The Thing About Witch Hunts

The Thing About Witch Hunts explores historical witch trials and modern witchcraft persecution worldwide. Hosted by Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack, each episode investigates the real history behind witch hunts — from the Salem Witch Trials to the deadly witchcraft accusations still happening worldwide today. Essential listening for history lovers, true crime fans, and human rights advocates.#witchhunts #witchcraft #SalemWitchTrials #history #truecrime #humanrights #witchtrial #historypodcast #persecution #folklore #colonialhistory #advocacy

The Thing About Witch Hunts is a history podcast hosted by Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack, with 258 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack hosts The Thing About Witch Hunts, a history show with 258 episodes published.

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  Episode #208

  A History of Terrifying Women: Author Eleanor Johnson on Her New Book, Monstrous Bitch

  Sep 20, 202656 min

  Monstrous Bitch: 4,000 Years of Demonizing Women, From Lamashtu to Modern Horror Medievalist and Columbia professor Dr. Eleanor Johnson joins us to trace the 4,000-year lineage behind her new book, Monstrous Bitch, connecting ancient Mesopotamian demon Lamashtu to Greek and Roman lamiae, medieval and early modern witch persecutions, and modern horror cinema. We follow how patriarchal cultures repeatedly weaponized a recurring “triptych” of accusations—women’s voices, sexuality or predation, and reproductive autonomy—turning mythic monstrosity into the idea that any woman could be a witch, and later reshaping the figure into the vampire. We also confront the terror of heritable witchcraft accusations, including Salem’s Sarah Good and Dorothy Good, and discuss the devil-contract conspiracy framework in Christian witch ideology, alongside historical opponents who challenged it. Johnson highlights recent films that reinterpret the “monstrous bitch” as feminist resistance, and shares release details for Monstrous Bitch (Oct. 6) and her Eleanor’s Horrors Substack. Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:27 Dr Johnson Background 02:53 Why Monstrous Bitch 03:59 Lamashtu Origins 08:56 From Lamia to Witches 12:54 Witch Hunts Fallout 14:40 Vampiress Turn 16:22 Feminist Horror Reclaim 20:44 Devil Pact Conspiracy 27:10 Pushback and Salem Link 30:40 Salem Cases Setup 32:00 Daughters Forced to Disavow 33:10 Hereditary Horror on Film 35:23 Witchcraft Accusations Today 36:58 Exonerating Ancestors in Connecticut 38:42 Honor, Memory, and History 41:13 Pop Culture Witch Lineages 42:52 The Past Never Ends 46:51 Fear of Women Gathering 51:05 Study History Without Fear 54:19 Book Release and Farewell Links Eleanor’s Horrors: https://eleanorshorrors.substack.com Buy Monstrous Bitch : https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780691291666 Salem Witch Trials History YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliis4vjMIUgg3wcA0pXeYQ The Thing About Witch Hunts : https://aboutwitchhunts.com The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials : https://aboutsalem.com Salem Witch Trials Daily : https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/ Connecticut Witch Trial History Trail : https://connecticutwitchtrials.org/trail/ Massachusetts Witch Trial History : https://massachusettswitchtrials.org End Witch Hunts nonprofit : https://endwitchhunts.org

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  Episode #207

  The Craft at 30 with Abby Brenker of the Lunatics Project

  Sep 4, 202655 min

  The Craft at 30: Witchcraft, Teen Horror, and the Satanic Panic with Abby Brenker (Lunatics Project) We welcome Abby Brenker of The Lunatics Project to dig into The Craft on its 30th anniversary, tracing why this 1996 teen witchcraft horror classic became a sleepover staple despite mixed reviews and an R rating. We explore how the film centers female friendship, anger, and power outside of romance, while portraying boys as secondary villainous caricatures, and we unpack gendered conflicts around beauty, identity, mentorship, and isolation—especially for Bonnie, Sarah, Nancy, and Rochelle. We connect the movie’s rituals, Wiccan and occult-inspired magic system, and iconic lines (“We’re the weirdos, mister”) to broader 1990s witch media, from Sabrina to Buffy, and to real-world fears: self-harm, rape, bullying, and primal horror imagery like mirrors, snakes, and spiders. We also touch on The Believers, Blair Witch, and the Satanic Panic, and Abby shares where to find Lunatics Radio Hour and her feature film Voices Carry on Tubi. Chapters 00:00 Meet The Guest 00:28 Lunatics Project Origins 03:02 Why The Craft Matters 03:58 Film Setup And Legacy 07:49 Women Center Stage 11:18 Boys And Beauty Standards 15:21 Rituals And Power 18:02 Fear And Dark Themes 23:32 Iconic Lines And Scenes 25:36 Witch Shop Mentor 27:45 Rochelle Lacks Support 29:14 Racism Then and Now 30:40 Hair as Social Power 35:05 Nineties Witch Boom 40:02 Satanic Panic Memories 43:38 Ritual Games and Mirrors 45:45 Iconic Final Confrontation 48:26 Violence and R Rating 51:08 Blair Witch and Viral Hype 53:58 Closing and Projects Links The Lunatics Project Lunatics Radio Hour Voices Carry on Tubi Salem Witch Trials History YouTube channel The Thing About Witch Hunts The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials Salem Witch Trials Daily Connecticut Witch Trial History Trail Massachusetts Witch Trial History End Witch Hunts nonprofit

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  Episode #206

  Salem Aftermath: Applying Behavioral Studies to Ann Putnam Jr. with Dr. Hogan Sherrow & Tom Phillips

  Aug 26, 20261h 13m

  Why Did Ann Putnam Jr. Accuse? Reconstructing the Salem Witch Trials Through Behavioral Science We welcome back producer-director-writer Tom Phillips with evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Hogan Sherrow to examine why 12-year-old Ann Putnam Jr. became the central accuser in the Salem witch trials and later the only known accuser to publicly apologize. Using Sherrow’s “evolutionary behavioral reconstruction,” they combine life history, Puritan cultural context, and household pressures to consider non-sensational explanations, including mental illness (psychosis-like symptoms), imitation and reinforcement, and the community’s readiness to interpret aberrant behavior as the devil. They discuss how Ann’s charisma could sway authorities, including the reversal of Rebecca Nurse’s initial acquittal, and how parents, magistrates, and church could benefit once accusations escalated. They analyze Ann’s 1706 apology language and signature, the trauma of witnessing executions, and preview test footage from Phillips’ stage-bound project Salem Aftermath. 00:00 Why Ann Putnam Matters 01:39 Meet Tom and Hogan 04:30 Salem Aftermath Project 05:56 Behavioral Reconstruction 09:11 Puritans Not Hysterical 10:58 Profiling Ann Putnam 14:39 Psychosis or Copycat 18:25 Lying and Boogeymen 24:29 Family Trauma and Motives 31:43 Rebecca Nurse Courtroom 36:11 Who Benefits and Why 37:05 Short Term Rewards 40:07 Early Death Stressors 44:05 Scapegoats And Witch Hunts 48:27 Possible Diagnoses 51:00 Teen Desire And Guilt 53:46 Outcast And Marriage Prospects 56:07 Apology Under Scrutiny 59:42 Hangings And Lasting Trauma 01:02:01 Signature And Authorship Doubts 01:06:31 Humanizing Ann And Closing Links: The Thing About Witch Hunts Salem Witch Trials History YouTube The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials Salem Witch Trials Daily

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  Episode #205

  World Day Against Witch Hunts: Missio in Papua New Guinea with Sister Lorena Jenal and Jörg Nowak

  Aug 7, 202655 min

  World Day Against Witch Hunts: Sister Lorena Jenal and Jörg Nowak on Rescuing Survivors in Papua New Guinea Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack mark August 10, World Day Against Witch Hunts, with its creators, Sister Lorena Jenal and journalist Jörg Nowak of the German Catholic aid organization Missio. Sr. Lorena, a Swiss Franciscan who has served 47 years in Papua New Guinea, has rescued more than 420 women accused of sorcery since 2012 and shelters survivors at the House of Hope, built using her International Weimar Award for Human Rights. Nowak describes how Missio recognized sorcery accusation-related violence as a current human rights violation, expanded support to projects in countries including Liberia, Tanzania, Ghana, Benin, and documented abuses through reporting and museum exhibitions. They discuss the scale in PNG (109 cases last year), an estimate of 3,000 killings over 20 years, patterns of scapegoating and misogyny, severe sexual violence and public humiliation, police corruption and inaction, and advocacy efforts to elevate August 10 to a United Nations-recognized day. 00:00 World Day Against Witch Hunts 01:37 Meet Lorena and Jörg 03:10 Missio Campaign Origins 05:38 Papua New Guinea Crisis 11:40 Who Gets Accused 20:21 Sexual Violence Research 29:06 Police Corruption and Justice 35:15 Creating August 10 43:48 House of Hope Sanctuary 46:20 UN Recognition Push 52:20 How You Can Help 53:57 Final Thanks and Share Links Hexenverfolgung heute | missio : https://www.missio-hilft.de/informieren/wofuer-wir-uns-einsetzen/gegen-hexenverfolgung/ World Day Against Witch Hunts: https://endwitchhunts.org/day The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com Salem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com Salem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/

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  Episode #204

  Healing the Past: The Reclamation Project with Claire Standen

  Aug 4, 202649 min

  Reclamation: Restorative Justice and a Church Returned for Scotland’s Accused WitchesWe follow the question history books can’t answer: once the harm of witch hunting is acknowledged, what does repair look like? Trauma resolution practitioner Claire Standen, founder of Reclamation, is building a Scottish community interest organization seeking reparations for the thousands prosecuted under Scotland’s Witchcraft Act (1500s–1700s), arguing apology without action isn’t meaningful. Her central demand is radical and concrete: the Church of Scotland—already apologetic—should gift an unused church building (not sold or grant-funded) to be stewarded as a community headquarters and a Center for Female Authority, reclaiming sacred space once tied to persecution. Drawing on trauma work and epigenetic inheritance, she connects historic terror to today’s inherited silence and societal patterns, and outlines a restorative justice approach where those harmed define what healing requires. Reclamation is seeking social media support and seed funding via ourreclamation.org.00:00 Show Intro and Big Question01:38 Meet Claire Standen03:18 What Reclamation Aims For05:26 Trauma Work Meets History09:02 The Synchronicity Road Trip15:40 Reclaiming Witch Legacy20:26 Apologies vs Reparations24:21 Inherited Silence and Epigenetics27:03 What Makes Apology Meaningful31:32 Why a Gifted Church Matters40:12 Center for Female Authority Vision45:32 How to Help and Connect48:18 Closing Reflections

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