Attending a witches’ Sabbath led by a goat, flying on a stick thanks to a potion from the devil: just two of the manifold ‘crimes’ to condemn French witches of history to death. The Middle Ages and beyond whipped Europe into a witch hunt frenzy and France was not immune, seeing one of the largest numbers of executions for witchcraft.
Potions to persecution
Sorcerers were once an established part of French society, in demand for their potion-making and divination skills. But persecution beckoned in the Middle Ages; the Roman Catholic Church established the Papal Inquisition against heresy in 1233, which spread to southern France.
In the 14th century, the Black Death ravaged France and witches, among other minorities, were targeted for apparently causing it. Among the victims were two northern women, Margot de la Barre and Marion la Droiturière. In 1390, accused of witchcraft after they conspired to cast a spell on Marion’s former lover, they admitted invoking the devil. They were sentenced by a secular court to death at the stake in one of the first cases of its kind. In fact, witchcraft was one of the original accusations against Joan of Arc, although not an eventual charge.
It wasn’t just women who faced accusations of witchcraft. According to historian Robin Brigg, up to 25% of Europeans executed for witchcraft between the 14th and 17th centuries were male.
Royal ruckus
Esta historia es de la edición October 2020 de France.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 2020 de France.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Paindemic In Paris
For American actor and writer Alexander Burnett, a shortage of bread at his local boulangerie was one of the biggest challenges of lockdown in his adopted home city
VEULES-LES-ROSES
Between the white cliffs of the Côte d’Albâtre and the bucolic landscapes of the Pays de Caux, discover a village that combines coast and country,
Taking the BISCUIT
France is known for its exquisite pâtisserie and extravagant gâteaux but the not-so-humble biscuit deserves recognition too
PICTURE PERFECT PISTE
After a decade away from the slopes Janet Brice finds her ski legs in val d'arly, a hidden gem in the shadow of Mount Blanc
Let there BE LIGHT
Lyon’s annual Fête des Lumières brightens up the darkest of December nights in spectacular fashion, finds David Atkinson on a winter visit to the Rhône capital
Shop ‘til YOU DROP
In the first of our new Insight guides, Helen Parkinson delights in the French shopping experience
Floating YOUR BOAT
Spending a day on the River Seine in Paris, Heidi Fuller-love samples some of the city’s top entertainment that can be enjoyed afloat
Creamy Dijon Chicken With Bacon And Spinach
Enjoy this hearty dish from Bisous & Brioche, a cookbook shot on location in Burgundy
A Moveable Feast
Philip Sweeney embarks on a voyage gourmand along the Vallée de la Gastronomie travelling from Dijon to Marseille
BOND RETOUR 7
To celebrate the return of everyone’s favourite globe-trotting British intelligence officer in No Time to Die, Helen Parkinson rounds up five of James Bond’s top cross-Channel escapades