Abstract
Historians agree that most early modern witches were women. A question rarely
asked, though, is how any men came to be accused at all, given the strong
association of women and witchcraft in popular folklore and learned demonology. This article examines the prosecution for witchcraft of a Kentish farmer in
1617, and argues that an integrated qualitative context of conflict and belief is
essential for understanding this and other accusations. The aim is not, however,
to offer yet another overarching explanation for the rise of witchcraft
prosecutions, but rather to demonstrate how witchcraft can open windows on
early modern mentalities
Darklady's Occult