What It Was Really Like Being A Witch-Hunter

There were no female witch-hunters. Well, wait, that's not true: There's one exception. Christian Caddell worked as a witch-hunter for some time but to be fair, she was pretending to be a man while doing so. Other than her, all witch-hunters were male.

There were no female witch-hunters. Well, wait, that's not true: There's one exception. Christian Caddell worked as a witch-hunter for some time – but to be fair, she was pretending to be a man while doing so. Other than her, all witch-hunters were male.

The Malleus Maleficarum specifically stated that women were more prone to witchcraft, not for any specifically demonic reason but because they were just more susceptible to that sort of thing. As anyone knows, women like long walks in the park, makeup, pretty clothing, and consorting with the Devil. Witch-hunters often focused on "crones" and the unwed, which makes sense for both theological and practical reasons. Theologically, they believed that witches were more likely to be susceptible to demons. Practically, old women and unwed women were just less likely to have anyone who could speak out on their behalf.

In The Discovery of Witches, Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins outlines his awakening experience — which involved eight female witches, one of which called upon her familiars: Holt, a white kitten; Jarmara, a fat spaniel; Vinegar Tom, a greyhound; Sack and Sugar, a rabbit; and Newes, a polecat. An old, unmarried woman with a house full of pets is, of course, a man's greatest fear — especially on Tinder.

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