They Burned Women, Not Witches

A global examination of the persistence of witch hunts, from antiquity to present day, with a focus on their gendered dimensions and impact on women's lives and their communities.

From 1300 to 1800, primarily male leaders tried and tortured approximately 200,000 people for witchcraft, executing about half their victims. Women make up between 75% to 90% of the accused and murdered. In the 21st century, witch hunts remain endemic in Africa, India, Amazonia and parts of Indonesia. Who were (and are) these women and why were they targeted? Travel from Russia to Java, from Denmark to India, from ancient Rome to present-day Tanzania to investigate the circumstances surrounding various witch hunts and what these reveal about the real motives behind burning women and calling them witches.

Structured and written as a first-stop resource for readers and researchers, each regional examination offers at-a-glance data for global comparison, including demographics, approximate numbers of persons accused and executed, identifying factors leading to accusations, and more. Each example concludes with an analysis of how the events impacted women's roles in society at the time and through the present day. Chronologies of trials and laws and related primary source documents further place these events in historical context.