The Basque Witch-Hunt: A Secret History

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Join us for an evening at the Witches' Sabbat...

Find out the real story behind one of the most notorious witch panics in history - as folklorist Juliette Wood and historian Jan Machielsen delve into the hidden history of the Basque Witch-Hunt.

What were the Basque Witch-Hunts?

In summer 1609, a growing witchcraft panic was brewing in Pays Labourd, a remote and alien territory at the edge of France. Two judges from Bordeaux decided to travel there to investigate.

There, they heard extraordinary tales about devil-worshipping witches. Witnesses described lurid tales of cannibalism, vampirism, and demonic sex.

Accused witches fled into Spain, sowing further panic there. The Great Basque Witch-Hunt is one of Europe’s most notorious witch-hunts. In his brand new book Jan Machielsen shows what really happened.