The History of Witchcraft and Feminism

The Witch is having a moment. With over 7 million ‘WitchTok’ posts on TikTok, she’s become a feminist icon. In today’s #MeToo world, women are reclaiming the Witch as both a symbol of past persecution and present empowerment. Centuries ago, thousands of women were tried and burned at the stake for witchcraft. Today, millennial women are reclaiming the label as a symbol of sexual freedom and resistance to patriarchal norms.

Between 1450 and 1750, around 100,000 people were tried for witchcraft, 75% of them women. Fears often centered on the female body, particularly the post-menopausal body. However, men were also accused, raising the question: why were they targeted in such a patriarchal society? This talk will explore the legacy of the early modern witch-hunts and how the Witch is now being reclaimed as a symbol of feminism, activism, and empowerment.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

Speaker Bio

Laura Kounine is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Sussex, where she specialises in witch-hunting, feminism, emotions, gender, and selfhood. She holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge. Her 2018 book, Imagining the Witch: Emotions, Gender and Selfhood in Early Modern Germany, was published by Oxford University Press, and she is co-editor of the upcoming Cambridge Companion to the Witch.

Presented by Seed Talks

This is an 18+ event