Whether in Macbeth, Harry Potter or Hansel and Gretel – witches have a long tradition in literature and film, often celebrated as strong, independent women, or portrayed as the incarnation of evil. But in a recent global study, over 40 percent of those surveyed said they believe in malevolent witchcraft. So witches are not just the stuff of fantasy nor a phenomenon of some distant medieval past.

As the descendant of a family that lost several members to witch hunts, DW-reporter Karin Helmstaedt goes searching for clues, speaking to experts and digging through archives in southern Germany. From the beginning of the Great European Witch Hunts in the 15th century to witch hunts in present-day Africa and Asia, this episode of Arts Unveiled goes after the truth about why they really happened, and why being singled out as a witch can still be deadly today.

00:00 Intro
01:18 The True Story of a Witch Hunt
03:59 The Origins of the European Witch Hunts
05:17 The “Hammer of Witches” and the History of Witch Hunts
09:11 Debunking Common Witch Myths
13:46 The Fate of Margarethe Kröber
14:53 Witch Hunts in the New World and its End in Europe
15:51 Belief in Witchcraft Today and its Cruel Traces
22:34 Witches in Pop Culture and Political Activism
24:26 Conclusion

Original Art by Barbara Gandys
https://www.instagram.com/_art_sight/…

Special thanks to:
* Pam Grossman https://instagram.com/phantasmaphile?…
* Witch Wave Podcast https://instagram.com/witchwavepod?ig…
* Witches of Scotland https://instagram.com/witches.of.scot…
* Leo Igwe https://twitter.com/leoigwe?s=21
* Advocacy for Alleged Witches https://advocacyforallegedwitches.law…
* Witches of Instagram https://instagram.com/witches.of.inst…