Witches and devils, woodcut, 1720. (Wellcome Collection) Show Caption. 1 of 8. A witch holding a plant in one hand and a fan in the other (with symbols on her clothing). Woodcut, circa 1700–20.

This woodcut print from 1489 shows a witch shooting an enchanted arrow at a man's foot to cure his illness. (Science History Images / Alamy Stock Photo) Magic to harm. Image source, ALAMY.

King James VI of Scotland (seated, right) supervising the torture of witches in Edinburgh, detail of a woodcut from the 1591 pamphlet Newes From Scotland. Charles Walker Collection/Alamy/Cordon Press.

Inspired by events in East Anglia, England, in 1645, “The Witching Tide,” by Margaret Meyer, evokes the climate of fear and accusation that grips a town with the arrival of a “witchfinder.” ...

Now, Willow Winsham's The Story of Witches: Folklore, History and Superstition offers a fun, fast, well researched historical summary that is also a stunning work of art. Sponsor Message.