HS2146A - Witchcraft and Society, 1450-1750

Tutor Professor L Roper

Teaching: 36 hours teaching in seminars supported by online discussion groups.
Assessment: One three-hour examination.

Since the 1960s, witchcraft in early modern Europe and New England has been the subject of a great deal of scholarly attention. This course draws on the large secondary literature which now exists to examine a range of key questions about the early modern 'witch-craze'.

• What were witches accused of, and how did this relate to what they actually did?
• What triggered off the great witch-hunts that occurred in some parts of Europe - both East and West - at this time?
• Did witch-hunting represent a war of the sexes, or a campaign of social control?
• Who believed in witchcraft, who was sceptical about it and how did ideas on the subject change in the course of the period?

Material will be drawn from all over Europe and from New England, though there will be a particular emphasis on England and Germany. It is helpful to have some background knowledge of the period, e.g. either from the first-year Gateway course on Early Modern Europe or from the Group 1 course on British History 1485-1649.