For centuries it was popular to accuse the devil, witches, and warlocks for these be-wildering manifestations.

They had accused everyone-Jews and witches and the insane.

It might be noted that about this time the Churches accused witches of 'Raising Storms, Human Sacrifice and Wearing Girdles'.

As we have seen, the Church similarly accused witches of wearing cords or girdles which have a ritual meaning for them.

The Church therefore at the time accused witches of raising storms, poisoning wells and other serious crimes - and of wearing girdles!

Of the twenty men and women accused - amongst them the Pendle witches and the Samlesbury witches - eleven were found guilty and subsequently hanged; one was sentenced to stand in the pillory, and the rest were acquitted.

I know that accused witches who chose to keep their silence were usually stripped and pressed to death with heavy stones.

In parallel, a riot took place where people accused witches of abducting children for the black masses, and priests reported that a growing number of people were confessing to poisoning in their confessions.

The authors accused witches, among other things, of infanticide and having the power to steal men's penises.

In the Early Modern Period, the Church accused alleged witches of consorting and conspiring with Satan.