I'll Get You My Pretties!

Between the years of 1482 and 1782; thousands of people were accused of witchcraft and were executed. People believed that witches were everywhere plotting with the devil to cause harm. They started appearing in local lore and in fairytales as a versatile symbol for evil and transgression, and by the late 16th and 17th centuries people of all classes believed that witches were everywhere. They were a deadly threat to life and of the divine order. It is these beliefs that helped develop the legend of witches, but also resulted in innocent people dying.