30 Weird and Wild Facts About Witches and Witchcraft

It must be the season of the witch! Read on to learn some interesting historical facts about witches and witchcraft.

1. There Was A Witch In The Bible

Even though the Bible may say that we should not suffer a witch to live, it features a witch in the Old Testament. The Witch of Endor was not an evil witch, she was actually quite helpful and assisted Saul even though he had an edict against sorcery.

2. “Pagan” Did Not Always Mean Witch

When we hear the word “pagan” nowadays we usually think of neopagans. The image that pops into our minds is that of long haired hippies doing rituals under the full moon. But the word “pagan” was not always associated with witches. It originally meant “of the country.” Pagans started being associated with witches when their folk remedies started being associated with witchcraft.

3. Henry VIII Had Familial Ties To Witches

Henry VIII was related to not one but two suspected witches. Both his grandmother, Elizabeth Woodville, and his great grandmother, Jaquetta of Luxembourg were accused of Witchcraft.

4. James I Was Obsessed With Witches

James I was extremely paranoid when it came to witchcraft. He believed that witches were using magick to harm his wife and himself. His obsession fueled his drive to write an encyclopedia of the dark arts called Daemonologie. 

5. William Shakespeare Used Witches To Suck Up To a New King

Queen Elizabeth I was a patron of the arts and William Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre benefited greatly from her generosity. After she died and James I assumed the throne, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth as a way to ingratiate himself to the new king. The play honored the king’s Scottish heritage and featured his main obsession, witches!

6. Twenty-Five People Died In The Salem Witch Trials

Twenty-Five accused witches died during the infamous witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts. But not every accused person who died was publicly executed. Five people died in prison, nineteen people were hanged, and one person was crushed to death by stones.

7. No, It Was Not Corn Fungus That Caused The Hysteria In Salem

A popular theory of what caused the witch hysteria in Salem is that a fungus that grew on the corn had hallucinogenic properties and caused the accusers to hallucinate. This probably isn’t true. The type of fungus in question was quite noticeable and the Salem townsfolk would have been agriculturally aware enough to know they shouldn’t eat it.

8. Land Disputes Were Most Likely The Cause Of The Salem Witch Accusations

In Salem at the time of the witch trials, if a person was accused and found guilty of witchcraft, their land would be stripped from them and their family and given to their neighbors. So if a person wanted to expand their land and assets, they had extra incentive to accuse their neighbors.

9. Giles Corey Would Rather Be Pressed With Stones Than Confess

When Giles Corey was accused of witchcraft, he did not want to risk his children losing rights to his land. If he refused to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty, he could not be found culpable of witchcraft and therefore his neighbors would not get the rights to his land. The sheriff of Salem tried to force him to enter a plea by pressing him with stones. As Corey was crushed to death, he still refused to enter a plea. All he would say is “more weight.”

10. Giles Corey May Have Actually Cursed The Town

While Giles Corey was being crushed by the stones, he cursed the sheriff and the town of Salem. Some people believe that curse was real since so many people who held the title of sheriff in Salem became ill or met untimely ends.

11. Giles Corey Is Not Buried In Salem, Massachusetts

You won’t find Giles Corey buried amongst his fellow Salem folk. The curmudgeonly Corey is buried in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

12. Sarah Jessica Parker Has Ties To An Accused Salem Witch

As every millennial knows, the actress Sarah Jessica Parker played Sarah Sanderson, a witch who was killed in Salem, in the cult classic Hocus Pocus. As fate would have it, she is actually related to one of the accused witches from the Salem trials.

13. Bewitched Saved The Town Of Salem

Salem, Massachusetts is a popular tourist destination now, but it wasn’t always that way. In the first half of the last century, the town had fallen on hard times. But thanks to fire that destroyed many Hollywood sets, the producers of the hit show Bewitched had to find another filming location. They did some research and learned of Salem’s sordid history regarding witches. So they decided to film a series of episodes in the town. This brought attention to the town and soon tourists were arriving in droves. The town erected a statue to honor the television show.

14. Joan of Arc Was Accused Of Witchcraft 

It’s hard to believe that Saint Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans was accused of witchcraft. But it’s true. As devout as she was to her God, due to a political power play she was found guilty of witchcraft and cross dressing and was burned at the stake for it.

15. A Tennessee Family Was Tormented By The Ghost Of A Witch

From 1817 to 1821, a man from Robertson County, Tennessee named John Bell Sr., was terrorized along with his family by a malevolent force. Some suspect it was a demon or a poltergeist. Others suggest it as the ghost of a witch.

16. Marie Laveau Was A Pillar Of Her Community

Marie Laveau was a midwife who was known for practicing voodoo, herbalism, and rootwork. Of course it is hard to substantiate any claims of magical prowess. But she was regarded as the Queen of Voodoo in the city. She was also a community activist who provided education for women.  

17. There Are Four Places In Georgia Called “The Witch’s Graveyard”

If you tell a Georgia resident that you want to see “The Witch’s Graveyard” they will probably say “which one?” There is one private cemetery located near Smyrna, Georgia that is locally known as “The Witch’s Graveyard.” Though the legends of that particular graveyard are not well known and inconsistent. There are two witch’s graveyards in Dallas, Georgia. One is located near a waterfall and referred to as “The Other Witch’s Graveyard.” The only graveyard that has actual historical links to witches is located near Blue Ridge at a place called Tilley Bend. And speaking of Tilley Bend…

18. Two Georgia Women Were Hung For Witchcraft

After losing two daughters and a grandchild as a result of a feud of two families, a heartbroken Elizabeth Bradley wished death on all the newborns in the community. After a series of infant deaths, the town got together, accused her of witchcraft, and hung her. The babies in the community continued to die, so the town then accused Elizabeth’s sister-in-law of witchcraft and hung her. Both of the women were given a witch’s burial at Tilley Bend. A witch’s burial means that their graves faced the west instead of the east.

19. The Witch Scales In The Netherlands Saved Countless Women

Back in the 16th and 17th century, it was believed that a witch only weighed a few pounds because they had no soul. The weighing house in Oudewater, Netherlands was approved as a fair weighing house by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. So people who were accused of witchcraft would make the long and in some cases dangerous journey to Oudewater to be weighed. The scales at the weighing house, historically known as “The Witch Scales” exonerated everyone who was weighed, thus saving their lives.

20. Wicca Is Only A Little Over 100 Years Old

As stated earlier in the article, witches have been around since and before Biblical times. People often use the terms “witch” and “Wiccan” interchangeably. But though many Wiccans consider themselves witches, not every witch considers themself a Wiccan. Wicca is not ancient witchcraft. Wicca was founded between 1921 and 1954.

21. Jack Parsons Was A Scientist Obsessed With Witchcraft

Our modern sensibilities completely divorce science from superstition. But not every scientist is a skeptic. Jack Parsons was a rocket scientist associated with Caltech, who was also a Thelemite occultist.  He believed that magic and science were two sides of the same coin. 

22. There Are Christmas Witches

Witches don’t just come out on Halloween. In Europe, several witch legends are associated with Christmas. In Italy, a witch known as La Befana is believed to visit children on the Epiphany and deliver toys. Germanic countries believe in a witch named Frau Perchta , who has associations with a winter goddess. In Icelandic folklore, a witch/ogress named Grýla is the mother to twelve boys called the Yule Lads who wreak havoc during the holiday season.

23. There Are Easter Witches

Christmas doesn’t get all of the witchy fun. In Swedish and Finnish traditions, witches show up on Easter with candy for the children. They sometimes hand out eggs as well. You could say that the Easter witches are kin to the Easter bunny.

24. The Satanic Panic Ruined Innocent Lives

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Satanic Panic swept the country and whipped the entire nation into hysteria. Televangelists were accusing children’s toys and cartoons of promoting demonic messages and teachers were being accused of indoctrinating children into their satanic practices. None of this was true of course. But it still ruined the life of seven teachers who were indicted on false charges of satanic ritualistic abuse.

25. Azealia Banks Posted Her Witchy Rituals On Social Media

Azealia Banks is a rapper who garnered attention in 2016 for posting a video to Instagram saying “real witches do real things,” before attempting to clean a closet that was covered in feathers and a mysterious black substance. She said the mess was caused by three years of brujeria, a form of witchcraft with Caribbean and Latin American roots. People speculated that she was sacrificing live chickens in the closet.

26. Cybil Shepherd Broadcasted Her Witchy Affiliations At The Golden Globes

Cybill Shepherd is an actress who made waves back in 1996 at the Golden Globes. While giving her acceptance speech after winning the award for best actress in a television series, she said “In particular, thanks to the Great Goddess in all her guises may she bring us peace, joy, and righteous anger, blessed be.” If she had made that speech today you know evangelical TikTok would have lost their minds.

Read More: The 10 Worst Witch Movies Ever Made

27. Aubrey Plaza Wrote A Children’s Book About Witches

Aubrey Plaza has always been fascinated in witchy stuff. Her mother got her interested in the more mystical side of life at a young age. She was apparently goaded into performing a full moon ritual at a party at Megan Mullally’s house. She has also co-authored a children’s book called The Christmas Witch. It’s a truly delightful story that is fun for all ages.

Read More: 10 Witchy Accessories to Bring Magic into Your Life

28. Sammy Davis Jr. Is Believed To Have Been A Member Of The Church Of Satan

Sammy Davis Jr. converted to Judaism in the 1960’s. But there are people that believe that he became a member of the Church of Satan in the 70’s. He certainly spent time with people who were members of the Church and went to some of their parties. But he wrote in his autobiography that it was just a short-lived interest. 

Read More: The 10 Best Witch Movies To Watch This Halloween Season

29. Stevie Nicks Embraces The Witchy Rumors

Stevie Nicks wrote and performed “Rhiannon” with her band Fleetwood Mac back in 1976 and people have been calling her a witch ever since. At first she pushed back against the claims but now she embraces the rumors. She famously played a witchy version of herself on the hit show American Horror Story: Coven. Even if she’s not a witch, the witch community will always claim her.

Read More: 10 Celebrities Who Are Alleged Witches

30. Paganism Is One Of The Fastest Growing Religious Persuasions In The United States

In 2001, 134,000 people in the United States identified as pagan. Today, it is estimated that around 1.5 million people identify as a practitioner of a pagan practice.

Read More: What Type of Witch Are You? Here’s How to Tell