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The Thing About Witch Hunts

Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack
Salem Witch Trials
Witchcraft
Witch Hunts
Witchcraft Accusations
Human Rights
Witch Trials
Rebecca Nurse
Albinism
Connecticut Witch Trials
Gender-Based Violence
Malleus Maleficarum
Social Justice
Gender Inequality
Dementia
Martha Cory
Dorothy Good
Sarah Good
Puritanism
Tituba
Ritual Attacks

Witch trials have shaped communities, claimed lives, and defined entire eras of history. The Thing About Witch Hunts investigates the real history behind witch hunts and modern witchcraft persecution worldwide, from the Salem witch trials of 1692 to the deadly witchcraft accusations devastating communities today. Hosted by Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack, each episode delivers essential context for... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes267Founded4 years ago
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History

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Artwork for The Thing About Witch Hunts

Latest Episodes

The Treaty of Watertown: Independence, Alliance, and the Fowle House Council ChamberWe step into an upstairs council chamber above a shoemaker’s house in Watertown, Massachusetts—where, on July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud... more

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Episode 200: The Long Arc of Witch Hunts—From Connecticut to a Global Crisis

The Thing About Witch Hunts: We mark episode 200 by tracing the full arc of witch hunts from ancient prosecutions to early modern demonology, colonial New England, and toda... more

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What was a witch's familiar, and why did these animal spirits sit at the heart of English witch trials? Returning guest Dr. Holly Bamford joins hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack to explain the witch's familiar, the witch's mark, and the overlooked... more

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Metacom’s Resistance, Puritan Mythology, and King Philip’s War with Sarah Stewart (Partnership of Historic Bostons)

We speak with Sarah Stewart, president of the Partnership of Historic Bostons, a public history organization focused on 17th-century ... more

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Recent Guests

Dr. Holly Bamford
Witchcraft researcher who defended a doctoral thesis on English witchcraft
Independent scholar / Witchcraft Researcher
Episode: Witches and Familiars with Dr. Holly Bamford
Sarah Stewart
President of Partnership of Historic Bostons
Partnership of Historic Bostons
Episode: Metacom's Resistance: Perspectives on King Philip's War with Sarah Stewart
Icy Sedgwick
Author, folklorist, diviner, and host of Fabulous Folklore Podcast
Fabulous Folklore Podcast
Episode: The Art and Folklore of Divination with Icy Sedgwick, author of Fate or Fortune
Beth Caruso
Award-winning author focusing on Connecticut Witch Trials
Author, Connecticut Witch House trilogy
Episode: Connecticut Witch Trials Before Salem: The Play Windsor's Daughter Restores Alice Young's Legacy
Lauren Cavanaugh
Playwright developing Windsor's Daughter to dramatize Alice Young's story
Playwright
Episode: Connecticut Witch Trials Before Salem: The Play Windsor's Daughter Restores Alice Young's Legacy
Shelley Puhak
Author of Blood Countess, historian
Author
Episode: Blood Countess: The Lies that Made Elizabeth Bathory a Serial Killer with Shelley Puhak
Dan Gagnon
Danvers' teacher, historian, and author of A Salem Witch, A Biography of Rebecca Nurse
Danvers, Massachusetts
Episode: The American Revolution and Salem Witch Trials Families with Dan Gagnon
Dr. Francis Young
Historian of religion and belief, folklorist
Cambridge University Press (editorial work)
Episode: Fairy History, Folklore, and Belief with Dr. Francis Young
Darren Oldridge
Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Worcester
University of Worcester
Episode: Devil, Witchcraft and English Demonology with Prof. Darren Oldridge

Hosts

Sarah Jack
Co-host of The Thing About Witch Hunts and related work with End Witch Hunts; focuses on memory, advocacy, and historical storytelling.
Josh Hutchinson
Host of The Thing About Witch Hunts; leads interviews and episode introductions with a focus on historical context and engagement.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Excellent Research

    Love this witchy pod and so will you. That is if you have an interest in the history of witchcraft executions then and now. Good job!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kimmy B 13
    United Statesa year ago
  • Needs polishing

    Great content, speech sounds halting, scripted, using some incorrect grammar and language which is confusing, I’m not sure if you need to do some more practicing speaking or if this is nervousness but the content and research is actually excellent.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    pumpkin243
    United States2 years ago
  • Long neglected history

    Very good history lessons, I’ve learned many new things. Lest we forget, lest we repeat.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Tequila Priestess
    United States3 years ago
  • Thoughtful and dedicated to raising awareness about witch hunts, from both the past and present. A truth wealth of great information!

    Podchaser
    5
    gregory.houle
    3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some listeners feel a more polished speaking cadence would help, but content quality is strong.
Listeners praise the depth of historical research and thoughtful interviews.
Episodes frequently prompt action, donations, and volunteerism for advocacy projects.

Chart Rankings

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Apple Podcasts
#237
Ukraine/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Witches and Familiars with Dr. Holly Bamford
Q: Dr. Bamford, in the material that you sent to us, you talked also about a man named John Palmer, and he had a curious familiar I want to talk about because this one took a humanoid shape and was a woman called Jezebel. What makes her different, of course, from the animal familiars, and what was his relationship with her?
Palmer's Jezebel shaped familiar shows that familiars could be humanoid and function to threaten conjugal relationships, underscoring how the familiar embodies broader adult relationships and social anxieties about marriage and reproduction; this case also illustrates how male witches could enact a more intimate, yet troubling, bond with their familiar, challenging gendered stereotypes.
The Art and Folklore of Divination with Icy Sedgwick, author of Fate or Fortune
Q: Tell us about your work and expertise.
Icy discusses her background as a writer and researcher focused on folklore, with a specialism in divination, and explains how divination intersects with everyday life, history, and culture.
Devil, Witchcraft and English Demonology with Prof. Darren Oldridge
Q: What were the main demonologies needed to understand the learned conception of the devil in early modern England?
Key figures included William Perkins, who emphasized the demonic pact, and Joseph Glanville, who shifted focus toward proving the existence of spirits; these rival traditions shaped how demonology framed witchcraft prosecution up to and after the 1660s.
Devil, Witchcraft and English Demonology with Prof. Darren Oldridge
Q: Not witches first, but the devil first. How did educated English Protestants conceptualize witchcraft in relation to the devil?
Educated English Protestants tended to frame witchcraft as temptations or contracts with the devil, sometimes viewing the pact as the essential mechanism by which witchcraft operated, while ordinary folk worried more about tangible harms and natural explanations.
Fairy History, Folklore, and Belief with Dr. Francis Young
Q: Can you touch a little bit on how we have fairies in fairy tales, fairy in this folk belief, and then fairies in literature?
There are three main channels: through folklore as eyewitness memory of encounters, through fairy tales that were never meant to be literally true, and through literature where fairies are reimagined for drama and narrative. Over time, stage and literary depictions contributed the most recognizable features, like wings, wand-wielding figures, and female-dominated fairy image, which later influenced popular culture.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Thing About Witch Hunts

What is The Thing About Witch Hunts about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A historically focused podcast that uncovers the realities of witch hunts and modern witchcraft persecution around the world. Episodes blend rigorous research with accessible storytelling, featuring historians, authors, playwrights, and advocates who explore the social, political, and cultural forces behind persecutions, the legacy for descendants, and ongoing advocacy work. The show stands out for pairing scholarly context with contemporary relevance—from court records and archival materials to discussions of representation, memory, and legal reforms—often foregrounding survivor perspectives and activist efforts to end witch hunts. This makes it a strong fit for history buffs, human rights advocates, educators, and audiences drawn to docum... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Thing About Witch Hunts?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Thing About Witch Hunts:

1. Witches of Scotland
2. After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal
3. Not Just the Tudors
4. Dateline: True Crime Weekly
5. This American Life

How many episodes of The Thing About Witch Hunts are there?

The Thing About Witch Hunts launched 4 years ago and published 267 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Thing About Witch Hunts?

Recent guests on The Thing About Witch Hunts include:

1. Dr. Holly Bamford
2. Sarah Stewart
3. Icy Sedgwick
4. Beth Caruso
5. Lauren Cavanaugh
6. Shelley Puhak
7. Dan Gagnon
8. Dr. Francis Young

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