Executing a Witch

Burning vs Hanging

This is a grim topic! But I need to clear up a misconception. Just don’t read this one if you’re squeamish - you’ve been warned!

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So, you’ve caught a witch (see last week’s post for details on the process of making an accusation). I can’t bring myself to describe the process of interrogation - it was brutal; torture was involved, I’ll leave it at that.

If the accused survived the interrogation (many didn’t!), then they would be put on trial.

So, eventually you have found someone guilty of witchcraft. How do you execute them?

When one thinks of witch trials, an image of people burning at the stake perhaps in conjured in our mind’s eye. However, this was not really the case.

The vast majority of witches, at least in England, were hanged!

Only when a case also involved a serious crime such as murder (petty treason), did the convicted villain get burned.

Eleanor of Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester was put on trial in Kent all the way back in 1441. Her crime was to consult with midwife, Margery Jourdemayne. Now, the duchess was thought to have sought aid in getting with child, but that child could’ve become a rival for the throne. She was found guilty of treason, as apparently she also received a poison to kill the king, and was imprisoned. The midwife was burned at the stake for treason!

We see this time and time again, sadly. Basically, those who got burned were guilty of other crimes as well as witchcraft.

Unless they were Scottish. In which case, they were strangled before their bodies were burned so as to deny them a Christian burial.

And several countries in Europe had a tendency to choose to burn their witches, such as Germany which executed the most witches btw.

Over in America, the infamous Salem Witch Trials hanged their witches (not burned). Well 19 out of 20 anyway. Poor Giles Corey got pressed to death with heavy stones!

In a cruel twist of fate, it was the Protestant Martyrs who were more commonly burned at the stake - their crime was heresy. Almost 300 of them under Queen Mary I between 1555-1558. This is what earned the queen the nickname, “Bloody Mary.” This was before the witch craze, btw.

Although I in no way condone her actions, I would also point out that Queen Mary’s father, King Henry VIII, executed around 50,000 of his own subjects! He favoured ‘hanging, drawing, and quartering’ folk for treason, it seems. But he changed things up, and even had someone boiled alive! Still no nickname like, “Slaughterer Hal”, though.

Anyway, my point is, stop burning witches, authors! I mean, you shouldn’t anyway. Witches are often lovely folk. However, if one must be so cruel as condemn a fictional person, please be decent enough to hang them (where appropriate).

Eurgh! Can I just go write a cosy book instead? Cottage core vibes, nice potions, tea always on the brew, cake, a cute kitty… Tempting!

Always in love and light,

TL

Should you wish to read a romantasy which features friendly witches and elienefae, do check out my award-winning Love Bites books btw.