stand-up paddleboards to ring in the spooky seasonTue, 15 Oct 2024 16:22:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-witches-and-warlocks-going-stand-up-paddleboarding-to-celebrate-halloween-180985244/Bought for 38 Cents, Rare Harry Potter Book Could Sell for Thousandshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/harry-potter-first-edition-auction-180982476/This first-edition copy of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" is one of only 500 hardback copies printedWed, 05 Jul 2023 17:41:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/harry-potter-first-edition-auction-180982476/Spain’s Centuries-Long Witch Hunt Killed 700 Womenhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spain-centuries-long-witch-hant-killed-700-women-180981018/In recent years, local officials have broken the spell and apologized for what happened generations agoMon, 31 Oct 2022 16:54:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spain-centuries-long-witch-hant-killed-700-women-180981018/The Veterinary Magic of the Middle Ageshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-veterinary-magic-of-the-middle-ages-180981040/Medieval healers treated animals' ailments with a mix of faith, tradition and scienceMon, 31 Oct 2022 13:36:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-veterinary-magic-of-the-middle-ages-180981040/