# ShortHand: Big Witch Special Part 1 - The European Witch Craze

An episode of [RedHanded](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1250599915), 20 Oct 2026, 23 min.

Audio: https://mgln.ai/e/51/pdrl.fm/2fe3a5/prfx.byspotify.com/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/audioboom.com/posts/8959444.mp3?modified=1791558476&sid=5166531&source=rss

Believed for over a thousand years to be local soothsayers who used their powers for everyday charms and spells, European witches' PR machine finally turned against them in the 16th and 17th centuries: when the continent suddenly became gripped by the idea that they weren't so wholesome after all... In fact, they might just be part of a demonic army on a mission to cloud the whole world in evil. For spooky season, we're treating our listeners to a redux of our epic two-parter ShortHand exploring the witch-hunting mania that gripped Europe for a huge chunk of its history – and led to the state-sanctioned executions of over 200,000 people. -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagram

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