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Medieval Timeline: European Witches

  • Before the 9th Century: Belief of Witches
    Jan 1, 800

    Before the 9th Century: Belief of Witches

    LinkThe belief of witches started to became popular. The people accused where mostly woman that were thought to be using black magic.
  • Canon Episcopi
    Jan 1, 906

    Canon Episcopi

    LinkThe book Canon Episcopi was written that said that witches are not real. It states that witches are actually Pagans or heretics. It is believed that the evidence of witches were illusions of the mind.
  • Cathar Genocide
    Jan 1, 1203

    Cathar Genocide

    LinkCathars were believed to be heretics which was what people believed witches were. The Pope at the time, declared that there be a genocide against them. This ended in 1321 CE.
  • Lady Alice Kyteler
    Jan 1, 1324

    Lady Alice Kyteler

    LinkLady Alice Kyteler was accused of witchcraft along with her son in Ireland. The accusations came from the maid who later was burned for sorcery, too. Alice escaped the torture and execution by fleeing but left her son to confess and pay the fine.
  • Black Plague
    Jan 1, 1347

    Black Plague

    LinkThe Black plague spread through Europe killing millions. This majorly impacted people psychological thinking and behavior. They started to blame witches for spreading the disease.
  • Gilles de Rais
    Jan 1, 1440

    Gilles de Rais

    LinkGilles de Rais was a French Noble and soldier, killed for being a witch in France. He was accused of kidnapping, over 40 murders, being a heretic, and demon-summoning. He confessed to it all and was hung then burned and given a Christian burial.
  • Witch Hunts
    Jan 1, 1450

    Witch Hunts

    LinkThe witch hunts start to become popular in Europe. The Catholic Church declared that Pagans were to be considered witches and dangerous. It was believed that they were associated with Satan and demons.
  • Malleus Maleficarum
    Jan 1, 1486

    Malleus Maleficarum

    LinkMalleus Maleficarum was published by Jacob Sprengert and Heinrich Kramer. Its purpose was to prove that witchcraft was real and how to handle and identify them. It was later banned by the Catholic Church.
  • Witchcraft Act
    Jan 1, 1549

    Witchcraft Act

    LinkA Witchcraft Act was passed by Parliament declaring that it is punishable by death in England. In 1736, the Act was changed, instead of death, the punishment was fines and imprisonment.
  • Witch Storm

    Witch Storm

    LinkKing James VI of Scotland was on a trip with his wife, when they ran into a really bad storm. Six women from Denmark admitted to being the source of the storm. When he returned to Scotland, he approved the torture of witches and had them burned at the stake.
  • Agnes Sampson

    Agnes Sampson

    LinkAgnes Sampson was arrested and executed for witchcraft. After being tortured, she admitted to meeting the devil. Agnes told King James what the devil sent her and others to use magic to make the storm that effected the King and his wife’s voyage.
  • Gwen Ferch Elis

    Gwen Ferch Elis

    LinkThe first woman to be killed for witchcraft in Wales was Gwen Ferch Elis. She was accused of using witchcraft and driving a child crazy. Evidence used to convict her was given by seven different people. She was hung in Denbigh Town Square.
  • Entjen Gellis

    Entjen Gellis

    LinkEntjen Gellis was a midwife and a supposed witch from the Netherlands that was executed. She even admitted to killing babies and was accused of Black Magic. This was one of the worse years for witches in the Netherlands.
  • Katharina Henot

    Katharina Henot

    LinkKatharina Henot was believed to be a witch in Germany and was burned alive for it. She is believed to perform sorcery and murder. In 2012, her case was reopened by the Cologne Council who have found her to be innocent.
  • Bamberg Witch Trials

    Bamberg Witch Trials

    LinkJohannes Junius was executed as part of the Bamberg Witch Trials. He was accused, and later confessed to, attending a Witch Dance. He was burned at the stake. Before he was killed, he wrote a letter to his daughter. In this letter, he explained that he only confessed to get out of being tortured.
  • Largest Witch Hunt in France

    Largest Witch Hunt in France

    LinkThis is the start largest witch hunt that French has ever seen. There were over 650 accused witches arrested just from one city alone. This ended around 1645.
  • Maret Jonsdotter

    Maret Jonsdotter

    Link2Link1Maret Jonsdotter was a witch executed in Sweden. She was a part of the Mora Witch Trials and got her head cut off before being burned.
  • Malin Matsdotter

    Malin Matsdotter

    LinkMalin Matsdotter was another Swedish witch accused of witchcraft. She was said to take children to a field for Satan. While on the stake, she is said to not have made a sound. She did not scream or cry. At this time, people believed that witch’s felt no pain.
  • Temperance Lloyd

    Temperance Lloyd

    LinkTemperance Lloyd was the last known witch executed in England. She was accused of using magic and being a murderer. She was hung and is said to looked as if she did not care that she was about to die.
  • Christian Shaw

    Christian Shaw

    LinkSix people in Scotland were killed for witchcraft because they were thought to have aided in the possession of eleven year old Christian Shaw. She had seizures and threw up objects. There were times when people believed she was deaf, blind, or even dead because she was so out of it. There was a study in later years that suggested that she had a mental illness and was never possessed.