136 Items Tagged

Witches

Stretching between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Scottish witch trials were among Europe’s longest and most deadly.

Isobel Gowdie and the Untold History of the Scottish Witch Trials

Some experts estimate as many as 3,000 people were accused and executed for witchcraft in Scotland.

Sarah Durn October 31, 2023

Soap Sally was always lying in wait to snatch idle children and turn them into soap and candles, according to regional folklore in Appalachia and the American South.

Soap Sally, a Villain of Appalachia and the American South, Echoes Old World Evil

The wicked washerwoman, child murderer, and entrepreneur has parallels to Baba Yaga and other classic European folk figures.

Emma Cieslik October 30, 2023

George Jacobs, whose witchcraft trial is shown here in Thomkins H. Matteson's 1855 painting, was one of 19 people hanged as a witch during the 1692 Salem witch trials.

The Salem Witch Trials Actually Happened in Danvers, Massachusetts

Tensions between Salem and Danvers were there from the start—contributing to the ensuing witch hysteria.

Theresa McKinney October 26, 2023

Three concrete slabs with small, destroyed remains of headstones sit behind a V-shaped tree opening.

Taos, New Mexico

The Three Brujas

Three witches are said to be buried beneath these unmarked concrete graves.

<em>The Nightmare</em> (1781) by Henry Fuseli taps into superstitions about sleep paralysis, a kind of parasomnia, or sleep disorder.

The Nightmare of Sleep Paralysis Makes a Comeback in Modern Horror

Centuries-old superstitions about troubled sleep are reawakening thanks to scary movies.

Alice Vernon October 9, 2023

In Early Modern Russia, Witches Were Men and Belief in Magic Was Universal

Terrifying love spells and protective "spells to power" offered the chance for control in a fiercely hierarchical society.

Valerie Kivelson October 2, 2023

Arrizala, Spain

Dolmen of Sorginetxe

An ancient stone structure that, according to legend, was built by witches.

East Hampton, New York

South End Burying Ground

This cemetery holds the remains of an accused witch and the man that ensured her freedom.

An Indigenous Mexican healer, known as a <em>curandera</em>, performs a ritual at El Rancho de Las Golondrinas, a living history museum in New Mexico.

Podcast: Witches and Ritual Around the Globe

Explore the mysteries of Mexico's Indigenous healers and Denmark's gruesome witch burnings with Condé Nast Traveler's Women Who Travel Podcast.

The Podcast Team July 3, 2023

Wyoming's Casper Mountain is home to witches who appear once a year, on Midsummer's Eve, thanks to the rich imagination of writer and artist Neal Forsling.

On Wyoming's Casper Mountain, the Crimson Dawn Witches Appear Every Midsummer's Eve

Nearly a century ago, writer and artist Neal Forsling's magical tales began a local legacy that celebrates family, nature, and imagination.

Michelle Harris June 19, 2023

Wander into our forest of blood-chilling spring tales—if you dare.

Spring Is for Monsters, Ancient Rituals, and Scary Stories

From haunting tales of the Bell Witch to child-eating swamp monsters, the season is full of frights.

Sarah Durn May 8, 2023

Torryburn, Scotland

Lilias Adie Grave Marker

The long-lost final resting place of an accused witch.

There were many hotspots of alleged witch activity in Central Scotland.

Explore This Map of More Than 3,000 Scottish Witches

An Edinburgh University project uses data to track the victims of Scottish "witch-prickers" in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Frank Jacobs May 5, 2023

In 2015, this effigy of the Pagan goddess Marzanna met a fiery end.

In Poland, Drowning the Pagan Goddess Marzanna Ushers in Spring

A straw effigy of the winter goddess is burned and then submerged in chilly waters.

Sarah Laskow May 3, 2023

The haunting by the entity known as the Bell Witch has resonated across centuries of American history.

The Elusive, Maddening Mystery of the Bell Witch

A classic ghost story has something to say about America—200 years ago, 100 years ago, and today.

Colin Dickey May 2, 2023

Ashland, Massachusetts

Ashland Witch Caves

Small caves once used as a hiding place for some of those accused during the Salem Witch Trials.

Framingham, Massachusetts

Sarah Clayes House

A home built and settled by a refugee of the Salem Witch Trials.

North Andover, Massachusetts

Old North Burying Ground

The site of the Andover Witch Hunts, which ended with more witch accusations and arrests than Salem.