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Dr Laura Kounine: The History of Witchcraft and Feminism

The Witch is having a moment. With over 9 million ‘WitchTok’ posts on TikTok, she’s become a feminist icon. In today’s #MeToo world, women are reclaiming the Witch as both a symbol of past persecution and present empowerment. Centuries ago, thousands of women were tried and burned at the stake for witchcraft. Today, millennial women are reclaiming the label as a symbol of sexual freedom and resistance to patriarchal norms.

Between 1450 and 1750, around 100,000 people were tried for witchcraft, 75% of them women. Fears often centred on the female body, particularly the post-menopausal body. However, men were also accused, raising the question: why were they targeted in such a patriarchal society? This talk will explore the legacy of the early modern witch-hunts and how the Witch is now being reclaimed as a symbol of feminism, activism, and empowerment.

Laura Kounine is Associate Professor in Early Modern History at University of Sussex.

Image: The Witches by Hans Baldung, 1510. Chiaroscuro woodcut in two blocks, printed in grey and black; second of two states. Image courtesy of the Met Museum New York - creative commons via the Met Museum Open Access policy