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From “What It Was Really Like Being A Witch-Hunter” by Jenna Inouye < link >
What does the phrase "witch-hunter" evoke for you? For some, it might be a historical nobleman dressed in fine clothes, with a tall hat, long cloak, and expertly coiffed hair. (For others, it might be Vin Diesel — and for that, we have only Vin Diesel himself to blame.)
Witch-hunters were most prolific from the 1500s to the 1700s, a period during which thousands of lives were lost to fear and uncertainty. Those who were accused of witchcraft were often put to death and nearly always tortured into confession. Much has been written on why the witch hunts themselves occurred and why witchcraft suddenly became so notable, but relatively little has been written about witch-hunters themselves.
Often, witch-hunters were the driving force behind witch-hunting campaigns — and in many trials, they served as judge, jury, and, ultimately, executioner. As respected experts well-credentialed in the art of "witch-finding," they were the authority on whether or not someone should be put to death. Even if they didn't literally set the pyre alight, they certainly did it figuratively.
But who were these men? What drove them to seek out witches and witchcraft? And did they really believe in any of it? Let's take a look at what it was really like being a witch-hunter — and what you could expect if you, too, were forced to face one. …