re: #97 imp_62

Explain where I went wrong. My understanding is that witch hunts stemmed at least in part from a deep-seated social misogyny, singling out strong-willed and independent women - amongst them healers - as witches.

This is a long, long conversation.

Suggestion: start with Briggs’ Witches and Neighbors. It’s a very good book, a study of one area of France.

For Salem, look at Nussbaum’s (and a co-author) study, discussing the pattern of accusation.

There’s a lot that goes into witch trials and witch hunts. It’s not as simple as misogyny, though there certainly was an element of it.

But it wasn’t - generally - aimed at “healers”, but at poor widows.