Witches
In Early Modern Russia, the Majority of Accused 'Witches' Were Men
Orthodox Russians deployed magic for practical purposes, like inflicting illness, harming business competitors and attracting lovers
The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny
A scholar traces the folk figure's history from the Neolithic era to today
Scotland Issues Formal Apology to Thousands Accused of Witchcraft
An estimated 2,500 Scots were executed as witches between the 16th and 18th centuries
Scotland Considers Pardon for Thousands of Accused 'Witches'
Advocates are calling on leaders to exonerate the thousands of women and men targeted in witch hunts during the 16th through 18th centuries
For Harry Houdini, Séances and Spiritualism Were Just an Illusion
The magician spent years campaigning against fraudulent psychics, even lobbying Congress to ban fortune-telling in D.C.
Reckoning With—and Reclaiming—the Salem Witch Trials
A new exhibition unites 17th-century artifacts with contemporary artists' responses to the mass hysteria event
Why Dragons Dominated the Landscape of Medieval Monsters
The mythical beasts were often cast as agents of the devil or demons in disguise
When People Carved Turnips Instead of Pumpkins for Halloween
Revelers in Ireland transformed the root vegetables into lanterns designed to ward off dark spirits
Obsidian 'Spirit Mirror' Used by Elizabeth I's Court Astrologer Has Aztec Origins
Tudor polymath John Dee used the artifact in his attempts to communicate with angels and apparitions
This Eighth-Grade Class Wants to Clear the Name of an Accused Salem 'Witch'
Elizabeth Johnson Jr. was sentenced to death in 1693 but escaped execution after receiving a reprieve from Massachusetts' governor
Why Did Women Stop Dominating the Beer Industry?
Strict gender norms pushed them out of a centuries-long tradition
The Heiress Who Stole a Vermeer, Witchcraft in Post-WWII Germany and Other New Books to Read
These five November releases may have been lost in the news cycle
The Little-Known Story of 16th- to 18th-Century Nordic Witch Trials
An art exhibition in Copenhagen and a museum in Ribe revisit witchcraft's legacy in Denmark and neighboring countries
Eerie Witches' Marks Found Among Ruins of Medieval English Church
Archaeologists in Stoke Mandeville found carvings probably designed to ward off evil spirits
Virtually Explore a Forest Filled With Witches' Marks and Other Tree Etchings
A publicly sourced portal spotlights centuries of graffiti left in England's New Forest
Suspected 'Witch Bottle' Full of Nails Found in Virginia
Archaeologists unearthed the blue glass bottle near the hearth of a small fort used during the Civil War
Twelve Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2019
The list includes a sorceress' kit, a forgotten settlement, a Renaissance masterpiece and a 1,700-year-old egg
You Can Now Explore a 3-D Model of Cave Covered in Creepy 'Witches' Marks'
Visitors spotted hundreds of etchings designed to ward off evil while exploring a cave in England's Creswell Crags
'Witch Bottle' Filled With Teeth, Pins and Mysterious Liquid Discovered in English Chimney
The charms were designed to ward off witches, but new research suggests they had medical uses as well
This Map Shows the Scale of 16th- and 17th-Century Scottish Witch Hunts
The interactive tool tells the stories of 3,141 men and women accused of practicing witchcraft
