Satan & the sabbath: witchhunting in the Basque Country

Jan Machielsen reveals why supernatural stories of witchcraft convulsed the Basque Country in the early 17th century

Published: October 30, 2024 at 7:00 AM

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Satanic sabbaths, magic potions and demonic toads – in the early 17th century, the Basque Country was convulsed by strange accusations of supernatural activities. A new book by Jan Machielsen explores why fears of witchcraft gained such traction in this isolated region on the French-Spanish border. He tells Ellie Cawthorne more about how overexcited judges, frightened children and geographical factors all played a role in fuelling the panic.

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(Ad) Jan Machielsen is the author of The Basque Witch-Hunt: A Secret History (Bloomsbury Academic, 2024).

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Malcolm Gaskill discusses a little-known 17th-century witchcraft case

Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra

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