Yea the verie word Magus, which is Latine for magician, is translated a witch; and yet it was hertofore alwaies taken in the good part. And at this daie it is indifferent to saie in the English toong; She is a witch; or, She is a wise woman.
from The Discoverie of Witchcraft, Reginald Scot, 1584.
To learn about the people accused of witchcraft is not easy. Their confessions were usually given under torture. If one is to believe anything from Malleus Maleficarum, which was used as the handbook for capturing and prosecuting witches, it would be that the witches were mostly midwives, knowledgeable in the use of herbs and medical procedures that weren't approved by the church. The witches were also the men and women who followed Pagan religions, which threatened the control by the Catholic church. However, the history of what followed the publication of this book suggests that the victims were more diverse, and included men and devout Christians.
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