The witch-finders of the 17th Century have become a staple of cheap horror since they preyed on communities. Helped by folktales, books, TV shows and films, most famously the 1968 Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price, the figure of this self-appointed Christian inquisitor has, ironically, taken on almost supernatural qualities as a symbol of evil and…
On Friday 26th October, we are taking the Ashmolean Museum back to a dark period of English history as we conduct a 1600s witch trial as part of the critically-acclaimed Spellbound exhibition. Our players will be staging performances throughout the museum as part of the fantastic Live Friday event, as we use authentic accounts from witch trials of…
Every Hallowe’en, the internet is awash with stories of the ‘witches’ and witch-finders of the 17th Century. But although Matthew Hopkins, the notorious ‘Witchfinder General’ is undoubtedly the most famous witch-hunter, he was by no means alone. The practice of ‘witch-finding’ was relatively rare in England and most accusations of witchcraft would have been dealt…
History has made Matthew Hopkins something of a boogeyman. Helped in no small part by folktales, books, TV shows and films, including the 1968 Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price, he has become a symbol of the archaic past, of the madness of religious zealotry and of superstition. But who was Matthew Hopkins, more commonly known…