Early Modern European Witch Hunt

The early modern European period saw the phenomenon of the witch-hunt manifest. The rationale behind this was to stop the perceived threat from those who would not conform and accept subordination. Essentially the witch-hunt served as a repressive form against individuals that threatened the patriarchal balance of hegemony. It was a social wielding of power to oppress those who did not feed tradition and those who were not circled by the restraint of society. Women fell disproportionately in the category of those accused of witchcraft, and it follows that the tropes attached to a witch largely surround female sexuality but extend to individuals who usurped social norms. The witch-hunt is enshrined in misogynistic connotations and is a seemingly