Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
witchcraft
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Francisco Goya: El conjuro or Las brujas (“The Conjuring” or “The Witches”) Salem witch trial blue eye Francisco Goya: Linda maestra! The Blair Witch Project
Watch the Weird Sisters conspire in the opening scene of William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth
Witchcraft Compendium maleficarum: Devil and witches trampling a cross Malleus maleficarum Shona man
Quizzes
Saint Thomas Aquinas. Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas, altarpiece by Francesco Traini, 1363; in Santa Caterina, Pisa, Italy. St. Thomas Aquinas (c1225-1274) Italian philosopher and theologian. Dominican order of monks (black friars).
Medieval History Quiz: Part Four
Illustration of Halloween characters silhouetted on a purple background (silhouette, spooky, scary)
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Salem Witch Trials. Photogravure after the painting by Walter McEwen titled - The Witches - circa 1890s.
How Rye Bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials
Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History
Black and white photo of people in courtroom, hands raised, pledging
Order in the Court: 10 “Trials of the Century”
poem. A poet in a Heian period kimono writes Japanese poetry during the Kamo Kyokusui No En Ancient Festival at Jonan-gu shrine on April 29, 2013 in Kyoto, Japan. Festival of Kyokusui-no Utage orignated in 1,182, party Heian era (794-1192).
World Poetry Day
Discover
Chapter 4 pg 42 - Chapter header of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Published in 1884 by The American Publishing Company
Periods of American Literature
Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution
The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution
The Lost Colony of Roanoke, North Carolina, where 115 people mysteriously disappeared c. 1590. John White discovers the word Croatoan carved onto a tree upon his return to the deserted Roanoke Colony in 1590
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
Data analysis of the Super Bowl's "winningest" teams, game locations, MVP winners by position, teams with the most game losses. football, sports, infographic
From Sport to Spectacle: The History of the Super Bowl
earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.
The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950
Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece
Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents
King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes

witchcraft: Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/witchcraft
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Three arrested for performing suspected witchcraft in A.P.’s Krishna district • Feb. 7, 2025, 1:16 AM ET (The Hindu)
Bishop Akama: I have witnessed use of witchcraft in Kenyan football first-hand • Feb. 3, 2025, 1:13 AM ET (Nation.Africa)
Why court found four Kisii villagers guilty of lynching elderly women over witchcraft claims • Jan. 29, 2025, 1:06 AM ET (Nation.Africa)
Laughter as Mom Walks In On Daughter 'Sacrificing' Younger Sister • Jan. 26, 2025, 3:35 AM ET (Newsweek)

Photos and Videos

Francisco Goya: El conjuro or Las brujas (“The Conjuring” or “The Witches”)
Salem witch trial
blue eye
Francisco Goya: Linda maestra!
The Blair Witch Project
Witchcraft
Compendium maleficarum: Devil and witches trampling a cross
Malleus maleficarum
Shona man
The Wizard of Oz
Watch the Weird Sisters conspire in the opening scene of William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Joseph Glanvill
British philosopher

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Illustration of Halloween characters silhouetted on a purple background (silhouette, spooky, scary)
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz
Saint Thomas Aquinas. Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas, altarpiece by Francesco Traini, 1363; in Santa Caterina, Pisa, Italy. St. Thomas Aquinas (c1225-1274) Italian philosopher and theologian. Dominican order of monks (black friars).
Medieval History Quiz: Part Four