Drinking Our Way Through History
Step into a time-traveling adventure with Drinking Our Way Through History, where Cooper and Ian uncork the fascinating secrets of the past. Embark on an enlightening and uproarious podcast experience as they uncover legendary figures, awe-inspiring sites, captivating spectacles, and remarkable events, all with a quirky blend of humor, intrigue, and heartwarming tales. Sip along as we immerse ourselves in history's intoxicating depths, turning moments of the past into unforgettable memories. Cheers to an epic journey!
Drinking Our Way Through History
Episode 25: Unmasking Witches - An Odyssey from Wisdom to Witch Hunts
What if you could embark on a spellbinding journey and unravel mysteries that have intrigued mankind for centuries? Brace yourself as we journey into the fascinating history of witches, from the venerated wise women and healers of ancient cultures to the feared and persecuted figures of the Middle Ages. We shed light on the spiritual and religious roles they played, and the sacred knowledge that made them the target of fear and mistrust. We explore the shift in perception of witches under the influence of Christianity and the Catholic Church, and how this led to the infamous witch hunts and ushered in a dark era of fear, superstition, and political machinations.
We plunge into the grim details of witch hunts during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. You'll discover how fear and political agendas fueled this hysteria, leading to horrific witch trials and executions. We draw connections between these historic atrocities and modern instances of persecution. We go beyond the familiar tales and unearth the chilling history of witch hunts worldwide, from colonial America to South America and Africa.
Finally, we veer into the portrayal of witches in folklore and literature. Discover the intriguing stories of characters like the Russian Baba Yaga and the Latin American La Lurana. We explore how these tales have shaped the image of witches in popular culture. So grab a drink, settle in, and get ready for a bewitching journey that promises to enchant, educate, and enlighten you on the history of witches.
Instagram - @drinkingthroughhistorypodcast
Be comfortable. Be comfortable is important, ian, it is. It's an essential part of life. It's part of a balanced breakfast. Otherwise, you just get raped.
Speaker 2:Yo u can do that while you're comfortable, I think.
Speaker 1:I don't know. We should ask the choir boys, because I feel like they're in pretty posh clothing.
Speaker 2:So that's how we're choosing to start this one.
Speaker 1:It's vaguely on topic.
Speaker 2:Not exactly, but please connect the dots for us Cooper.
Speaker 1:Catholicism has.
Speaker 2:Just Catholicism.
Speaker 1:Are we doing this?
Speaker 2:Are we going to take our shot of?
Speaker 1:Of vino, of vino, cheers, sir, cheers To the Halloween spooky days ahead of us Cheers to the world because Barney is dead.
Speaker 2:That's kidding no one's going to. I don't think anybody's going to get that.
Speaker 1:I will say shooting wine is much easier than shooting whiskey. Yeah, it's like grape juice For adults. Well, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Drinking Our Way Through History, where we cover the legendary people, places, spectacles and events that history has to offer, while enjoying a thick pour of vino. I am Cooper and I am Ian Now, in today's episode, we're treating it a little spooky today, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1:We are covering the history of witches. Now, this was going to be an episode of witches, werewolves and vampires to fit in with the whole holiday theme of Halloween Trick or treat. But I started really diving into witches first because it was the first one I typed and I was like this is a full episode worth.
Speaker 2:There is enough, there is enough, there is enough right here that we don't need to extend this. What you mean. You didn't want to do a three hour Halloween special just for the folks at home.
Speaker 1:I just didn't think that people would be tuning in that much to a full three hour event. I'd listen to it.
Speaker 2:What else do I have going on? You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Nothing, ian, nothing. Early Christians so early Christians in Europe held a sinister view of witches, ultimately influencing the creation of the iconic Halloween figure. Throughout history, depictions of witches have taken various forms, from malevolent hags bent over bubbling cauldrons to cackling crones soaring on their broomsticks with pointed hats. Those are my favorite kind of person. They're kind of fun like the wicked way to the west. In popular culture, witches have been reimagined as kindly nose twitching suburban housewives, as awkward teenagers learning to harness their powers.
Speaker 1:Shout out witches and as a trio of empowered sisters combating evil forces, Nice. Nevertheless, the genuine history of witches is a dark and deadly tale. I love it. I love it. It's fucking brutal with the history of witches.
Speaker 2:So, cooper, I've been working on a spell.
Speaker 1:Oh, have you.
Speaker 2:I have. I've been working on a spell lately. You want to hear it.
Speaker 1:I'll put a spell on you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's how it starts. So you already did that part, so I don't need to do that. Do I need to do it again? No, yeah, actually you know what? For safety, do it again. Okay, I'll put a spell on you. Avada Kada, hit that like button. Hit that subscribe button. Hit that five star review button. Thank you very much. Wow, that was a good spell.
Speaker 1:Right, that was good. That was good. Everybody should be fucking compelled.
Speaker 2:I forgot to put the Amis at the end for Spell the Amis, spell the Amis.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:I hope that worked. It's a new spell, so let me know if it worked by liking the podcast and leaving a five star review.
Speaker 1:I can feel people pressing the button right now, even though this is posted tomorrow.
Speaker 2:That's actually just my finger Sorry.
Speaker 1:Oh, you get it out of my pants, I guess, I suppose.
Speaker 2:Spell the Amis, oh, erectopotronum. Anyway, I'll show you an erectopotronum. So witches, often depicted as mysterious and magical figures, have a history that stretches back to ancient times. The origins of witches are rooted in the ancient practices and beliefs of various cultures. These early beliefs set the stage for the evolution of the witch archetype over centuries. Like in ancient societies, particularly in pre-Christian Europe, the concept of witches was quite different from the stereotypical image that later emerged. These early witches were often not feared but respected and held in high regard for their unique knowledge and ability.
Speaker 1:They were the fucking, they were the ones, they were the go-tos, they were the bees' knees. Yeah, they were the go-tos.
Speaker 2:They were like hey.
Speaker 1:I want a boy or I want a girl or I want a girl, you're going to have a boy. I don't want 12 feet. Can you please take like? What potion do I have to drink? They're like I got you homie Do they have 12 feet to start.
Speaker 2:You said I don't want to have 12 feet?
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course they had 12 feet to start, otherwise why would they be saying I don't want 12 feet Interesting?
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, logical. No, I get it.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go to the sides of the anchor.
Speaker 2:It's just, however, you can fit 12 feet. They don't have 12 legs, no, just the feet. On a human there's a lot of different angles, they could stick, so I guess that does make sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, lots of shoes. Yeah, or just one big shoe. They're actually like a sleeping bag.
Speaker 2:Now, in many ancient cultures, certain individuals, often women, were recognized as wise women, healers and herbalists. These individuals possessed a deep understanding of the natural world, including the properties of plants and herbs. Their knowledge allowed them to provide remedies for various ailments and to serve as spiritual advisors to their communities.
Speaker 1:This is like I think I just keep going back to Viking lore. Yes, Is the shamans, I guess is what you could say. The show of like inks, for instance, when they go to basically like the witches village and they have to sacrifice those people and then.
Speaker 2:Well, the shamans, the oracles there was a lot of the oracles.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I guess there's different terminology, but they all kind of umbrella.
Speaker 2:Well, it's a sattru. A sattru is the name of Norse like religion, with all of the different, you know, various beliefs and all of that stuff. It's called a sattru. It's one of the sex of quote, unquote paganism, cool yeah.
Speaker 1:Fun facts, fun facts. I'm learning shit over here. Little did you know, ian actually knows shit sometimes about the most Drop in knowledge about the most random of subjects. Yeah.
Speaker 2:No, paganism is actually a blanket statement. It's literally anybody who's not a Christian, islamic or follows Judaism. It's just yeah. It's just. Those are the pagans. Same with heathenism. It's basically the same thing, except for paganism is, like, mostly referred to like nature lovers and stuff like that. They're very nature centric. They worship the goddess unless you're part of Wicca.
Speaker 1:Now can I ask you who made all of these things bad?
Speaker 2:Well, Cooper, as with most things, blame it on the Christians.
Speaker 1:Blame it on the Christians. So I was on one there. Yeah, I knew that shit. Yeah, blame it on the Christians.
Speaker 2:It's always the goddamn Christians. I love them to death, but, mandy, you love to hate them too.
Speaker 1:God damn the inquisitions.
Speaker 2:It's, it's, it's rough.
Speaker 1:It's rough in these streets.
Speaker 2:Which is an ancient society's, often held spiritual and religious roles. They were responsible for conducting rituals connecting with the divine and serving as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms. In some cases, they were priestesses or shamans, who played a central role in religious ceremonies. They were a big deal, they were huge, and this was pre-Christian.
Speaker 1:Pre-Christian. This was pre-Christian. This was pre-Christian.
Speaker 2:This was yeah, but in the mass, like a king wouldn't be caught dead without his advisor. That was, quote unquote, the wise woman, the, the, you know the Oracle. The king wouldn't be caught dead without one back in those days. And same with all you know cultural leaders. They usually had a wise man or wise woman, quote unquote. That did these fanatical displays to, you know, looking at the cloud to decide if this war is a good idea. You know different things like that. They all had that person and up until the Christians came in, they were revered, and then they weren't, and then they weren't.
Speaker 1:And they were not. And then the Christians kept winning.
Speaker 2:As they fucking do. Say what you will about the Christians, man. They are tough sons of bitches.
Speaker 1:They sure are. They took things very seriously.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's a better way of putting it, I think, is they took things very seriously.
Speaker 1:Now, these early witches were also seen as seen as the guardians of secrets.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:They held sacred knowledge that had been passed down through generations, which was not only herbal remedies.
Speaker 2:Herbal remedies, not herbal herbal remedies, but also the mysteries of the cosmos and the cycles of nature. A lot about the cycles of nature.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is it's like one with nature.
Speaker 2:Well it is. It's literally just saying that humans are on the same level as plants, animals, rocks, boulders, you know, like rocks, and I don't know why I said rocks and then boulders.
Speaker 1:But they're different things. Well, boulders are bigger.
Speaker 2:But so it's basically just saying that humans are on the same level, whereas with Christianity it's more. Humans are the apex. Yeah, you know what I mean. It's it's more like we are one with the world instead of we were put on this world.
Speaker 1:Gotcha. We were yeah Versa Okay, apex, yeah yeah, all right, interesting, look at you.
Speaker 2:Dude, I know dude, I got bangers for this entire episode.
Speaker 1:I'm so excited, don't you, just you wait.
Speaker 2:Actually, I used most of them already.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to slow down. He is out of information. We're got five minutes into the episode. I just got so excited.
Speaker 2:I said wicca and I was like, yeah, that's a zinger, I fucking know that word.
Speaker 1:He's got all the buzzwords ready to hit Now. The role extended beyond the practical aspects of healing to including understanding the deeper spiritual dimensions of life, which is we're often associated with fertility and the cycles of nature. Like we said, their practices were closely tied to agricultural and seasonal events, such as planting and harvesting. They played a pivotal role in ensuring the prosperity of the community by invoking blessings by from the supernatural world and the deities that they served.
Speaker 2:Yes, and remember when we say deities like which is basically what we're discussing or basic is, you know, paganism, and that's a big blanket right. There's tons of different types of, you know, paganism.
Speaker 1:There's tons of Greek mythology and Egypt. Egyptian mythology like ISIS and the Greek mythology like ISIS, and then God. I can't think of Athena. Maybe Athena was one of them. Was Athena?
Speaker 2:Athena or Zeus's daughter, that she's like the goddess of war, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, there's one of them, aphrodite, I think.
Speaker 2:I think Aphrodite sounds Aphrodite, the pretty one. Well, she dealt with the oracles a lot, I know that much.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Aphrodite was super pretty. Okay, yeah, aphrodite was super super pretty. Yeah, I think she was the goddess of beauty. If I'm not mistaken, she might have been yeah.
Speaker 1:That I don't know, that I don't know okay that would sound right, though breath Preventful, fucking God is that a spite?
Speaker 2:they're like oh, you fucked my man. Now you turn every man to stone when you see him, and then they explode.
Speaker 1:Now, the origins of witches reveal a much more positive and revered image than the later Stereotype of the venomous witch. These earlier practitioners were an integral part of their societies, offering healings, wisdom and spiritual guidance. It's just they started out in such a good place. Yeah most things and most, but everybody was like they wouldn't have a wedding ceremony or any kind of ceremony without yeah, they wouldn't have a fucking, they wouldn't.
Speaker 2:They wouldn't have a kid. Yeah, you know what I mean. Like they wouldn't harvest the crops Before they talked to this part. You know it was very pivotal, very big, but it was for a good purpose, right? They never had like ill intent for the most part had ill intentions and things like that that later the Christians because oh, different equal bad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Well, they just saw it as a threat to them absolutely and their power hence their whole twisting into, which is believing in the devil or Worshiping the devil, which was never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever even close to the case, never even in modern-day paganism and modern-day People who follow wicca and druidry and all those.
Speaker 1:No devil worship whatsoever. Christianity is happening, pretty sure.
Speaker 2:Christianity, catholicism, they made up the devil and nowadays there are sex that worship the devil, that also practice Witchcraft, and that's due to this misinterpretation. Right, completely due to this misinterpretation. Yeah, that was not the case before. They created their own devil, so to speak.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you hear that, charles Manson, you fucked up.
Speaker 2:Now the Middle Ages, a period that lasted roughly from the fifth to the 15th century, marked a significant turning point in the history of witches. During this era, the perception of witches began to shift from one of reverence to one of fear, mistrust and persecution. This transformation was heavily influenced by complex historical, religious and societal factors. One of the central factors contributing to the changing perception of witches during the Middle Ages was the rise of Christianity and the growing influences of the Catholic Church in Europe also.
Speaker 1:Boo fucking put my penises and little boys dude.
Speaker 2:And we're back. It wouldn't, it wouldn't be a, it wouldn't be a drinking our way through history episode if we didn't make at least one reference to Catholic churches and rape.
Speaker 1:We did. We get there on Bigfoot. I don't think we made it that. I believe we had a way. I'm sure there was a way. Oh, man.
Speaker 2:As Christianity gained prominence, it sought to establish a more centralized religious authority. In this process, the church often viewed pre-existing spiritual practices, including those associated with the wise women and the healers, as a challenge to its authority. Consequently, practices that were once regarded as beneficial and ethical began to be perceived as unorthodox or ungodly because they're just is.
Speaker 1:Is different. Equal devil. Yes, exactly different double D of religion man double D of double D of Christianity right there, and I think that obviously there's a point of like you, you have a different God. Your God is wrong, like our God is the only God, so we're gonna destroy you. It's the history of mankind.
Speaker 2:Well that, and I have a feeling that there was a lot of the patriarchy involved in this too well, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:Well, obviously, because they wanted a power, they wanted to centralize power. And once you get the power Behind religion, because you start understanding that everybody's dumb and not educated and can't fucking read, and you say there is something after you die, then it's a cult that you build, yeah, and then you built, they built a large enough one where the political power was behind it. Yeah, and they're like we are putting our power behind this and that is the church and state Relationship. At the time. We are going to destroy every single thing that exists. That is not that which is where the inquisitions came from in the yeah, 100%.
Speaker 2:No, I agree with that. I think they went so heavily after witchcraft though, because, I mean, classically, christianity is a lot more of a patriarchal religion. Head of the household, as a man, you know things like that, and witchcraft was more like inclusive the goddess and progressive, which is a direct and direct conflict with Christian beliefs back then. At least that you know the man head of the household, god is a man. Yada, yada yada. This worship of the goddess and these women and these very high positions of power was probably threatening to that patriarchy.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean I definitely led to a lot of the witch hunts and things like that. Just another interesting little tidbit, I think.
Speaker 1:I mean a lot of the Cuz and plus you could say anybody was a fucking witch. Yeah get them out of your way easy, like it was just in the way to like take care of my dude.
Speaker 2:If I could look, go back to middle school and there was the witch hunts going on, bro, some shit would have gone down and I can just say that with a hundred percent certainty. Like maybe not by me, maybe by me, I don't know. I don't live back then, but Like I know, there were some situations where it'd have been easy to be like, ah, they're a witch, yeah, and then just they're gone gun just forever out of the state in front of the school Now dirty, that's recess.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's recess. Go back and read your Bibles. During the Middle Ages, there was a notable gender bias in the persecution of supposed witches. Right, the majority of those accused of witchcraft were women. Of course, this association between witchcraft and femininity is complex and rooted in historical gender dynamics. Women, who often held positions as healers and caregivers in their communities, became the targets of suspicion and their practices came under scrutiny. In this context, the stereotypical image of the witch as a woman emerged?
Speaker 1:Yeah, cuz it could be man or woman, like if you ever watch the Norseman With William DeFoe plays a shaman in the Norseman. I don't think we gained anything from knowing.
Speaker 2:Which he would play such a good shaman. He is a great shaman.
Speaker 1:They like fart and they're fucking taking shrooms. They're tripping ass.
Speaker 2:He would make a great shaman.
Speaker 1:They like fart and they're taking shrooms. There's just a part in it where, like Ethan Hawke is there with this kid and they fart In the tent and then, on shrubs. It's a shroom fart. You know what those are like.
Speaker 2:Honestly, this is a thing that I think I should know, but I don't Cooper.
Speaker 1:Shroom fart. Yeah, when you're fucking tripping on shrooms in your fart, bro, it's like a whole different feeling.
Speaker 2:I have to be honest, I don't think I've ever farted on shrooms. Are you serious? Not noticeably?
Speaker 1:cuz shrooms are just food poisoning, so your body's trying to excrete it.
Speaker 2:Well then, I've probably farted. I might just not have noticed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like a whole sensation. Oh, yeah, yeah really now.
Speaker 2:You know interesting so. You know awesome.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic. So, as the middle, ages.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you had a point there, though, with the way yeah so William Defoe, he was the shaman in the Norseman.
Speaker 1:He played basically like the witch. He was the person that they went to for their their visions and their quests and their point yeah, the, the guy is light which is not gender-centric.
Speaker 2:The reason we think of it like that today is the version of a warlock, because a warlock is a male witch nowadays, right, quote-unquote. But well, a wizard, a wizard as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, kind of explain it like in the context that the stereotypical View of a witch churned, predominately female. Yeah, before the Crusades and Mm-hmm positions happened, this was both.
Speaker 2:it could be male or female, very much so, and then it predominantly affected women which is why I think there wasn't a little tidbit of intimidation on the behalf of the patriarchy. You know what I mean. They were like they were like all these women are so powerful. We can't have that. Yeah, they don't have. Kill the smart women.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what it was essentially smart women. Essentially, that's exactly what it was. Now, as the middle ages progressed, there was a growing belief in vindictive witchcraft. People began to associate certain individuals, often women, with harmful witchcraft practices. This included the idea that witches had the power to cast curses, some of demons, and bring misfortune upon their communities. For the fear of such cruel magic Contributed to a climate of suspicion and paranoia, so people were just going fucking crazy. Yep, I'm in. Everybody they're like hey, you are a witch because I saw you pick up a twig and you read a book.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's where this the the saying witch hunt comes from. Literally, because they were on witch hunts, but it was like anybody could be a witch, anybody.
Speaker 1:It's it's a witch hunt because they're guilty no matter what yeah, we'll talk a little bit about, like the Salem witch trials. Well, there's the test the test of them.
Speaker 2:If they, if they drown, they're innocent, but if they float, they're a witch. So no matter what, the person accused is just fucked, unless we.
Speaker 1:Well, we'll dive into what Monty Python, the Holy Grail, talked about. Yeah, yeah so the church played a central role in the persecution of witches. Obviously, mm-hmm, if you'd witchcraft as a form of hair say, undermining the established religious order. Is it hair say, or hair see, hair see.
Speaker 2:Say.
Speaker 1:Objection hair, say, say. As a result, religious authorities sought to root out perceived heretics, often resorting to severe measures, including torturing the women to accept to extract false Confessions of witchcraft. So they would just torture the shit out of them until they give them a false confession.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's literally like you see in the movies when they're torturing the guy who has no idea what the fuck's going on.
Speaker 1:And then they just make up, they just make up something to stop the torturing by the way, that's what the US fucking did to the Middle East Eastern Sturing after 9 11, as we just tortured them into false confessions, and then we had a bunch of people that we fucking killed. Yeah, bunch of black site shits. Look it up. Yeah, america.
Speaker 2:Yeah, imagine that America doing fucked up things to other people.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, we are from Europe.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, I will say, is fucked up as America is, Europe is way more fucked up, just cuz they've been doing it longer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a lot longer based Invented colonization they did, I will we are a product.
Speaker 2:I will say that.
Speaker 1:Asia, they, they, they're bad, oh yeah the rough history of yeah, the late Middle Ages and the early period, early period. Cooper, just cuz, it's about witches doesn't mean you, the late Middle Ages and the early modern period period. Now you don't even want to say I know, now it's scary. I.
Speaker 2:Don't even understand the female body.
Speaker 1:Trust me. It makes it uncomfortable to talk about many, many conversations, of trying to figure out what I know anyways.
Speaker 2:Just brush past that. I really want to deep dive, though I don't think we have the time restart that.
Speaker 1:The late Middle Ages and the early modern periods saw the full-blown emergence of witch hunts and trials. Accusations of witchcraft became widespread, often fueled by superstition, fear and political agendas. These trials, notorious for their injustice and cruelty, often culminated in Executions, most commonly by burning at the stake. There are so many fucking people that died by burning at the stake. And that is bad way to go my god, I would so much rather just I don't. I actually don't know, because a lot of medieval torture Is really bad and there are a lot of.
Speaker 2:There are a lot of really bad things. This is a really bad thing, but at the same time it does eventually bring your nerve endings and then you stop feeling it, but you're still on fire and still on fire, and then they die pretty quick after they say they're like oh no, you pass out because of the fumes.
Speaker 1:What if there's a breeze? What if there is a breeze?
Speaker 2:I feel like the fumes are just kind of right there, though they're being created on you, on you, but if there's a breeze, it's going away.
Speaker 1:You're like what are you trying to do? Put your head down to like, sniff the fumes. I think there's a point, though, where your brain boils.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you know what I?
Speaker 1:mean, I think, but it takes a minute.
Speaker 2:It takes a minute, it takes a minute. Yeah, like imagine boiling water. That just take a minute, you're not wrong.
Speaker 1:Nothing with heat is a good way to die.
Speaker 2:No, especially like the iron ball. The iron ball, I was literally gonna say the iron ball that is so scary to me. I'd take the stake any day over the iron ball.
Speaker 1:I think I just tried to kill myself. I'd run myself into a brick wall.
Speaker 2:You're literally being seared to death in the iron ball. Yeah, you're on the flat top.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cool. And then the screaming, because they put the horn in there so that they can hear you screaming. Yeah, so it sounds like a bowl.
Speaker 2:That's why the oh, dude, it's so rough. I love we should do a whole episode on torture. We should.
Speaker 1:I think we might too, because, dude, it'd be so fun.
Speaker 2:Between the years 1500 and 1660, up to 80,000 suspected witches were put to death in Europe 80,000.
Speaker 1:80,000. And that's just ones where we can kind of guesstimate Right, and you know, it was more, it's always more, always more. Yeah, because they're like oh, you're a witch and you have babies. All of your kids are dead now. And it's like what Like so many and like there's small villages and shit where they're not documenting those kind of numbers, and they would go sometimes and burn down entire villages. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And the town thought that a smaller village was practicing witchcraft. They would go and fuck up the whole place.
Speaker 1:It's just raping pillage and murder and burn.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I rap you the name of Christ, yep.
Speaker 1:God.
Speaker 2:Heathen, it doesn't count, because I'm not raping a human. That's what they're thinking, like it's so fucked up, dude, it's so fucked up and you know it's even more. Around 80% of them were women. 80% of the 80,000 suspected witches were women, thought to be in cahoots with the devil and filled with lust.
Speaker 1:That was the other thing Is that if a woman was just naturally fucking horny, they're like well, you're a witch.
Speaker 2:Like what? How dare you want sex? How dare you?
Speaker 1:want sex. The only man can want sex and use you as an object.
Speaker 2:The only thing humans were literally on this planet for To procreate.
Speaker 1:Yep, that's the only thing that we can really like. Oh, my God, we're so funny. No, and did you know? Like, out of all of this, germany had the fucking highest execution rate?
Speaker 2:I can't remember the name of the town, but there's this one village. It was a big village and somebody, like the high council of the village or whatever, decided that everyone was a witch. And they put the entire town to death. What? The entire fucking town to death. I can't remember the name of it. It was in the documentary that you made me watch. If you could name that documentary, that'd be sick.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's called witches.
Speaker 2:What oh?
Speaker 1:God damn it. I found the Monty Python thing.
Speaker 2:But regardless, they basically it was like five, it was over 500 people all at once. Just I don't remember if they were burned at the stake or what, but they were killed immediately. God, that's so fucking stupid and it's like an entire fucking village. And that was in Germany. So Germany was like, quote unquote, the epicenter of a lot of this, because there was so much of it happening there.
Speaker 1:Are you here, Germany, familiar with genocide?
Speaker 2:No, no no, no, that doesn't what. No, no, never.
Speaker 1:But also, did you know Ireland had the lowest rate of executions? That's because it's Ireland.
Speaker 2:Ireland. They're focused on different things. It's.
Speaker 1:Ireland, but at the time it was Ireland. They're all too busy drunk at the pub Bro.
Speaker 2:I don't know what that last accent was, but it definitely wasn't.
Speaker 1:Katie sent me a video of a dude talking in a very, very, very thick Irish accent. It's not an accent, it's baby gibberish. Yeah, with no teeth.
Speaker 2:Yes, dude, deep Irish accents are some of the hardest things, can't even. It's almost, it's worse than like the really bad Southern draw. Oh yes, tenfold, now the back to the podcast.
Speaker 2:The Middle Ages marked a pivotal shift in the perception of witches, from revered healers to feared and persecuted individuals. The convergence of religious authority, gender dynamics and belief in evil magic during this era contributed to a climate of paranoia and witch hysteria. This shift in perception laid the groundwork for the grim era of witch hunts and trials that would unfold in the following centuries. And when we say centuries, three motherfucking centuries, three fucking centuries. Three hundred years of this hunts and trials.
Speaker 1:This is, and at so many points during all of this there were points where people were like this is kind of fucking stupid. Like what are you guys talking about? You fucking back country, backwards, fucking retard, fucks.
Speaker 2:Like what are you doing? We can't say some of those words. I know somewhere in there where words we can't say. I think I don't give a shit, this is back, and this is 500 years ago. This is what they were saying, Not us damn it.
Speaker 1:It's just, it's men being stupid because they're scared of something that they don't know 100%, 100%.
Speaker 2:I mean. I just think that's a people problem. I think in general people get scared of the unknown or the different and they just automatically assume it's hostile. It's a quote on. It's a survival instinct. But, we're so advanced in civilization nowadays that survival instincts shouldn't really be as much of a thing in actual modernized civilization. You would think but we still have those tears of as soon as a dude sees a woman in power, he's like ah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. Or a dude sees a black guy, a white dude sees a black guy in power. He's like oh man, I don't know. You know what I mean. Oh no, it's exactly that, it's a stupid survival instinct that dates us back to the cavemen, and I'm sorry, but last I checked there's no more cavemen, except for in random islands throughout the Pacific. But that's Except for this one place, except for a couple other places.
Speaker 1:With these hunts and trials where it's like this is like the very dark era of the persecution and the emergence of which hunts and trials in the late middle ages and early modern period, represents one of the darkest chapters in history of witches. Now, this period, characterized by persecution, torture, and the torture was horrific and mass execution really shapes the ominous shadow in the history of witchcraft, right, because what they fucking did to these women is horrendous.
Speaker 1:Like the torture museum that I went to in Sienna is all fucking torture devices that are basically fucking focused on torturing women into false confessions. Yeah, it's fucking horrible.
Speaker 2:If there is one thing humans are really really good at, it's fucking other humans up man, it is fucking other humans up to the max.
Speaker 1:To the max. Accused witches were often individuals who deviated from just social norms. They were considered outsiders or simply they just fell under suspicion. Accusations were frequently based on hearsay, fear or the desire to eliminate personal and political rivals. Also, a big part of this is just straight up erectile dysfunction. They would say like that because they can't get hard anymore. She took away my dick. I don't know if they would say it, but they would think it. So that was a big thing, especially in Asia.
Speaker 1:Oh no. So they would say shit like they're, like she took my penis, like she robbed my penis, because they couldn't get hard anymore.
Speaker 2:They actually blamed erectile dysfunction on the women, and then the women would get fucking burnt at the stake.
Speaker 1:That is real. That is so fucked Bro, exactly. I never even thought of that. Yeah, it's real shit and it was big time in fucking Asia culture. It definitely happened across Europe and then it happened along the Northern hemisphere of Africa big time. Oh my God.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bro, dude sucks so bad sometimes man, we are the fucking lowest self esteem fucking things that have ever existed on this earth Now, witch trials were notorious for their reliance on torture as a means to extract confessions. Accused witches, often already marginalized individuals, faced horrific forms of physical and psychological torture. These cruel methods were used to obtain admissions of guilt. Despite the fact that these confessions were often like fantastical, they're a cro crores, crores, crores, crores, coersion, coers, coersed, coersed. Thank you.
Speaker 2:There's always one word every episode yeah, I can't quite get out, and it's like a word that you've said a lot.
Speaker 1:Exactly it's so funny. Well, I haven't even said chorist, chorist, chorist Anyways, and so this was just the product of extreme duress. So False confessions happen all the time. If you look at like the West Memphis three, all three of them were caressed into doing Admitting a false confession coerced, they were not caressed into it, they weren't hugged and loved into giving.
Speaker 1:Into giving a false confession. So it happens a lot, a lot Like in psychology. There's a huge thing about if you are. It's the pain threshold. You can be told what you didn't do and then Be believed to have done that, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, you can be tortured to a specific point that you will, can, you will, you will admit to anything and and even in some cases it's the if it's psychological torture, you will be tricked into believing that you actually did that. It's basically the ultimate form of gaslighting. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1:And and it's just, it's just and it's like, eventually, when you're like, well, I guess the whole town says I did it, so I guess I did it, I must be guilty. Throw me to the river. Yeah, I Bring out the steak. Now, these torture devices, ian. So they have one in Sienna that I saw and it's called the breast ripper.
Speaker 2:I knew there was gonna be something with uh-huh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's this fucking. It looks like the Nike swoosh, okay, and on the inside of the swoosh is a serrated edge and on the outside of it is a sharpen blade.
Speaker 2:And what?
Speaker 1:they do is they take the swoosh and on the inside with the serrated blade and they hook it onto the breast, like underneath it, underneath it, and they rip it and they rip off the fucking breasts with that and a lot of times.
Speaker 1:It didn't come off clean, well no, and it just, it's one of our rags. And then they take this, the sharpen part, they fucking saw it off completely. So the Breasts is just removed, and then they throw the witch in a cage in a cage and hang her above the street so people can spit at her, throw shit at her, until she dies in that cage.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm really happy I live in 2023.
Speaker 1:Um, there is no better time to be alive than right now, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is true. The Salem witch trials in Massachusetts, occurring in 1692, remain one of the most Infamous episodes of witch hunts in history. That's why it's so famous. Everybody knows Salem. Everybody knows Salem. A community grit by mass hysteria accused numerous individuals, primarily women, of witchcraft. The trial resulted in the execution of several innocent people and the event has come to Similize the dangers of unfounded accusations from a bunch of little girls and collective fear, because the Salem witch trials were literally driven by three Girls was that were like 10 years old, didn't they like they were playing a game.
Speaker 2:They were playing a game. Yeah, they were playing a game with a fucking crystal ball. I think, it was the crystal ball game.
Speaker 1:No, I don't think it was that, but no, they it was in the documentary. It might have been the crystal ball.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think they were doing it because they were doing it with one of the slip. I think it was the slave, not slave, but it might have been the slave slave girl. It was a one of the help, yeah what they were. There was two little girls playing with one of the help, with the few crystal ball. They didn't tell the little girls what they wanted to hear, yeah, basically, and that's what started this whole entire fucking thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And then it just turned into like, oh well, they're also which. And then everybody just fed into it. So they just kept up the act.
Speaker 2:And then, when it all fucking ended, didn't they like actually go as far as to have Convulsions and stuff like yeah and like because, like one medical episodes like something where this lady came in and was like no, this is all bullshit.
Speaker 1:And she actually like laid down the fucking land of the law or law of the land right there, and the other girls were like Ah, and like convulsing and like acting. Every time she act like was talking, they would convulse as if she was poisoning them with her witchcraft hot take I fucking hate kids, dude, I Fucking.
Speaker 2:I fucking hate Children because I'm just imagining these little fucking devils yeah, dude, with the look in their eye when they're doing this, and then the people would get put to death and they're just like hmm.
Speaker 1:One of them got their fucking moms killed, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I hate. Why will I never have a kid? Because they might fucking kill me. I don't know, maybe I pissed off the little fucker. Uh-huh, you know what I mean. The publication of the Malaius and Malafikarium. Malafikarium.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that sounds right.
Speaker 2:Malafikarium which is basically the hammer of witches in the late 15th century by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Springer played a significant role in the intensification of witches, of witch hunts, right the intensification, basically like that shit got real it got real quick because this was like a Play-by-play book of hey, this is how you identify, pursue and execute a witch. Yeah yeah. The manual basically provided a detailed framework for identifying, Prosecuting and punishing witches, which further fueled the hysteria. And these methods were stupid. They were so dumb stupid.
Speaker 1:Okay, so as stupid as they were. It's kind of like the Monty Python scene. Right where it's, everybody brings the lady up who's got the fake nose and the pointy hat. I wish it's a witch, it's a witch, and they're like how do you know she's a witch?
Speaker 2:She's made of wood. She'll float.
Speaker 1:They're like, well, she looks like a witch, and like, well, no, well, how can we test to see if she looks like a witch? I don't know well what floats on water and I like wood, no, no, no. At first they're like, oh, wood, and they're like right, and witches can burn at the stake. So they are wood. So which?
Speaker 2:is our native wood.
Speaker 1:The witch floats like wood, and then it sounds like well, as you can hear this, and they're like, well, what else floats? And they're like a small pebble, a rock of an apple, and then like no, no, no, no, I don't can float.
Speaker 2:This is actually. This is actually the foundation of a flag.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if the woman can float, or if the women weighs the same as a duck, then she is a witch, she's a she's made of wood and she can.
Speaker 2:And their definition of ways. The same as a duck is. Did it float on water? Yeah, their definition of weight is buoyancy, and I just love the irony of that because no. No, a two thousand pound piece of wood will float. Yeah, it's like. It's like going down one of those rabbit hole YouTube videos where they're drawing all these conclusions and connecting all these dots that are just like so outlandish. They're like well, you see that we pay bills. Ducks have bills. Therefore, money is made from ducks.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. And the planes that attack the world tank trance that are had wings. What else has wings? Ducks, which is cost 9-11?.
Speaker 2:Because people at their base level are fucking idiots. When they're scared, really are. They really are man and and to these people's credit, like it was a mob mentality if you weren't part of the witch hunt you were the witch mob.
Speaker 1:Mentality is so scary.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is, it's very fucking scary?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's very fucking scary. It's very powerful, yeah, very scary, and it's always dumb. It's always.
Speaker 2:The more humans are involved in a decision, the dumber the decision gets, and I just think that is a real thing, that's unless if it's like One stupid person like, unless if it's like a real striker, like a real protest or something, yeah, but not a mob mentality where they're going to fucking.
Speaker 1:There's a difference between peaceful protest and violence. You know what I mean why attack the capital.
Speaker 2:That's such a specific thing to bring up.
Speaker 1:I'm curious mentality.
Speaker 2:Now, the era of witch hunts and trials represents a tragic and harrowing period in the history of witches. Accusations, torture and executions were commonplace, and countless innocent individuals suffered horrific fates.
Speaker 1:The legacy of this era lives on as a Cautionary tale highlighting the consequences of unfounded accusations and collective hysteria now, which hunts weren't just secluded to, you know, europe no, no, not at all, and during the turbulent times of the late Middle Ages and the early modern period, they transcended continents and became a global phenomenon, with accusations of witchcraft and the persecution of those believed to be witches occurring in various parts of the world. These witch hunts were characterized by the same mass hysteria, superstitious beliefs and the consequences of false accusations that we saw in Europe. Africa witnessed its share of witch hunts, where individuals were accused of practicing witchcraft and subjected to persecution. Accusations often centered on the belief that accused witches possessed evil powers and could harm others Through magical means. Yeah, naturally, like abracadabra, you have small penis such which.
Speaker 2:Is like true abracadabra. You have small penis, thomas. Yes, the spell, that's the spell right there now.
Speaker 1:such, now, such hunts were driven by a mix of cultural beliefs and fear of meeting a Supernatural fate. Yeah, like, honestly, the the old, like ancient Africa was like 500 years ago Africa, yeah, this shit was like, because even like Shakazulu was around then and oh, that's crazy. Yeah, he was, was, yeah, and so he had a shaman that he would go around with and he became like very involved with witchcraft. Interesting blood before rituals.
Speaker 2:Yeah is cuz I figured a lot of the African tribes Relyed on shaman and stuff like that during this time period. So which hunts in Africa is kind of the last thing I expected, other than the colonized areas and stuff.
Speaker 1:Well, because of colonization, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:So it's like white, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Because shaka dealt with the fucking colonization down there in southern Africa and it got fucking fucking manifested all the way through. Okay, okay, okay, or yes, not manifested, it fucking Manifested. It's spread. Now also this happen in Asia, with its rich tapestry of cultures and traditions, also experienced these witch hunts. Accusations of witchcraft were common and Accused individuals were often stigmatized and marginalized by the communities. The belief of the malevolent magic, curses and supernatural harm contributed to the persecution persecution of these alleged witches again it's all the same shit.
Speaker 1:It's just like in different various areas. It's just spread what fucking virus?
Speaker 2:Yeah, what's so interesting to me is what's interesting to me is the fact that the more advanced the civilization was at this time period, the more susceptible they were to witch hunts. Isn't that interesting? Isn't that very interesting? Cause you know the African tribes that weren't touched by colonization, the internal landlock tribes that were in the middle of the bitch. They weren't doing witch hunts, but the more modernized it was back then, the more susceptible they were. It's just an interesting point, because they were in this period of evolution where they're still susceptible to these supernatural explanations for things, because science hasn't gone that far, but they're smart enough to communicate those to everybody. So these rampant ideas just went around.
Speaker 1:It's wild. I mean it kind of and I did write this in later. Actually, here coming up is colonization Different people from different areas, there's different native stories and legends and lore and folktales that come in and then all of a sudden your fucking brain is going over. I mean, if we've fucking met aliens and they started telling us they're fucking lore and shit, that's off world but maybe like right outside of our atmosphere we're gonna all of a sudden come up with that was a good, that was a good right outside of our atmosphere.
Speaker 2:That was nice. Thank you, that was nice, that was good, that deserved attention. Sorry, continue.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that, that all of a sudden we're gonna be coming up with brand new fucking stories and fears, and so I think that's probably why because when colonization happened, they didn't hit these itty bitty little tribes Like why would they? They're? Going after the main populace, yeah 100%, and so when that happens, it's just like all of a sudden you're susceptible to this plague.
Speaker 2:I mean, it speaks to the power of a fucking a plague, the power of an idea. Yeah, an idea can be both a blessing and a plague. You know what I mean? It's amazing how the power of word of mouth got this fucking massive. We'll get into it at the end, when we kind of wrap things up, but it's just amazing the fact that, at this time, advanced civilization, for this time period, was so susceptible to something so fucking ridiculous. It was the good gossip, it was the good tea. Well, it was the good word.
Speaker 1:And it was entertainment.
Speaker 2:It was the good word from the Lord and it was entertainment, which is another big factor that is less talked about in our script, but it is huge because people like to see that shit, we like to watch it in movies nowadays, and if we didn't have movies, we'd need to see it in real life.
Speaker 1:Well, it's just like how, all of a sudden, everybody became super fucking focused on political shit when COVID happened, because nobody had shit to do.
Speaker 2:There was nothing else to do Except for Netflix. Feel strongly about things.
Speaker 1:Drink, not go to work. Watch Trump on Twitter and Netflix. Yeah, that was. A good portion of my entertainment was watching Trump on Twitter.
Speaker 2:100% yeah which is interesting Now there was also, of course, the witch hunts in the Americas at this time right, so we did. Asia, africa, but also the Americas, so the whole fucking globe. Now, in the Americas, witch hunts were particularly pronounced during the colonial period. Accused witches faced persecution, trials and sometimes, of course, execution. The Salem witch trials in Massachusetts, as previously mentioned, are among the most infamous examples. In South America, the Inquisition targeted individuals accused of practicing witchcraft as well, which I didn't totally realize that the Inquisition reached South America.
Speaker 1:I feel like there's a lot of, but it makes sense because Spain.
Speaker 2:Portugal, France was all down there.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, because they were just driving anything out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I that was not Christianity.
Speaker 2:What I'm realizing through this, though, is like, because I pride myself, I do know a lot about just the actual culture of paganism and the actual culture of druidry and just all these different sects of it. I know a lot about that stuff, but I don't know Like a lot of historical events that I've heard about that I'm learning about in this podcast also. Part of their agenda was attacking witches, was witch hunts and stuff like that that I just they brushed over that in the history books. You know what I mean. I had no idea.
Speaker 1:It's because, yeah, because I feel like there were so many factions of what they were targeting in recent statements.
Speaker 2:Well, because paganism is a very broad term.
Speaker 1:It is.
Speaker 2:Very broad term yeah.
Speaker 1:It's.
Speaker 2:Basically, anything that's polytheistic is paganism. Mm-hmm. The spread of witch hunts around the world can be attributed to a variety of factors. One of the key catalysts was the European colonization of different regions, which brought with it European beliefs and fears surrounding witchcraft, kind of like how tales of mythical creatures were spread during colonization, like we covered in our Bigfoot episode.
Speaker 1:A plug. Go check out our Bigfoot episode Shameless.
Speaker 2:Ha, ha ha. The influence of the Inquisition and religious authorities further perpetuated the witch hunts in the Americas and elsewhere. So while witch hunts have largely disappeared from the modern world, they remain as a reminder of the consequences of unfounded accusations and the dangerous potential of mass hysteria Now there are still, that is ringing some very crazy bells in my head Unfounded accusations and dangerous potential of mass hysteria. What, what?
Speaker 1:doesn't happen, what do we? We're in America. That's wild. There are still witch hunts, yeah, in Asia, africa, south America, these countries still have this going on, which is so fucking weird to me. But it also goes to show Now it's focused more so in small communities and small villages 100% yes. I wouldn't say isolated is the one I was looking for.
Speaker 2:More isolated cultures, I would say yeah, especially cultures that are isolated to one village.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean Right, like those kinds of they just can do whatever the fuck they want, almost you know, because they're so isolated, yeah, which is crazy that that stuff still happens today to me.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I feel like I'm surrounded by the internet. I'm surrounded by all of these first world things that I forget sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that exists.
Speaker 2:There is places out there that there is a lot of really fucked up shit still going on. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's not a perfect world. No, yeah. Witches, with their mystical powers and intriguing personas, have been a constant presence in folklore and literature for centuries. Their portrayal in folklore and literature has evolved over time, reflecting changing societal perceptions and beliefs about witches. From fairy tales to classical literature, witches have held a prominent place in the collective imagination, contributing to the rich tapestry of storytelling. Right so witches often take center stage in classic fairy tales, where they are depicted as powerful, cunning and sometimes evil figures.
Speaker 2:A lot of times. Evil figures A lot of times.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, you have the wicked witch west and you have the wicked witch.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, there's usually at least. If there's a good witch, nine times out of 10, there's a bad witch too.
Speaker 1:True, now, except for stories like Hansel and Gretel, where the witch is a child eating antagonist, yeah Right. Then in Sleeping Beauty, maleficent is a wicked sorceress who casts a curse, right, so she's like kind of a bitch as well.
Speaker 2:Still one of the weirdest fairy tales. Yeah, sleeping Beauty. It's such a weird overall it's an odd one, yeah, anyway.
Speaker 1:Now, fairy tales have played a role in perpetuating the idea of witches as a mysterious and potentially dangerous being.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Now, beyond fairy tales, witches appear in various forms in folklore from around the world. These stories often draw on local beliefs and traditions, creating a diverse array of witch characters, from Baba Yaga of Russian folklore to the La Lurana of Latin American legend, witches play multifaceted roles in narratives of different cultures.
Speaker 2:I think that's La Lurana, because it's a double L. It's Aya.
Speaker 1:Ah, is it Lurana.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's Lurana, because double.
Speaker 1:L in Latin America is usually the Aya. I recognize seeing it because I know she's the crying one. Well, a double L to us is all but yeah, she's well, I recognize just reading it. I've seen it before. She's the one that is like a crying ghost and she's just associated. She's not directly like a witch though, yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, she drowned her kids and then she died and is always eternally seeking to find her kids after she drowned them out of like a desperation.
Speaker 2:No, actually.
Speaker 1:Because Baby Yaga is typically depicted as an old hag who lived in a hut that stands on and she stands on fucking or, I'm sorry, the hut stands on chicken legs, and then she's surrounded by a fence of human bones.
Speaker 2:That's weird. That's a weird thing to pick Like. If you're that witch, I just have to say that because you're so, you picked human bones for your fence and you were like well what's strong enough to hold up the foundations of my humble abode? Chicken legs. Ah well, there's a lot of chicken fucks around here. It's all the sacrifices they're making. They just pluck a pair of legs underneath after each sacrifice Honestly.
Speaker 1:but how much like respect would you have for that witch if you showed up to her little shack and it was just sitting on four fucking chicken legs and you're like hmm, those chickens had strong bones.
Speaker 2:They must have drank their milk, milk.
Speaker 1:Milk, milk, milk.
Speaker 2:How do you say milk? It's a topic of controversy. Iconic literary works have also featured prominent witch characters, such as Shakespeare's Macbeth, which includes characters of the three witches who predict Macbeth's rise and fall. Iconic literary works have also featured prominent witch characters. Shakespeare's Macbeth includes the character of the three witches who predict Macbeth's rise and fall. Johann Wolfgang von Goeth's Faust features a pact with the devil and the character of Mephistopheles, I believe, is how do you pronounce that which is a demon with a witch-like qualities? I need to say that last sentence again this is tough, You're fine, that's fine.
Speaker 2:Witches in literature have often served as symbols. In allegorical figures, they can represent the temptation of power, the consequences of greed or the fear of the unknown. In many cases, witches embody societal anxieties and offer insights into the human psyche. Now, over time, the portrayal of witches in literature has, of course, evolved. While traditional depictions often cast witches as malevolent figures, modern interpretations have introduced more nuanced and complex portrayals. In contemporary literature, witches can be heroic, morally ambiguous or even sympathetic characters, challenging earlier stereotypes. An interesting tidbit actually is that paganism, like in America, is one of the fastest growing religions.
Speaker 2:Paganism is yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, I actually looked up a stat. Hold on, let me see if I have it up still. There was oh no, I don't, but essentially I believe it was in 2005 or something like that there was maybe 8,000 pagans and these are rough numbers, obviously very, very ballpark but it escalated from 8,000 to like in 2015, there was over 300,000 self-prescribed. Yeah, it's one of the fastest growing religious sects in America right now.
Speaker 1:It's just a fun little tidbit. Almost like faster than how Mormonism spread, Maybe yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean what you have to think about now. I don't know what they're actually classifying as paganism, just polytheistic religion. Is that what it is? I don't know what the actual terms are there, but paganism quote, unquote is one of the fastest growing. I think specifically Wiccan.
Speaker 1:Oh, interesting.
Speaker 2:Fun facts.
Speaker 1:Fun facts. I did not know that. Yeah, the consistent presence of witches in folklore and literature has had a significant impact on pop culture. Witches have become iconic figures in film, television and other forms of media. Modern interpretations of witches often explore themes of feminine strength, resilience, empowerment, identity healing, protection, justice and self-discovery. They represent the idea that a woman can reclaim their agency, break free from traditional constraints and harness their power for personal and societal transformation. Fucking like that's a good side of feminism, yeah, witches, witches. The portrayal of witches in folklore and literature reflects their ever-involving perception.
Speaker 1:Now from malevolent antagonists in classic tales to complex, multi-dimensional characters in contemporary works, witches continue to captivate our imaginations and inspire thought-provoking narratives. Yes, they do.
Speaker 2:Yes they do.
Speaker 1:They're fun. They are fun. The one that I always go back to is Reia, the Coup in the Dark Tower series by Stephen.
Speaker 2:King. Oh see, adam, I'm not familiar. That's the one series I haven't read, oh my God, she's fucking crazy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean she's evil, she's such a fucking bitch, but god damn it. It's like, yeah, that's who I keep going to.
Speaker 2:I always think of Angela from Aragon. Oh yeah, okay yeah, I always think of her. She's a it's like that crazy, wise, mysterious character that pops up out of nowhere throughout the whole series, and it's that just always gives me like super witch vibes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she has the cat. I love the cat. I love the cat. The where cat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, dude, he's a badass. He is a badass, anyway. Sorry, I could talk about Aragon all day. The emergence of modern witchcraft movements such as Wicca and Neopaganism in the 20th and 21st centuries has played a significant role in reshaping perceptions of witchcraft. These movements emphasize spirituality, nature worship and ritual magic as positive in life-affirming practices, which is awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is great. Yeah, it's like positive and it's good yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean ritual magic can be taken either way, but nature worship always good All about it. Love that.
Speaker 1:It's where the weed comes from. I took a hit just a second ago and I was like thank god for nature.
Speaker 2:You know, thank god is for nature. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Witchcraft as a cultural and historical phenomenon continues to evolve. Contemporary representations of witches span a broad spectrum, ranging from the classical wicked witch to the wise and benevolent practitioner of magic. As society's understanding of magic, power and gender roles evolves, the image of the witch remains a dynamic and ever-changing symbol in the collective imagination. The history of witches, with its complex and evolving narrative, is not just a historical artifact, but a living reality in some parts of the world. The occurrence of contemporary witch hunts highlights the importance of promoting education, tolerance and human rights to combat the perpetuation of harmful beliefs and practices. Yes, let's like. Let's make people more educated, let's give them more resources, let's learn what tolerance is and let's give people fucking basic human rights, god could you imagine?
Speaker 2:No, everybody on the planet having basic human rights. It's uh I would like that.
Speaker 1:I would like that very much.
Speaker 2:Are you running for office in 2024?
Speaker 1:I might be so my name is Cooper Oaks. I will be running for.
Speaker 2:I ask him a question. Gosh, I'd like that.
Speaker 1:Nice, you know, with how the house is going right now, I'm gonna go for the speaker of the house actually.
Speaker 2:I think, I have a better chance than fucking.
Speaker 1:Small shoes to fill, Honestly no it's uh Pelosi's before me, so those are big, but then you got. Well, I was talking actual foot size.
Speaker 2:Uh yeah, I was thinking more like 3.2s Literal. Yeah, 3.5s 3.2 is not one half.
Speaker 1:I like to go big Like the show. I like the show.
Speaker 2:No, you can't just say that confidently and make it make sense. I'm sorry, I just said that you did. You did Now in the end.
Speaker 1:In the end it doesn't even matter, Okay.
Speaker 2:Because the history of witches is a story of shifting perceptions from wise healers to feared practitioners of evil magic and, in more recent times, a revival of interest in witchcraft as a spiritual practice. It reflects the evolving beliefs and values of societies throughout history. The enchantment of witches, their complex and multifaceted nature and their enduring ability to inspire both awe and dread ensure that their mystique will continue to cast its spell on our collective imagination for generations to come.
Speaker 1:And that's all she wrote. Ladies and gentlemen, Fucking witches are here.
Speaker 2:You're a girl. That's all you wrote. Yeah, get it, because it's the end of the script. You wrote the script, yeah.
Speaker 1:I am a she.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know you are Now identify.
Speaker 1:Thank God, dude, I've been waiting for you to do that. Have you? We all knew. Is that what you've been waiting for?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we all knew. We all knew, I knew there was a reason I'm attracted to you.
Speaker 1:So there you are, ladies and gentlemen, fucking witches. Witches are dope and I like them. I think witches are pretty cool. Super bum that so many of them died throughout history.
Speaker 2:I think witches are fascinating.
Speaker 1:Not even okay, Not all of them. I mean, like the ones that were perceived as witches, I guess, by some small dicked men.
Speaker 2:Those are the only ones you feel bad for.
Speaker 1:No, I feel bad for all of them, but I mean, not all of them were actual witches. They're like no, I'm a school teacher and they're like which?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah. Okay, my dick, the collective blanket of witches yes, that were considered witches even though they weren't actually witches. Yes, okay.
Speaker 1:All right. Genocide of women across the world.
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah, that's history for you.
Speaker 1:Just genocide and random groups of people for whatever reason they have just random fucking spur of the moment Shit.
Speaker 2:History could actually be measured out by genocide. You know, genocide to genocide, and that could be a different chapter of human history.
Speaker 1:Honestly, it really can.
Speaker 2:Which is crazy, isn't that?
Speaker 1:fun. I think it's called the fourth turning is the book that actually kind of talks about this Really. Oh, that's awesome. Okay, I should be an author. Yeah, it's crazy. Well, I think it's cool. It repeats itself all the time.
Speaker 2:I think it's cool because there's so many different types of witches. Right, we kept on saying witches as in like this broad spectrum of people, but obviously there's the wick, there's paganism, there's druidry, there's a set, true, and there's all of the different sects of each one of those. Yes, and all of the. There's just so many different types of what would be considered paganism that it really encompasses the majority of uncivilized populations. Yeah, you know, like that weren't quite there with the evolution of humankind at the time. You know what I mean Uncivilized civilizations.
Speaker 2:At that time, the majority of them were polytheistic were pagans were quote unquote heathens were a satru druidry, wicka, all these different things. Well, not wicka. Wicka was in 1950 or something like that. Some dude made it up or started, started practicing it. I shouldn't say made it up.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, depends on how you look at it, I guess Well thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and we hope that you have a safe and fun Halloween.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Stay spooky and stuff. And, by the way, all the razors and apple and all that bullshit. It's all fake, it's all fucking fake.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so if you get an apple for Christmas, just bite right into it, bite into it, just bite right into it, don't even think about it.
Speaker 1:It's completely fucking fake. So have a safe fun. Drink your ass off fucking. Smoke some weed, do some cocaine.
Speaker 2:There have been examples of razor blades and apples. Before, though, that is things that have happened on.
Speaker 1:Halloween. Yeah, there's no actual reporting. Look it up.
Speaker 2:I'm like 90% sure we don't have to look it up.
Speaker 1:Anyways, ladies and gentlemen, you got anything for the kids, I'm right and Cooper's wrong.
Speaker 2:That's all I have to say. But thank you guys so much If you made it this far in the episode, of course. Of course you are a champion and we love you. And now you are a chappy ghost because you are spooky for the holidays and we appreciate you, you, you, you, chappy boo you chappy boo.
Speaker 1:We'll stay beautiful bitches, because we fucking love you.
