Identifying Witches in the 1600s

In the 1600s, identifying witches was seen as vital work. Europe was considered to be under satanic threat, and so various “witchfinders” were employed to root out the individuals who threatened the souls of every day people.

Witchfinders would operate in two ways; either in an official capacity, or in an unofficial capacity, with neighbours and community members stepping up to expose the evil they feared.

Whilst there were lots of tests to help identify a witch (coming in another post), there were certain factors that would make it more likely that someone would be accused of being a witch:

• Widowed 
• Very old
• Living with a cat or other pet 
• Being new to a community 
• Not attending church, or going rarely 
• In a property dispute 
• Having an “odd” appearance, or physical/facial deformities 
• Going out after dark
• Having immoral, promiscuous or questionable behaviour 
• Being outspoken or talking too much 
• Talking to oneself
• Being strong willed or quarrelsome 
• History of uttering curses against others

When a person was accused of Witchcraft, witnesses were called, an examination of the accused was carried out, and sometimes a confession would be gleaned - sometimes via torture. Whilst women were the “weaker sex” and therefore more prone to being manipulated by the Devil, lots of men were accused at this time. In some countries, men were in a slight majority, and most accusers of witches in England were actually women.

It’s important to note that even at this time of intense fear not all accusations were believed, and many cases fell through. Most judges and jury men were sceptical about the existence of magic, and people were often suspicious of people claiming to be victims of Witchcraft.